I had an revelation today . . .

[DollyM]

I have a small business, making custom designed, realistic looking dolls. About 40 percent of my business comes from out of country, England and Canada mostly, and that amount seems to increase every year as my American sales seem to decrease. I kept wondering why, my British and Canadian customers pay between 65 and 85.00 in shipping costs, plus may have a hefty VAT (tax) when their doll arrives. Yet, they still keep buying.
Yesterday, I got an email from a customer in Iowa with whom I had been working to iron out the details on her custom dolls. She was backing out of the deal because her son was going to have to have surgery and she just couldn't afford the doll right now. I thought back to how many people over the past years have done this, the time I put into negotiating a deal just wasted because they had to back out due to unforeseen medical bills. Then it occurred to me, I have never once had a customer in England or Canada email me and tell me they had to back out on a custom order because they had unforeseen medical bills! Hmmmm . . . do you think that dealing with the medical bills issue might be more important to our economy than what anyone wants to admit? Just some food for thought. (While I am packing my bags and moving to Canada to be closer to my best customers!)

[blm]

1. That would make a very compelling Pro-Small Business health reform ad on YouTube.

.

[wryter2000]

2. Great idea! n/t

n/t

[blm]

3. kicking your thread for more eyeballs....

small businesses would be the ones helped the MOST with a strong public option in the reform bill, yet it is rarely ever mentioned in this way - not since the 2004 campaign when Kerry would bring it up in his speeches on healthcare reform.

[yodermon]

4. Single Payer would be the best stimulus package this country could pass.

Yours is a *perfect* example, thanks.

[JNelson6563]

9. +1

:toast:

[treestar]

5. Sounds like it

Or just worrying over it. Uncertainty about how much it will cost for the medical procedure, so cutting back on spending on something else even if you had the $$. Which people in the other countries don't have.

[lunatica]

6. That's a cogent point

If you're suffering loss of business because of the lack of health care coverage for Americans then every business is.

[myrna minx]

7. Interesting point. K&R

[mahina]

8. Hi Dolly,

sending you a pm about your dolls :)

[glinda]

10. Me too!

[grantcart]

11. A while back I made the case that single payer. public option

is not only the socialist answer but also strengthens the capitalist system.


In effect the health care system is an invisible tax on our system, in this case a tax that goes to private shareholders, but a tax never the less.

The VAT should not be added to imported goods (if I understand it correctly) It is added to goods on each stage of production and then if they are exported refunded.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/grantcart/223

[Lorien]

12. I sell artwork and I've noticed the same thing myself

plus, I no longer buy anything "for fun" because my own medical debt (and yes I HAVE insurance) has emptied my savings and driven me deep into debt. I don't even have credit anymore. I think that medical expenses are a major factor-maybe THE major factor, in our economy, but that won't change anything. Those on the Hill would rather drive us all into third world status than upset the status quo at the top and deprive an handful of rich SOBs even greater riches.

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. K&R

[samsingh]

14. kick

[defendandprotect]

15. Of course this is harming business, our overall economy -- well being of citizens . . .

in endless ways --

plus MEDICARE FOR ALL would create 2.3 million jobs!

[BREMPRO]

16. good real world example at how our health care system is a business killer...

not just a killer of people. congress please take notice...

[beac]

17. Error: you can only recommend threads which were started in the past 24 hours

And darn it, because yours is a good one.

[unblock]

18. the entire labor market and nearly all businesses would become more efficient

health insurance as a standard benefit amounts to a "tax" on labor. eliminating with tax would make hiring people much more efficient, i.e., the employee gets more of what the business shells out and neither has the overhead of worrying about health insurance.

republicans complain about unions making labor inefficient but that effect is teeny tiny compared to the effect of health insurance as a standard benefit.

[truedelphi]

21. Yep you are so spot on.

I have been told to my face that I am too old to benefit the nursing agencies I have tried to work for. That their premiums would go through the roof should they hire me.

So instead I get food stamps and local County paid medical benefits. Instead of making
$ 1500 or more a month and contributing via taxes, I am now one of those getting hand outs.

[zeemike]

19. Well you are in a want business not a need business.

And when people are strapped for cash whether it is because of medical bills or a loss of a job the want business suffers.
But just stop and think....when a CEO pockets 500 million it comes out of someones pocket and that someone is usually middle or lower class people...and those are your customers.
And yes health insurance is taking a big chunk of it.

[truedelphi]

20. We run a small publishing company and can attest to the truth of your

Statements. We get much business from Hong Kong and even China.

people here are so stressed right now about increases in mortgage rates, loss of jobs and even the medical bills. We know - about 70% of our energy circa 2005 to 2007 was about surviving a devastating mis-diagnosis that cost one of us our sight for ten months!

[mdmc]

22. ..