Public Option - California Style

I swear, the Democrats in the California state legislature must be retarded. The state is broke and issuing IOUs but they go ahead and push for a state-run single payer health plan that will cost an additional $200 billion. The bill will abolish private health insurance in California and replace it with a public plan funded by a 16%(!) tax on businesses and employees. Our fringe rate at work is ~17% and that includes payroll taxes (7.65%) plus 401(k) expenses. This plan doubles the healthcare costs for workers. I can't figure out how the math works... 1/2 the population in California are currently "uninsured"? Why does my healthcare costs have to double for Democrat social engineering and wealth transfer?

SFGate

The proposal, which is estimated to cost $200 billion, would eliminate private health insurance in California and replace it with a state-run system, which would be provided to every California resident. That system would be overseen by a new state agency that also would ultimately decide what services the coverage would entail.

The price tag would be paid by pooling all state and federal money currently spent on health services, which would require federal approval, along with a payroll tax that would be paid by both employees and workers. In a previous incarnation of the bill, that tax was set at 16 percent. The financing is not part of the latest version. Backers also think the single-payer system will greatly reduce administrative costs, which also would help pay for the system.

In what universe do you double the "tax" to pay for something while claiming that you're reducing administrative costs? Liars.

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Meanwhile...

LA Times

Reporting from Sacramento - State lawmakers are taking aim at what some of them see as a menace to California's environment: free parking.

There is too much of it, the legislators say, and it encourages people to drive instead of taking the bus, walking or riding a bike. All that motoring is contributing to traffic jams and pollution, according to state Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), and on Thursday he won Senate approval of a proposal he hopes will prompt cities and businesses to reduce the availability of free parking.

"Free parking has significant social, economic and environmental costs," Lowenthal said. "It increases congestion and greenhouse gas emissions."

I checked OCTA's website. It would take me ~2 hours to go to work by bus. Who voted for these idiots?!