Fellow e-Healthers, I'm very concerned -- you see, our Provincial (Ontario) budget recently made a 911 call for help and was taken to wherever budgets go for ER care.
A preliminary diagnosis has been made and the problem appears to be a herniation/rupture in the feeder artery to the various ministries -- folks, money is flying everywhere.
Consultants like Peter are rubbing their hands with glee, but so is Paul the banker since he's getting his money back guaranteed, with interest!
Of course, akin to getting an H1N1 vaccine shot these days, we'll have to line up and wait in the snow, ice and rain for a definitive prognosis and course of treatment, but based on the state of our economy, it's definitely gonna be painful over the years to come; our Finance Surgeon (I mean, Minister) will no doubt have to slash and burn to repair the damage.
However, despite the pending doom and gloom, I see some means of mitigating the above -- I think this time the pharmaceutical companies (aka Big Pharma) can help us -- let me explain...
You see, had this been an election, the results would have been catastrophic for the losers; I'm referring here to the current H1N1 vaccination campaign from the perspective of our various levels of Government versus those opposed to it (companies/health advocates such as http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/03/What-We-Have-Learned-About-the-Great-Swine-Flu-Pandemic.aspx, http://www.naturalnews.com/027292_vaccines_influenza_vaccination.html and http://www.davidicke.com/content/view/25191 amongst others).
It just amazes me that in spite of all the rhetoric used by the above "don't-do-it" camps, the majority of the population has still seen it appropriate to line up in droves for hours on end to get vaccinated, even in inclement weather.
The populace has embraced the promised efficacy of the vaccine which has created a huge demand for the product http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/swineflu/article/717842--hundreds-queue-for-h1n1-flu-shots, which in turn has created a shortage http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/swineflu/article/718484--temporary-h1n1-vaccine-shortage-looms; so in effect, Big Pharma has yet another winner on its hands!
Whether we agree or not, the fact is that flu vaccines have become a staple; and what else do you do with a staple like alcohol or fuel but tax it at will!
But the kicker behind my suggestion is that the Government should tax vaccine ingredients such as squalene, mercury and formaldehyde (see http://www.novaccine.com/specific-vaccines/vaccine.asp?v_id=16) so we get a piece of the profits that Big Pharma will proudly announce at their year-end; that way we can at least help reduce the up-coming cost pressures on our various e-Health initiatives and hospital budgets.
So, what would this tax be called? Funny you should ask! As a former United Kingdom resident, "Value Added Tax" (VAT) comes to mind -- after all, it's a well-recognized concept!
To differentiate it from a consumer-oriented tax however, it's official name should be the "Vaccine Adjuvant Tax".
I ran this idea by a friend of mine who promptly responded by singing the song "Dreamer, you stupid little dreamer;..." by Supertramp.
I reluctantly accepted the label, but immediately challenged her to help me understand the following, namely:
- why would our Government recommend we get vaccinated, then when we respond, we have to queue up in the rain to get the vaccine
- why would our Government recommend medication that has no clinical trials to back up its efficacy
- why would our Government protect any vaccine manufacturer from lawsuits arising from faulty product (see: http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/columnsandblogs/article/719140--walkom-why-shot-may-not-be-as-safe-as-claimed)
- why should our Government do all of the above for Big Pharma and all we get is stabbed in the arm (at best) and our health care budget stiffed
What are your thoughts? Am I a really dreaming?
As the cold season gets going, look after your health and remember to watch where you put that rake as you clean up the leaves!
Ernest A. James
President/CEO
Regal Informatics Inc.
www.regalinformatics.com
