If everybody owns it...

2 years ago, I watched the Michael Moore documentary, 'SICKO' - A documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and shared some HMO horror stories [read the synopsys at imdb]. The film pushed the praises of Universal Healthcare systems in Canada, France, and Cuba.

After watching the film twice, My wife and I were sold on the virtues of Universal Healthcare. That is until I took my economics class as part of my MBA program taught by Dr. Bill Boyes who figuratively slapped some economic sense back into me. The key takeaway was this:

If nobody owns it. Nobody takes care if it.

If somebody owns it. somebody takes care of it.

If everybody owns it. Nobody takes care of it.

In case you're wondering who everybody is - everybody is the Government.

So think about... Why is the global environment is in shambles, but your neighborhood's yards are beautifully landscaped? And have you seen the yard of the house in foreclosure down the street?

So back to healthcare. Lets keep it out of everybody's hands. Let the healthcare practitioners run their practices and give them the freedom to give you the care that you're willing to pay for. Let the drug companies invest in R&D and sell their drugs, so that you can feel better, or at least not get worse. Let the medical device companies innovate and sell to the hospitals so that they can save your life. Take your personal health into your own hands, not everybody's hands.

Changing Views III - Socialists vs. Capitalists

I've always believed in the free market - even before I knew what it meant. It just makes sense though. I didn't grow up receiving an allowance, but as the son of two business owners, I quickly learned the value of a dollar and how incentives worked. My dad paid me to wash the car, and rewarded me for doing chores or helping out during the week by taking me out on Saturday mornings for hot chocolate and donuts.

College was paid for by student loans mostly. My parents did help out a bit my freshman year with dorm expenses. In fact, I just paid my undergrad loans off 2 years ago, just in time to take out more loans on my MBA. I recall a conversation I had with my friend Bryan towards the end of my undergrad years when he asked me why I wanted to get into real estate sales. I told him something along the lines of, "First, because I genuinely like helping people, especially on potentially their biggest purchase to date. Second, because real estate is a nearly perfect market of buyers and sellers. Supply and Demand. It just makes sense. Third, I get paid on a commission - I sell a bunch of houses, I make a bunch of money. What a great incentive to excel."

Changing Views I - On Marriage

In the last few years, I've found that my tastes and my views have been changing radically. Perhaps a part of my growing life experiences, my education, and my maturity. I find myself stepping back to take a look at the world around me, and wondering where do I see myself fitting in that world. This is a jumping off point to a series of blogs about CHANGE. Yes We Can.

I recall being 25, stopped at a red light on my motorcycle waiting to turn left from Saratoga Avenue to the 280 on-ramp. I was in deep thought as I often was when riding (I recommend driving with the radio off for a few days to really get in touch with your thoughts), thinking how there is absolutely no reason for any sane person to get married... aside from perhaps religious reasons. No financial upside; Doesn't make a relationship stronger; Wedding costs are ridiculous; Diamonds are even more ridiculous and a total racket by DeBeers; Sure its nice if you had kids to be married, but being not-married doesn't make raising a child any different, except maybe on who gets the tax write-off (not sure how that works). Strip away all the emotion and tradition out of marriage, and all you have is a loosely legally binding contract to validate a relationship.

So here I was, at the peak of my bachelorhood, swearing off marriage. Fast forward two years, and you'll have found me head over heels in love, engaged (under no coercion), helping my fiance plan a marriage. Ready and willing to move to a land far away (Arizona) from everything I've known.

I can't tell you exactly what it was that changed my view on marriage. But now, 5 years removed from that painfully long red light, i get excited that several of my friends are getting married.

Want more on marriage, check out my cousin Bonnie's blog on The Dichotomy of Marriage.