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A comment on Growing homeless camps contrast with West Coast tech wealth. Parent comment

Re:Growing homeless camps contrast with West Coast tech wealth by Retric on Tuesday November 07, 2017 @08:15AM (#15643062)
US government spends 37.6% of GDP across all it's layers which is well above Switzerland's 33.9% by comparison, thus the US has and needs high tax rates. https://data.oecd.org/gga/general-government-spending.htm

The difference is our tax code is designed to hide just how much money people are actually paying. Inefficiency and corruption also drastically reduces the benefits people get from the government. https://b-i.forbesimg.com/theapothecary/files/2013/06/OECD-P...

EX: US government spends 3,967$ per person (2010) on healthcare and has massive issues. Switzerland spends less than 1/2 as much at 1,628$/person (2010) and has high quality universal healthcare.

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Re:Growing homeless camps contrast with West Coast tech wealth by lsiebert on Tuesday November 07, 2017 @08:30AM (#15643168)
We pay a great deal of money for the military, and healthcare.

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/budget-basics/federal-bud...

We also overpay significantly for the healthcare we get compared to similar developed countries, and have worse outcomes.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danmunro/2014/06/16/u-s-healthc...

Given how much gun violence is blamed on mental health issues (though if that was the issue, you'd have to assume americans have more mental health issues than other developed countries, considering we have more gun deaths per capita, but I digress) and given the national emergency of the opiod epidemic, maybe we'll see some money go towards mental health that might help the people on the street, but I somehow doubt it.

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