Census Data

[Saturn]

Look at your last car accident and the costs associated with that. As an Insurance broker I can certainly tell you that one never pays in what they get out in the case of a bad accident.

This is really no different.

This is very different - as an insurance broker you know that you charge clients who are more likely to get into an accident higher premiums - in health care, those who use it the most (namely seniors) pay the least. You can't expect to pay a quarter of what your health insurance is worth because there will be twice as many individuals to pay for it down the line and you'll force them to pay twice as much. Neither is it possible to continue having twice as many people down the line, nor is it possible to keep doubling the amounts they pay. Eventually, you'll either have to start paying your fair share or you'll lose your excessive benefits.

[Renegade]

What is not accounted for in your example is that not every senior will get sick. Health in this country is treated much like insurance. We all pay into it, regardless of what we pull out.

Actually yes it is accounted for. I said the average cost. That means the cost across ALL seniors. Some seniors will cost $1million to treat, others will cost nothing at all, but on average it costs $10000 or so.

Look at your last car accident and the costs associated with that. As an Insurance broker I can certainly tell you that one never pays in what they get out in the case of a bad accident.

Certainly if it was only a select few who were collecting then your analogy would be correct, but it is not so. The majority consume healthcare and for some it is in far excess of the $10000. So as I stated the $10000 is an average. Certainly as an insurance broker you can understand that if the overall payout is vastly more than the overall contributions, the system is not viable.

[Renegade]

That ignores the reasoning that as we age we are not working as much, if at all. Somebody has to fill in the blanks.

You dont plan on retiring?

I really don't understand your point. What blanks are you referring to? Please explain.

Of course I plan on retiring, I just don't think it is fair or sustainable to the next working generation to support me beyond what I have contributed. I also don't think it is fair for me to support the current retirees beyond what they have contributed.

[Remiel]

My question is, could there be a population decline when the Baby Boomers begin to die off in earnest?

[Renegade]

My question is, could there be a population decline when the Baby Boomers begin to die off in earnest?

Of course there could. Many factors can change including the desirability of Canada as an immigration destination.

[Argus]

Do you have any evidence on which to base that opinion? For it appears to me that Canadians were in every concievable economic measure, better off when we had a population of 20 million than we do now.

You are hallucinating again. Using every conceivable economic measure Canadians are much better off now than in the 60s.

Such absolute certainty!

I await your earnest efforts to back up the bullshit above.

[Argus]

Tax policy alone, no, but a basket of policies to encourage young couples and make it easier to care for children has had a strong affect in some European countries.

Hehe! All European countries have much lower birthrates than Canada does (with the exception of Albania). Apparently that "basket" didn't work out very well. But no surprise you'd come up with something that doesn't produce any results.

No surprise that you'd spout off as if you actually had a clue about what you're talking about. I'm not surprised you know nothing about demographics, either here or in Europe. But I am constantly surprised at the number of people here who, like you, are quite content to make asses of themselves by making absolute pronouncements without even the most cursory checks to see if they have any truth.

You are, of course, quite wrong. You are almost ALWAYS quite wrong. This is why the level of respect accorded you here is so very low.

[Argus]

Tax policy alone, no, but a basket of policies to encourage young couples and make it easier to care for children has had a strong affect in some European countries.

More daycare spaces?

I would be in favour of guaranteed daycare for younger children, and a panoply of other measures to encourage more children.

[Argus]

My question is, could there be a population decline when the Baby Boomers begin to die off in earnest?

Eventually. I have posted a study here earlier which stated, more or less, that if we ended immigration then Canada's population would decline by - oh, some tiny fraction - by, I think, 2050. I can dig it out if you want.

[Wilber]

DEl