More Ground-level Views of Obamacare

Another letter from another previous correspondent, inspired by yesterday's letter from a pastor:

Reading the post today it occurred to me that the pastor you are talking to is completely right for the people that I deal with on a daily basis also. I live in a trailer park in East Tennesse. . . I am a bookkeeper for a small tax business and I do the bookkeeping for very small businesses - sales tax, payroll, business tax - that kind of thing. The people they pay are exactly the people who need health insurance - waitresses, cooks, painters, cleaning services, concrete and paving guys but they won't understand how it works and they won't give up buying a "little more distraction" as Kacey Musgroves sings in "Merry Go 'Round", in order to have health insurance. Your pastor friend is also right that it won't be a conscious decision - they'll just kind of fall into it. I also have to tell you from ground level 4% of your income is huge - you can have insurance or beer for the weekend (or other distraction of choice) - guess which one they're going to choose? I also have the exact same problem as the pastor with Liberal wonks - they have no grasp at all of logical consequences. I can't think they have ever actually met any of the poor people that they seem so anxious to help. Because poor people just don't operate they way they seem to imagine.

I'd like to hear more from people who have first-person experiene doing financial work with the folks that Obamacare is going to serve. If you're one of them--or have other relevant experience--you can email me at mcmeganmoney@gmail.com

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Megan McArdle

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.