California Democrats fell short of the votes needed to pass a “single-payer” health care bill Monday that would force a government takeover of the state’s health insurance industry, raising taxes dramatically to create socialized medicine for all residents, legal or not.
The proposal for “CalCare” attracted support from left-wing “progressives” — and strong opposition from business groups, who pointed out that a similar policy had already failed recently in Vermont, the home of socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). The proposal would have required $163 billion in new taxes — and not just on the wealthy. (By comparison, the entire proposed state budget for California this year is an already-staggering $286.4 billion; single-payer would add 57%.)
The State Senate passed a single-payer health care bill in 2017, but failed to explain how it would be paid for,…
