Healthcare and Popcorn

Normally I don’t write about state or local events. However, when there’s a underlying message that transcends local politics it can be very informative. I was listening to the Tony Macrini Show here in Norfolk and his guest was Jody Wagner, a candidate for state Lieutenant Governor in Virginia.

Mrs. Wagner showed the typical hypocrisy that we see in her party every day. To her credit she and her husband have a popcorn business in Virginia Beach. She took great care to mention it no less than three times including the street addresses. As an entrepreneur she was lamenting the high cost of health insurance to cover her employees. She spoke about her family’s struggle to get affordable coverage for the popcorn business and her husband’s medical practice. It’s a complaint of most small businesses and I was impressed that she at least had some perspective from which to speak.

She then unwittingly stumbled into the hypocrisy. She mentioned that the health insurance industry needs an overhaul. To paraphrase, ’someone needs to look at the high profits of health insurance companies, those profits are nice if you’re an investor but not so nice if you need to pay the premiums’.

Well Mrs. Wagner, I think someone should look at the profits in the popcorn business. After all, it costs less than $2 per pound for raw popcorn (according to foodservicedirect.com) and your business sells a gallon container for around $16! My uneducated guess is that there is a healthy profit in there. AS THERE SHOULD BE! In case you haven’t heard this is America. The free market has a way of working this stuff out. If the popcorn didn’t sell well at your current price should the government step in to prop up the price? After all, shouldn’t everyone have access to your delicious popcorn? Actually, I’ll bet Mrs. Wagner would love a Federal Popcorn Act to subsidize her sales.

The bottom line is not popcorn. They can sell it for $50 per gallon, more power to them. That’s exactly why I am including a link to their website here. Click here and buy tons of popcorn. I do have a problem with someone looking at someone else’s business and deciding they are making more than they should. If you want good employees, health insurance is a cost of doing business. Just like oil and popcorn and spices are a cost of your business. To expect the American taxpayer to subsidize the system so you can take home more profit is very bothersome. We do not need this mindset in government. Stick to popcorn Mrs. Wagner.