BA>>>> ago, it's probably more than that now.

 BK>  With national health care that cost will vanish, and be
 BK>  equalized with foreign manufacturers.

That cost will not *VANISH*, Bob, it will simply be paid by the taxpayers 
instead of the companies.

And who do you suppose will be paying the companies' greatly increased taxes?
The companies' customers, that's who.  At least, those customers that can still
afford to buy those companies' products and services - right along with paying
their *own* greatly increased taxes.

What do you suppose would happen if companies started printing product labels
that said "The price of this product is $9.99, the actual cost of making this
product plus our profit margin is $2.32, the rest of the price is taxes and other
government imposed expenses."  You can bet your bottom dollar that the
government
would make such labels illegal, instantly.

Note that when taxes exceed the peoples' tolerance level, people move out from
under them.  Jeff Binkley posted two recent articles on that very subject.  And
it's no secret that a decade or two (or three) ago several high-profile, high income
Europeans emigrated from there to here to escape the high taxes there.  Those who
are able and can afford to relocate outside this country will do so - and take their
assets with them, the government can't tax something that's outside its reach.  Note
that Senator Kennedy has for years been pushing for a *crushing* exit tax penalty
(something on the order of 95%) on people who want to leave this country with their
assets; basically the people are free to leave but the government will confiscate all
of their assets if they do - just like any third world banana republic.

--- FleetStreet 1.19+