It’s like auto insurance

OK, I’m young. I’m healthy. Why should I be forced to pay a tax disguised as a penalty? Well, I’m a mature, responsible driver who has taken a driver safety course. Why should I be forced to buy auto insurance?

The young think they’re never going to need to visit a doctor, let alone show up at the emergency room. I’m fairly sure I won’t be involved in a fender bender, let alone a major accident.

But if by some strange circumstance the other guy wasn’t driving responsibly and had no insurance, I still want my fender fixed. Kind of like the person without insurance still wants treatment if they get sick!

I may go years without needing my insurance company to come to my aid. But I’ll pay my insurance “tax” now rather than trying to get insurance after the accident. Because, quite frankly, who’s going to insure me at that point?

So, I’ll gladly put my money into the pool of financial resources now, so that I don’t contribute to driving up the cost for everyone later when trouble finally comes my way.

Lloyd Brown

Elk, Wash.