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SGM Mikel Dawson
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CSM Charles Hayden , I read this. I will say one thing on taxes. If you all over there have to pay the taxes I got to pay, then you will have something to gripe about!
HEALTH CARE: When I came to Denmark they had a good health care system, BUT because of costs, they've had to revamp so much, consolidating hospitals - meaning closing many and thus people have to travel further. Most recent is one in Tønder, it is closing because of costs. My wife had back pain, real bad, so bad she was having to take pain pills to get along. She was a truck driver - delivering in and around Kolding, Denmark. She went to the doc, they couldn't find anything wrong. She kept going back and asked for a MRI - they said it would cost too much, she finally had to get her union involved and firmly demand an MRI - found she had two collapsed discs in her back. If she had not forced it they wouldn't have found the problem.
I've had a coughing problem. I went to the Danish doc, they couldn't find anything. I finally had to go to Germany (through the VA) to get it taken care of.
I have many customers who buy health insurance so they can go to private doctors and hospitals. For a country who is suppose to provide it all, I ask why would someone need to buy insurance if everything is going ok? You figure it out!

HOME CARE: Promised of cradle to grave care in this country! Now the people who've paid taxes all their lives and now needing the services, services are slowly being taken away. I've got a customer who is a care giver and she is pissed off because there's no money to give the type of care they deserve, but Denmark can take in all the foreign people, pay them to live and stay.
CARS & FUEL: Holy Cow! You can't believe the cost of vehicles here. Also the cost of getting them licensed every year. I have a VW transporter van - nothing fancy, yet it costs me 10,000 Danish Krone a year, every year to license it! I don't want to here any of you complain about the price of fuel!!! Come over here and you will be glad to go home and buy.
PAID VACATIONS: They make it sound like everyone get all this paid vacation, I have to save for a vacation. Employers have to pay for it, this the costs of good and services is very high.

We live about 80 km north of the Germany border. My wife goes to Germany about every 6 weeks to shop because she can save so much money. She buys horse feed there and will save over a $1,000 dollars every time. Costs of living is high. I got a friend who went on pension, he couldn't afford to live here, so he sold his place and moved to Portugal. Now he can live on a pension.
Because this is a social system everyone in a house hold's income is tied to each other. If one is on a disability, then if the other person makes too much money, the pension is taken away. If you have any savings all this must be used up first.

You don't want "Give it away Bernie" to have his way. Everyone here thinks Obama Care is free, that's what it sounds like over here. Then when I explain to people no it's not free care, you must buy insurance and if you don't you get a penalty they just shake their head.

Good luck
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SGM Mikel Dawson
SGM Mikel Dawson
8 y
Also what they don't tell you is the small details which you have no control over:
You can't clean your own chimney - a guy from the local government is hired to come around and do it, even if you can do it yourself.
Same with septic tank service - local government determines it needs to be done every year, even if it don't!
You got rats or mice - you can't buy rat poison, you got to contact the local government and they send someone out
Oh of course you get to pay for all these things you can do yourself.

A driver's license usually costs around 10,000 danish krone to get one, so kids either go in debt or mom and dad go in debt to get one.
All my rifles, pistols, shotguns are in the States because of all the laws here. If you got a bow - it's got to be registered with the police. Want to carry a pocket knife - I got a little 2" Gerber lock blade - will get me 7 days in jail if I carry it out of the house.

You ask why I am here - I finished my military career here in Europe. I would have never made SGM in the States, but I did here. I've adjusted my life to fit in, even though I don't like it. Oh, I do carry my Gerber knife and hope I never get caught - going with out a pocket knife is like going with no pants on.
My wife (danish) and I have made a good life. I grossed last year around $100,000 but you wouldn't know it looking at the way we live. The way we've gotten where we are now is because of three deployments on tax free status which enabled us to get ahead. I got to thaaaaank the U.S. Army for my way of life now.
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CSM Charles Hayden
CSM Charles Hayden
8 y
SGM Mikel Dawson If no
one objects, on behalf of the U S Army, you are welcome. Any benefits you may receive have been paid for with your service, thank you for that service! V/r, CSM Charles H Hayden
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SGM Mikel Dawson
SGM Mikel Dawson
8 y
CSM Charles Hayden - Thanks a bunch. One thing on benefits: During all my deployments my wife never got to use any benefits due to the fact we live so far away from any military base after all the down sizing. So fuel coupons, which is a big deal over it would have cost more to drive to Frankfurt at the time than it was worth. Same for PX and such. If there were times I could drive down, then when I came back my van was chuck full!!
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SFC Victor Serrano
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Plenty of clueless of Americans will still vote for Sanders because they want free stuff!
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SSG Dennis Grossmann
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It's not an accurate depiction and as much as I dislike Sanders, the meme is false.
Comparing Denmark to the U.S. though is apples to oranges. Population and unemployment, social habits, etc. Denmark does pay a hefty tax and people don't eat out much, cars are basically unaffordable. The positive side is that the Danes bike a lot, the rail system in Europe is awesome and bussing. So if you are married and wish to give another 5k+ to the government in federal tax alone vote Bernie. We don't have a good rail system or nearly the public transportation to support this idea. The food service industry will have major losses, the automobile industry as well because there will be a whole lot less money to take the family out.
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SGM Mikel Dawson
SGM Mikel Dawson
8 y
SSG Dennis Grossmann No you can't compare the two. You can put Denmark in Idaho twice and have a little left over. There's about 5 million living here, or there abouts. If you look at the charts on the link, the household debt is very high here. People believe in "plastic". That's why when I do a horse, I demand cash from new customers and only later on will I write a bill.
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