The Soft Seizure: When the Bridge Becomes a Trap
The most dangerous aspect of our current system is not just the lack of support, but the “soft seizure” of wealth that occurs at the end of a life of service. For decades, the trade-off for public employees—our teachers, police, and firefighters—was a lower salary in exchange for the absolute certainty of healthcare and a dignified retirement. Today, that bridge is being dismantled from both ends. As premiums rise and deductibles soar, the “stability” promised to these individuals is being chipped away to balance budgets, forcing those who drive the wheels of society to pay more for less.
The ultimate failure of this system is found in the crisis of long-term care. While we are told to work hard and invest in our property, the reality is that a single decade of required medical assistance or nursing care can liquidate thirty years of savings and equity. Because neither the government nor traditional employer plans provide a bridge for long-term care, the system effectively waits until a citizen is at their most vulnerable to “take” their property and lifestyle to cover basic survival costs. This is the ultimate “Bridge to Far”—a path that leads not to the freedom of moving on, but to a final destination where the individual is stripped of their self-determination.
If we are to truly honor the philosophy of the New Deal, we must recognize that a bridge is useless if it drops the traveler into a canyon at the very end. True stability means that the property you have spent your life building—your home, your savings, and your lifestyle—cannot be “taxed” away by a predatory healthcare market or an indifferent government. We must demand a system that protects the engine of our society, ensuring that those who have spent their lives turning the wheels of industry are not ground up by them in the final mile.