Oh! Yay! More mythical money.
Anyone think I could get away with using play money like Congress does? Money doesn't mean much to their plans, it just drops out of the sky--after all they just voted themselves a raise--unlike most of America who will not only not be getting raises this year, but might not even have a job.
The economic stimulus coming up is first and foremost designed to create jobs and put money in the hands of working people through various methods (including tax cuts for the poor and the middle class). A lot of our roads and bridges are in severe disrepair (Remember that bridge collapsing a few years back?), because we haven't invested enough money for repairs. By doing it a swell swoop, we'll not only make it safer to drive, we'll also be creating a lot of temporary jobs to get that repair work done. Similarly, there would be upgrades to the electric grid, which should bring down electric costs and create jobs in that field. And expansion of broadband, which brings the 21st century to more people and improves quality of life while -- creating jobs. And every time a job is created, particularly a lower to middle class one, that's one more person spending money on things, which helps save or create more jobs.
Anyhow, that's not really the topic of the thread, but that's part of why you spend money if you're the government in a down economy. Spending money, especially on job creation or tax cuts for poor folks who spend every dime they get, is a net boost for the overall economy.
Granted, I don't know that this health care thing will create too many jobs, but it's a moral issue -- children have the right to be medicine and such when they are sick. All people do. And with the economy worsening, fewer and fewer children will have health care through ordinary means.
How about we just give every person upon his or her birth some random amount of money...say $50,000. Then they can afford healthcare throughout childhood, education, etc.
Giving away money to people at birth for those sorts of expenses, like you describe, is a nice idea, but it's one of those things that isn't likely to actually work. One reason is that giving away a large chunk of money to everyone across the board directly has an inflationary effect. If we all suddenly have 50 grand in our pockets, suddenly it costs $35 a person to eat a McDonald's becuase they know they can get away with charging that much. Even if the money is earmarked to only be spent on healthcare and education and so forth, in a capitalist market, that would just mean that, ultimately, healthcare and education would become 50 grand or so more expensive, meaning that in a sense getting the money was worthless. The economy is self-adjusting to some degree.
That's why most of the first world has government run health care rather than investment accounts for health care or whatever else people might think up. Having the government do it prevents corporations from just raising the cost by whatever extra amount people are given, it's cost control and ensures access for everyone. It also allows for bulk discounts on the purchase of drugs and medical equipment and so on and so forth.
