Healthcare and education are both essential(fundamental) services that can be extremely expensive and, as a result, unaffordable for those on a limited budget. Nevertheless, it is important to establish just who is responsible for funding them. The health of a country’s citizens is vitally important. Without adequate healthcare, people of all ages can become extremely ill and thus unable to earn a living or take care of themselves. So it is essential for governments to provide well-equipped hospitals as well as highly trained staff to run them. There is also a need for appropriate emergency services. Furthermore, without a good public education system, people may find they are limited in their work choices. If education is not provided free to all, those born into poverty may find themselves unable to rise above that level.
We may all wish for these essential services to be provided free of charge, but the government needs to obtain the funds for them from somewhere. Even when they are provided free of charge, there has to be some way of recouping the costs. One way of acquiring the necessary funds is by imposing taxes. Alternatively, access to welfare can be means-tested and based on personal levels of income. The irony is that, in democratic societies, it is often the political party that promises tax cuts that is elected to office.
It seems clear that poor members of our society need this type of aid and if these costs are covered, at least partially, by the government, then we need to accept that our taxes will be used to fund them.