Learn from Sweden

With ongoing budget deficits, the continual trimming down of benefits to those in need and the wealthy leading our country to bankruptcy, we as a nation need to look at Sweden and evaluate her intrinsic governing value system.

Sitting on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe with a low population density outside of its metropolitan areas, 84 percent of Swedes live within the urban vicinity. In 2006, the population of Sweden was at 9.1 million. As a country, it is slightly larger than California. A constitutional monarchy, the nation's legislative body is the Swedish Parliament, with 349 members and elections held every four years.

Sweden's people enjoy a high standard of living, and the country is modern and liberal. Policy-making decisions embraced by the general public prioritize nature conservation, environmental protection and energy efficiency. Sweden's people are viewed as a skilled work force, and the distribution of income is considered as one of the most even in the industrialized world. International rankings put Sweden as the first out of 119 countries for the State of the World's Mothers with the Save the Children organization in 2004. It also boasts the highest percentage of seats held by women in national government. The worldwide quality of life index in 2005 listed Sweden fifth out of 111 countries. A closer look into the welfare of Sweden's people shows that the Swedish government is among the most generous in the scope of government services provided. Obviously, the country is doing something right.

Both health care and social welfare services are regarded as important parts of the total Swedish welfare system and are seen as the public sector's responsibilities, which are supported by a national social insurance system. The responsibility for health care, both in-patient and outpatient, is the duty of 23 county councils and three large municipalities. Responsibility for social welfare services rests primarily with the municipalities.

Child care is tax-funded, and parental leave is provided for by the government. When a child is born, the parents are legally entitled to 12 months of paid leave from work, which can be shared between them and used any time before the child's eighth birthday.

Also provided is a ceiling on health care costs, tax-funded education (all levels, including the university years), pensions for retirement, tax-funded dental care up to 20 years of age and sick leave (partly paid for by the employer).

Due to its social welfare system, Sweden provides an extensive child-care system that guarantees a place for all young children from 1 through 5 years of age within a public day-care facility. Municipalities provide children with day care and after-school activities at subsidized rates. From ages 6 through 16, children attend compulsory comprehensive school, divided in three stages. Parents receive a tax-free child allowance, equal for everyone, until the child's 16th birthday. Once a child completes ninth grade, 90 percent continue with a three year upper secondary school, which often leads to a vocational diploma and always qualifies for further studies at the university level. Children who then continue their education are entitled to study allowances. At university level these consist chiefly of repayable loans. The university studies program and upper secondary school period is financed by Sweden's taxes.

Health care in Sweden is considered as developed. It ranks in the top five countries with respect to low infant mortality rates. Life expectancy and the quality of public drinking water rank high, as well. Only Japan exceeds Sweden's life expectancy. Sweden houses four world class hospitals within its borders, three of which are university hospitals.

All residents in Sweden are covered by national health insurance. If a person is ill, or must stay home to care for sick children, they receive a taxable daily allowance which is 65 to 90 percent of lost income, depending on the length of the absence. The patient is then charged a fee for medical consultations and any drugs prescribed. The county councils, together with the health insurance system, pay most of the hospitalization costs and laboratory fees.

Under certain conditions, low-income families and pensioners are eligible for housing allowances.

A universal pension for old age, which is financed by both employees and employers, is payable to everyone after the age of 65. Sweden also pays an income-related supplementary pension which is financed from employer payroll fees. These two inflation-linked pensions are designed to provide approximately two-thirds of a pensioner's average real earnings during fifteen of their best-paid years, while employed

About 4.3 million people (50 percent of the population) are in the labor force. This high figure is largely due to the fact that more than 75 percent of all women aged 16 to 64 are gainfully employed. Unemployment was given high priority in the 1980s and was for many years kept low by international standards due to a strong business sector. The growth of the public sector and an ambitious labor market policy assisted in keeping unemployment rates low. The standard working week is 40 hours by law, although in practice, it averages about 37 hours. Roughly 25 percent of the labor force, mainly women, works part-time. The statutory paid vacation is five weeks for Sweden's work force.

Among the world's newspaper consumers, Sweden ranks the highest. The ad-financed free international morning paper, Metro International, was rooted in Stockholm, Sweden. The country's news is reported in English. Most Swedes have access to numerous free or pay channels through cable or satellite television.

From many perspectives, Sweden can be perceived as a role model for other countries to follow in its public service responsibility to its people. Given Sweden's international rankings, the country is obviously doing something very right for its citizens, producing a highly educated and skilled work force, providing affordable health care, housing and a social welfare system determined to care for its young and retired populations, while giving employed workers the ability to raise a family without losing their income. With five weeks of paid vacation to its work force, this alone constitutes a more physically and emotionally stable employee, thus resulting in less health care for its people.

Maybe our legislators need to get on track with Sweden, since we obviously are failing miserably in all these categories as a country.

Joyce Stroup-Tummins is a Cape Girardeau business owner.