National Health Care

The news that Toyota is locating its next North American auto plant in Canada rather than in the U.S. shouldn't have come as such a shock to American bigwigs.

Anyone who has been paying even a teeny bit of attention to the problems plaguing American auto companies knows that their No. 1 financial problem is the cost of health insurance. There's even concern that General Motors will find itself filing for bankruptcy if it can't get its UAW workers to pick up a larger share of health insurance costs.

That's a problem that has beset more and more American businesses in recent years as the cost of health care far outstrips inflation and the ability of companies to pass those costs to consumers.

So, if you're Toyota, why wouldn't you spurn generous offers from U.S. cities and locate in Canada, where the government provides everyone with health insurance?