Paying the Health Tax in Massachusetts [Romneycare]

My husband retired from IBM about a decade ago, and as we aren't old enough for Medicare we still buy our health insurance through the company. But IBM, with its typical courtesy, informed us recently that we will be fined by the state.

Why? Because Massachusetts requires every resident to have health insurance, and this year, without informing us directly, the state had changed the rules in a way that made our bare-bones policy no longer acceptable. Unless we ponied up for a pricier policy we neither need nor want—or enrolled in a government-sponsored insurance plan—we would have to pay $1,000 each year to the state.

My husband's response was muted; I was shaking mad. We hadn't imposed our health-care costs on anyone else, yet we were being fined ("taxed" was the word the letter used).

We've spent much of our lives putting away what money we could for retirement. We always intended to be self-sufficient. We've paid off the mortgage on our home, don't carry credit-card debt, and have savings in case of an emergency. We also have a regular monthly income of about $3,000, which includes an IBM pension. My husband, 61, earns a little money on the side, sometimes working as an electronics consultant on renewable energy projects. I'm 58 and make some money writing science books. We are not wealthy, but we aren't a risk of becoming a burden on society either. How did we become outlaws?

Doesn’t matter. The socialist state inkblots are coming together. New Jersey, New York, Mass, Maine, Ohio, Michigan, Kalifornia and others will decide and force you by the Federal government.

Kind of like Grisham’s Law. Bad states drive out good states.

I know. I live in Tucson. My city council/county commission is saturated with libs, and they are literally ruining the city. We make the "worst cities in which to to business" list every year. We had the White Sox, Diamondbacks, and Rockies pack up and move their spring training facilities this year, along with the Diamondbacks AAA affiliate. Now the annual Gem Show (known worldwide by gem dealers, believe it or not, and they bring the city huge revenue) is threatening to leave if they don't get it together.

They can't get it together, because they're clueless feelgood libs, not business people. But they are likely to be voted right back into office because the city is inundated with feelgood libs, many who escaped the mess they made in the Northeast and L.A. County especially.

What to do about it? Only the local talk radio stations speak out against them, and not enough listen. The newspapers and the TV newsies are perfectly fine with them. They report the insignificant goody two shoes things they do, like give hundreds of thousands of $$$ to the Art Society while the police and fire are out of money and undermanned. We spend millions on Raza Studies programs in the school system, but they say they are broke and need a tax increase.

But you know the drill. Sigh.....

Time after time I have seen people who are uninsured getting hospitalized but not at their expense, but at mine. My premiums are outrageous because I am picking up the burden of others. I really can’t feel empathy for Wendy who is paying 1/10th of my premium. The real solution is to deny health care to those who won’t pay.

You pay $3000 a month? Wow

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