Posted on 06/24/2009 7:58:39 AM PDT by pissant
The best chance for compromise legislation on health care may be a plan under construction in the Senate Finance Committee that would pay for a public plan in part by taxing some worker health benefits.
But the union workers who helped Democrats win Congress and the White House and whose support will be key in getting a health bill signed into law would not pay the tax.
With cost estimates already as high as $1.6 trillion, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., has proposed paying for the bill in part by taxing health care benefits for workers who earn more than $100,000, or $200,000 for married couples, according to those familiar with the discussions.
Baucus is also weighing a tax based on the value of health care benefits that exceed a yet-to-be determined cap. A tax on benefits that exceed the cap by a mere $3,000 could amount to $750 in taxes annually for a worker who earns as little as $34,000, say experts.
But those union members serving under collective bargaining agreements would not be subjected to the tax, according to proposals under discussion.
Union workers enjoy some of the most extensive and costliest health benefits, and union officials complained their members would be unfairly burdened by a health care tax because their contracts cannot be changed quickly enough to avoid it.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
Some animals are more equal than other animals.
That is one way to get folks to join unions. And to make others jealous of unions. Divide the society into haves and have nots. That is the plan.
All the more reason for the PEOPLE to fight this.
guess I need to join a union if I get sick?
Obama’s going to try to exclude all his “supportive demographics” from the laws that he will impose on the rest of us.
See “Charges dismissed in voter intimidation case”.
Krauthammer was saying just that the other day. You nailed it my friend.
My version:
Look For...
The Union Lay Bull...
And make sure you’re buying...
something without...
Wow, class warfare AND a tax on those who have made good choices in employers - all in one fell swoop.
Remember when benefits packages were a competitive offering used by companies to get good people?
Members of the Senate would be exempt from Dem health care tax
Members of the House would be exempt from Dem health care tax
Members of the Supreme Court would be exempt from Dem health care tax
Members of the Screen Actor's Guild would be exempt from Dem health care tax
Homosexuals would be exempt from Dem health care tax
Illegal Aliens would be exempt from Dem health care tax
What about equal protection under the law. If the law singles out non-union people, isn’t that unconstitutional?
I would say that is a clear violation of the 10th. When is the gutless GOP going to stand up to these thugs? I was sent yet another “survey” from the GOP yesterday, filled out the survey, added my own thoughts and penciled in that they would not get any money from me until all RINOs were run out of the Republican party.
Thanks for posting the numbers.
Republicans need to provide an alternative such as promoting the free and reduced fee based clinics that are already available. I know our local county hospital has 5 ExpressMed clinics available in our city to take the workload off of the emergency rooms as well as 17 other county clinics that provide free or reduced rate services. Also, a simple search on Google reveals there are many organizations out there that provide free or reduced fee prescription drugs. We have to point out the obvious...no one goes without health care, the notion that they do is ridiculous. Taxing people who pay for health care while exempting unions for this non-existent problem is nothing more than a gift to the unions, who have ruined the manufacturing industry in this country to begin with.
I would have to believe the courts would strike this down as unconstitutional. Maybe the equal protection clause, but there is no way the people in this country will stand for overpaid gov’t employees and other union thugs not having their health benefits taxed while everyone else’s is.
The teaparties will held and instead of teabags being thrown over the White HOuse fence, it will be the members of Congress who vote for this
Thaaaaaat’s nice. Well, our politicians don’t have to pay the Social Security tax...
I wondered when they would think to tax both the premiums AND the benefits received. And by not taxing the unions, what an incentive to increase unionization and membership. 0bama is so slick.
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