Posted on 03/17/2006 5:29:54 PM PST by Libloather
Press Release Source: Employment Policies Institute
Thursday March 16, 1:55 pm ET
WASHINGTON, March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- In a special hearing being held today, Maryland lawmakers will consider a proposal to mandate employer- provided healthcare that, if approved, will put many of the state's least- skilled out of work and still fail to reach a large portion of the uninsured.
The proposal broadens January's large-employer healthcare mandate to cover the remaining businesses in the state, an action that would threaten the welfare of small businesses and low-skilled employees and ignore a large subsection of the uninsured.
Research from economists at Dartmouth University and the University of Michigan found that healthcare mandates increase labor costs for employers, which they must pass on either to customers in the form of higher prices, or to employees through reduced hours, lowered wages, or other cutbacks in benefits.
The economists also found that those who work close enough to the minimum wage that their wages cannot be fully adjusted downward will face a significant threat of job loss as a result of a mandate. Their research revealed that the least-educated, minorities, single parents, and women face the highest risk of job loss under an employer mandate.
Not only are healthcare mandates poor policy that will jeopardize the income of many low-skilled employees, but over 40 percent of the uninsured adults in Maryland are not employed and therefore would not be covered by this mandate.
"Employer-provided healthcare mandates hurt the very people they are intended to help," said Mike Flynn, Director of Legislative Affairs for the Employment Policies Institute. "Attempting to remedy today's healthcare problem through the employer will lead to job loss for the least-skilled and still leave a large number of the uninsured without coverage."
For more information visit http://www.EPIonline.org
The Employment Policies Institute is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to studying public policy issues surrounding entry-level employment.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060316/dcth060.html?.v=34
"Bill Would Make Every Maryland Business Leave the State of Maryland" should be the title.
As a business owner, my solution would be simple.
"Well fellas, the state has required me to offer you health care, so I'm cutting your salaries by the same amount as my premiums. Got a problem with that? Stop voting Democrat."
The relationship between the employer and the employee is one based on mutual agreement. The terms are known before the hiring is done. One either accepts them or not. You can either "afford" to work at Wal-Mart or you cannot. Socialists in the legislature are going to drive business away. Wal-mart can easily ride this out and apparently has made a business decision to stay. Others will not. They will leave and deposit their employees on the doorstep of the welfare system, right where the government wants them.
That didn't take long.
Amazing, yet no mention of the leech lawyers, the John Edwards, who drive up the costs of healthcare everyday. Maybe some Democrats should try to see what it`s like to pay quarter million dollar premiums for insurance every year after going to school for 10 years, oh but that`s right, a few well placed fundraisers and we can forget all about that.
Once the evil capitalist system is eradicated, the working class will experience the euphoria of the Schindler health care system!
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
PA drove industry out of the state with hight taxes. That's why Steeler fans are now spread out all over the country.
Nope, sure didn't! IIRC, this guy is a bigtime Greenie.
That's exactly what Nazis did: rather than nationalizing all industry like the Soviets, they simply controlled them in almost equal measure, formally leaving the ownership in the hands of private citizens.
So is in Maryland: you can own whatever you want, but we the (not yet National) Socialists will tell you what to do.
And, why stop at health care? Demand that business provide food for the workers. And shelter. And entertainment. And education for the children. Never mind whence it comes .
The "Living Wage" comes to mind.
And, even allowing the fantasy that these companies could actually afford to do this, they wouldn't be able to do it for long anyway.
What happens to the cost of any commodity once the government requires purchase of it? Yep, the cost cost goes up and up.
If my customers were required by law to buy my products, you think I'd worry about keeping my products competitive and affordable? Only if you're a liberal.
The real irony here is that the people that these socialists [claim to] want to help will be the primary losers. And the even bigger irony is that when these same people get screwed by this, they'll vote for the same libs who will then promise to take care of them.
I'm glad I've got less than 10 years left in this state! Of course, by the time I leave it will probably be all 'publican and FL will be all dims. ...Maybe Wyoming...
A couple of salient points:
1) Businesses do not actually pay these costs- their customers do-- the costs always get passed along to those actually forking over money- the customer.
2) Worse, when increased costs of doing business are mandated ( forced ) on a company, they look to cut expenses- and guess what? Payroll is one of the biggest costs, so they will start culling the less-productive workers. Those "benefits" don't mean a lot if you lose your job.
Idiots.
See tagline...
"Maybe Wyoming..."
Wyoming is looking darn good these days, I must say.
Your dad nust have known my father.
I have already left. The slope is now at 50 degrees. Don't worry, Marylander's, you will get your fair share from the government.
This is how socialized medicine comes to the US. It will come, not because the average citizen demands it, but because the corporations will demand it.
If he was anything like mine, he must have been a good guy. Mine never steered me wrong.
One more of his?
"A woman should never, ever trust a man who's scared of getting his hands dirty..."
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