Posted on 01/14/2010 6:15:43 PM PST by Kaslin
Politics: Big Labor carved out a tax exemption for union members' health plans on Thursday, paving the way for passage of health care reform. Call it what it is: a bribe to cronies in an increasingly corrupt overhaul.
With Nebraska winning "free" coverage of its Medicare costs in the Senate version of the bill, and Louisiana getting a tax exemption of its own, what's one more bone to a favored political group on a bill Democrats are determined to pass no matter what?
That's what made it easy for labor leaders, following a sit-down with the White House, to carve out a special set-aside for union members' gold-plated health benefits acquired under collective bargaining agreements. Nobody gets more special treatment from Democrats than Big Labor.
So if the bill passes, unions pay nothing on their health care for years until they can negotiate new contracts, while the rest of us plutocrats shell out a 40% tax on plans worth $8,500 for individuals and now $24,000 for families. No wonder the public is liking this odious legislation less and less?
"This is a policy designed to benefit elites," said AFL-CIO boss Richard Trumka in a speech Monday, demanding his union exemption. And yes, it started as a plan to stick it to the rich, targeting benefits "like the ones that the executives at Goldman Sachs have, the $40,000 policies," as White House adviser David Axelrod says when he plays the class warfare card.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
Ping
Why are the unions happy with this? In 2017 they will be paying 40pct when now it is not taxed. Sounds like odumbo won this
This will bring me against the union member -— BIG TIME>
People will begin or continue to see the payoff and coercion-based nature of this regime.
These carveouts and the Nebraska/Louisiana histrionics vs the marriage penalties embedded in these plans are going to offend larger and larger segments of the US population. Everyone wants their share of the grease but as time goes on this type of thing will violate an internal sense of fairness for more and more people. Count on it.
This sounds like another lawsuit time bomb waiting to happen. Can you now get a tax credit based on union and party affiliation?
“Ok, so you have to pay a tax, but this guy over here doesn’t because he’s union. And your state has to pay in to medical coverage, but you over here from Nebraska, you don’t.”
People are not gonna put up with some getting something and others not getting it, not with the entitlement mentality they have now. This is going to implode on the democrats.
It is hoped that all of you brilliant, intellectual independents are happy with what you did last election cycle.
Does it make you all happy to be the geniuses that you are?
Are you happy to be so intelligent, so all-knowing, so above the rest of us? Hmmmmm?
(A bunch of pseudo-intellectual dopes.)
IMHO
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.