Well, well. It seems that utopian dreams of health care reform come at a price. One that others will appear to have to pay. So health care reform is not about insurance, but welfare and income redistribution, at least that seems to the consensus of Democratically controlled Congress and its leaders, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. Fortunately, not all members of the Democratic party have been “drinking the Kool Aid” and are beginning actually worry about the cost of all this. Sadly, we have offered solutions that could be effective, be implemented, and not break the bank or demand that others bear the responsibility for those who will not or do not get health insurance (such as the young and healthy, most of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, etc.), but these have not been implemented (1). Medicaid and now the SCHIP expansion cover the vast majority of the poor overall, and a large swath of children and young adults. Medicare is already on board for the elderly and disabled.
Who Pays Federal Income Taxes
Top 1% pay 39.89% of all Federal incomes taxes
Top 5% pay 60.14% of all Federal incomes taxes
Top 10% pay 70.79% of all Federal incomes taxes
Top 25% pay 86.27% of all Federal incomes taxes
Top 50% pay 97.01% 0f all Federal incomes taxes
Bottom 50% pay 2.99% of all Federal incomes taxes
Note: AGI is Adjusted Gross Income Source: Internal Revenue Service, tax year 2006
Dear members of Congress, socialist solutions are not the answer. Properly regulated free markets are. Our plan allows for free markets to exist, private insurance to remain the mainstay, but places significant restraints on actions insurers can take. Additionally, it places the responsibility for obtaining coverage on the individual, not employers, and demands accountability from our c itizenry.
The expiration of the 2001 tax cuts will drastically raise tax rates on the MINORITY who already pay the lion’s share of taxes (see above). At present, 1/4th of tax filers/workers/earners pay over 86% of ALL federal income taxes. That means that the remaining 75% pay ONLY 14% of all taxes, and the bottom 50% contribute just under 3%. With top rates returning to 39% next year, and the DEATH TAX returning, along with the talked about 3% surcharge for health care on the top two brackets, we will likely see top federal rates in the 43-45%. With state taxes, property taxes and sales taxes added in, top earners could well see overall tax rates surpass 60-70%.
At some point, dear Mr President and members of Congress, you will kill the goose that is laying all those golden eggs. With these facts looming, do you really believe your stimulus will drive this economy forward? Not when the real drivers of the economy, small business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals decide to hold back, decrease spending, limit investment, hold on expansion and retrench to protect their positions. Your current direction is a prescription for killing meaningful, REAL HEALTH REFORM, along with the economy.
Tax and spend appears to be alive and well. Change has been promised, but the addiction of taking others money to spend on your visions is simply to tempting for you to let go. Well it is time to sober up, dry out, and get real. As in Real Health Reform . . . obi jo and jomaxx
Democrats break ranks on health care
House Democrats are demanding significant changes before they can support a sweeping health care overhaul, forcing the House to join the Senate in delaying action on President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority.
The Democrats’ list of demands came on the eve of House Democratic leaders’ planned unveiling of their final bill today. The bill release was pushed back to Monday at the earliest and Democratic leaders agreed to devote today to meetings with the fiscally responsible Democrats to work through their concerns. These include the need for more cost containment measures, protections for small businesses and a focus on rural health care. We cannot support a final product that fails to” address these issues, members of the group wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Opposition from the 52-member group could imperil House passage of a bill. (2)
Among the concerns is the shape of a new public insurance plan that would compete with private insurers. House leaders envision making payment rates to providers in the plan some 5 % higher than Medicare payment rates. These Dems say they can’t support any link to Medicare rates, which they say pays well below market rates and varies unfairly around the country. (3)
Instead, the House Ways and Means Committee was said to be nearing agreement on an income tax surcharge of 2 percent or more on Americans with the highest incomes — those earning more than $250,000. The surtax would rise for those earning $500,000 and rise again for those earning more than $1 million.
Much of the revenue burden could fall on a privileged few. The House Ways and Means Committee is close to completing legislation expected to include a surtax of up to 3 percent on households with incomes that exceed $250,000, pushing the top rate over 40 percent, assuming President George W. Bush’s 2001 tax cuts are allowed to expire next year as scheduled.
The Senate Finance Committee is weighing a “millionaires’ tax,” a surcharge on health benefits for top earners and a Medicare tax on capital-gains income. And still on the table is Obama’s proposal to limit deductions for wealthy taxpayers. (4)
(1) http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/the-plan/details-on-the-plan/
(2) Conservative Democrats break ranks on health care- http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/uptotheminute.cfm?recid=25682&userID=0&ref
(3) Democrats Are at Odds on Financing Health Care – http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/health/policy/10health.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntem
(4) Congress Targets Wealthiest Earners for Health Reform Funds – http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/09/AR2009070902907.
Obama agenda stalls on Capitol Hill – Deadlines not likely to be met – http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/10/health-climate-reforms-hit-roadb
House Reform Bill Talks Slow; Senators Look To Regroup – http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressdaily/cda_20090710_3514.php
Band of House centrists offers support for ‘robust’ public health insurance plan – http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/band-of-house-centrists-offers-support-for-r
Conservative Democrats break ranks on health care – http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090710/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_overhaul;_ylt=AnG
Democrats break ranks on health care
House Democrats are demanding significant changes before they can support a sweeping health care overhaul, forcing the House to join the Senate in delaying action on President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority.
The Democrats’ list of demands came on the eve of House Democratic leaders’ planned unveiling of their final bill today. The bill release was pushed back to Monday at the earliest and Democratic leaders agreed to devote today to meetings with the fiscally responsible Democrats to work through their concerns. These include the need for more cost containment measures, protections for small businesses and a focus on rural health care. We cannot support a final product that fails to” address these issues, members of the group wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Opposition from the 52-member group could imperil House passage of a bill. (2)
Among the concerns is the shape of a new public insurance plan that would compete with private insurers. House leaders envision making payment rates to providers in the plan some 5 % higher than Medicare payment rates. These Dems say they can’t support any link to Medicare rates, which they say pays well below market rates and varies unfairly around the country. (3)
Instead, the House Ways and Means Committee was said to be nearing agreement on an income tax surcharge of 2 percent or more on Americans with the highest incomes — those earning more than $250,000. The surtax would rise for those earning $500,000 and rise again for those earning more than $1 million.
Much of the revenue burden could fall on a privileged few. The House Ways and Means Committee is close to completing legislation expected to include a surtax of up to 3 percent on households with incomes that exceed $250,000, pushing the top rate over 40 percent, assuming President George W. Bush’s 2001 tax cuts are allowed to expire next year as scheduled.
The Senate Finance Committee is weighing a “millionaires’ tax,” a surcharge on health benefits for top earners and a Medicare tax on capital-gains income. And still on the table is Obama’s proposal to limit deductions for wealthy taxpayers. (4)
(1) http://realhealthreform.wordpress.com/the-plan/details-on-the-plan/
(2) Conservative Democrats break ranks on health care- http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/uptotheminute.cfm?recid=25682&userID=0&ref
(3) Democrats Are at Odds on Financing Health Care – http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/health/policy/10health.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntem
(4) Congress Targets Wealthiest Earners for Health Reform Funds – http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/09/AR2009070902907.
Obama agenda stalls on Capitol Hill – Deadlines not likely to be met – http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/10/health-climate-reforms-hit-roadb
House Reform Bill Talks Slow; Senators Look To Regroup – http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressdaily/cda_20090710_3514.php
Band of House centrists offers support for ‘robust’ public health insurance plan – http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/band-of-house-centrists-offers-support-for-r
Conservative Democrats break ranks on health care – http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090710/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_overhaul;_ylt=AnG