Americablog: Bush to propose tax increase on some workers in State of the Union

[Pirate Smile]

Bush to propose tax increase on some workers in State of the Union
by John in DC - 1/21/2007 12:01:00 PM


Oh, this is gonna be good. If your health care plan is "too good," Bush is going to propose that you get taxed for it. He's proposing a tax increase!

Oh, this is going to be so much fun this week. Count the Republicans who line up behind Bush's tax increase. Just count 'em.

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2007/01/bush-to-propose-tax-increase-on-some.html



Bush to Urge New Tax Plan for Health Care Coverage

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 — President Bush intends to use his State of the Union address Tuesday to tackle the rising cost of health care with a one-two punch: tax breaks to help low-income people buy health insurance and tax increases for some workers whose health plans cost significantly more than the national average.

-snip-
The basic concept is that employer-provided health insurance, now treated as a fringe benefit exempt from taxation, would no longer be entirely tax-free. Workers could be taxed if their coverage exceeded limits set by the government. But the government would also offer a new tax deduction for people buying health insurance on their own.

-snip-
The proposed plan is a startling move for a president who has repeatedly vowed not to raise taxes. And it is certain to run into opposition from business groups, labor unions and, most of all, the Democrats who now run Capitol Hill.

“It’s a bad policy,” Representative Charles B. Rangel, the New York Democrat who is chairman of the House committee that writes tax legislation, said in an interview Friday night. “We are trying to bring tax relief to the middle class. The president is trying to increase their tax liability. This proposal is inconsistent with what the majority is seeking in the House and the Senate.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/washington/21health.html?hp&ex=1169355600&en=768f7fdf5d41e18c&ei=5094&partner=homepage



Does BuchCo actually think this looks like a winner?

God, he is an idiot.

[JohnnyLib2]

1. Tax and spend!? Oh, I hope so.

Ol' Rush may stroke out, or advise the Dittoheads to mutiny.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :popcorn:

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. A gift to the insurance companies - get people to stop their group insurance,

which has a lower rate because a company negotiates coverage for hundreds to millions of people, and switch over to individual payer insurance at a much higher rate, which is then subsidized by the Federal Government with tax breaks.

What an asshole.

[ellenfl]

3. lou dobbs' head might explode. raise taxes on the middle class? eom

[silverweb]

4. hehehe

:popcorn:

[jaybeat]

5. Oh, yeah. Your insurance is *too* good...

After all, if you don't pay enough of your *own* money for health care, then you won't be subject to the all-perfect "market forces" that should be telling you what you do and don't need to get well.

To hell with you or your doctor making medical decisions, it should be your BANK ACCOUNT!!!

Except, of course, for those rich, er, fortunate, er, *prudent* enough to shelter all their extra cash in "medical savings accounts".

What's that you say? You don't *have* any "extra" cash that you need to shelter from taxes? Well, aren't you just a lazy, stupid shit! Come on, if you don't have enough money to pay for your health care, well then, obviously, you don't deserve to be healthy! Just go ahead and die--survival of the richest, er, fittest. Well, except for all that descended from monkeys liberal bullshit! Name me a monkey that can pay for their own health care!

Oh, well, *that* one is a special case. Besides, he doesn't pay for it, *you* do. Ha ha!!!

Oh, yeah.

:sarcasm:

(Just in case you were wondering.)

[INdemo]

7. Has anyone filed a claim lately?

after deductibles then the family deductible,then the Dr's national or local average deduction whats left? More deductibles etc..Then after weeks of wondering where claim check is one finds that it was being processed and on the bottom of the claim stack..Sound familiar?

[INdemo]

6. * is playing games with Congress

This will never fly..Its ok to give the top 1 or 2% a tax cut while the middle class bear the tax burden but now to tax health benefits is outrageous..Never happen..Which advisor came up with this BS..
Health care costs are 100% deductible for corporations but yet we would have to pay tax on them with no deductions to offset the income..No way ..Stupid idea and only a Republican could dream up such a plan.

[Hawkowl]

8. HAHAHAHA!!

I can't stop laughing. Really. My sides hurt. If anyone ever, EVER thought Karl Rove was a genius this should provide irrefutable proof to the contrary. My god, what sort of future blunders can we expect?

[KingFlorez]

9. And they said Democrats would raise taxes? HA!

This is great! Bush is doing the very thing they screamed about before they election, raise taxes.

[Nite Owl]

10. More confirmation that

they have totally lost touch with anything resembling reality. Is he trying to come in last in the poll numbers? This is not just wrong it's insulting to lower our health care standards even more.

[DBoon]

11. FUGWB

I think this is designed to attack what's left of unions in this country - penalize people in collective bargaining units who have better health plans.

That his goal is the destruction of the American middle class could not be clearer.

[Kber]

19. Oh! Hadn't thought of that but I'll bet you are right.

[sandnsea]

12. Tax Gift To Corporate America

God I hate Republicans. When will America wake up and stop handing our lives over to these bastards.

[Digit]

13. The only people I know with GREAT coverage are elected officials!

The rest of us peons sometimes decide to take jobs which pay less in exchange for better benefits.

I mean REALLY...and now he wants to tax the only decent part of the job?

[saintsteven7]

14. How can he propose this with a straight face?

Does the middle class need to have their budget stretched more with paying taxes on their health care?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

15. This should go over like a lead ballon!

I doubt that he could even get most Republicans behind him on THIS let alone ANY Democrats. Any Democrat who would even consider supporting this idiotic idea should be swiftly kicked out of the party!

[Pirate Smile]

16. kick

[Pirate Smile]

17. kick

[pdxmom]

18. This is one that will smack the middle class right in the face. Let him

propose it. And let Congress debate it. Put the Repukes on record for this one. I want to see them implode.