cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Thu Sep-15-11 04:13 PM
Original message
Obama jobs plan: Raise taxes on health care (for those making over 200 grand)
(****ing Politico)
more on the value of their health coverage. | AP Photo Close
By MATT DOBIAS | 9/15/11 9:02 AM EDT
The White House wants another shot at requiring some Americans to pay more for their employer-backed health coverage, despite a previously tepid response from the very same lawmakers needed to advance the proposal.
Nearly imperceptible to all but the most trained tax policy eyes, President Barack Obama’s blueprint to boost employment hinges partly on a provision that makes health plans taxable for individuals who make more than $200,000 and couples making more than $250,000.
“If your incomes are above those levels, and you benefit from employer-sponsored health insurance, you’re going to have to pay a modest amount of tax on the value of the health insurance,†explains Paul Van de Water, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The tax provision was included as a way to defray the nearly $447 billion price tag for Obama’s template to get Americans back to work.
Under the White House’s calculations, the provision means that higher earners would pay about 7 percent more on the value of their health coverage. Put another way, it caps what the wealthy can deduct for the cost of their coverage, lowering the amount to 28 cents.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63587.html#ix...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1946364I guess the Affordable Health Care Act (0bama care) didn't raise premiums high enough on those evil rich bastards, so now they get to pay taxes on the money used to pay those higher premiums.
SheilaT Donating Member (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Thu Sep-15-11 04:15 PM
Response to Original message
1. No. Taxing health care is a very bad
idea. I don't care how much you make. Yes, raise income taxes on the wealthy, and meanwhile work on making real progress to health care for all.
Haven't you heard 0bama is gonna create a gazillion new jobs? That should help people pay for health care, right?
frylock Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Thu Sep-15-11 04:34 PM
Response to Reply #2
4. it would be the biggest middle-class tax increase in history and out of line with our basic values
Frylock must be in that income bracket, since he doesn't seem to consider that to be the evil rich.
Frank Cannon (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Thu Sep-15-11 05:09 PM
Response to Original message
5. WTF? Does anyone know what the hell they're doing in D.C.?
Seriously, this just sounds like a bad, bad, bad idea no matter how you look at it.
You voted for this, DUmmy.
Fumesucker (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Thu Sep-15-11 05:40 PM
Response to Reply #5
6. Oh, they know exactly what they're doing..
This time they're screwing the upper middle class in order to let the wealthy off the hook for paying a few more percent in taxes.
Don't worry the super wealthy that don't donate to democrats will get soaked too.
