Posted by the912project on March 15, 2009 · 199 Comments
Do you receive company-paid health benefits? Should you have to pay taxes on those benefits as if they were income? Aside from the personal cost to you, what are the ramifications of this proposal?
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199 Responses to “Obama considers taxing company-paid health benefits.”
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If you get health care through your employer I suppose it is income, however any new tax in this economy is a bad idea
Also look at the boston tea party.
I think Dennis Miller said it best "our founding fathers were blowing peoples heads off because England put a tax on the breakfast beverage and it wasn't even coffee!!"
I wonder what our founding fathers would think of smoking bans, health care, and gun restrictions??
OUR EMERGING GOVERNMENT: THE ONE STOP AGNOSTICISM, HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL SERVICES SHOP, GUARANTEED TO LIMIT INDEPENDENT FREEDOM TO CHOOSE.
Why is anyone surprised? There is a pattern here, and it is to rob you of independent choices. First there was an attempt to limit the deductibility of charitable contributions from the rich, which, by the way, set up most of the foundations in this country. It would cripple charitable pursuits and start the pendulum swinging to the GOVERNMENT, which would be AGNOSTIC, as it is trending, as the only CHARITY that is left standing after a while. OBAMA sees the economic tsunami coming toward us and is trying to neuter any independent movement. Since he wants SOCIALIZED HEALTHCARE and the funding for it, he will TAX any who dare to have an INDEPENDENT choice. But, just as he sends his children to a private school, we will see that he and his cronies continue to send their families to private doctors. Government positions like President, senator and congressman pay pretty well so they will be able to afford it. Besides, they give themselves raises independent of our choices. Anybody care to go to a Doctor that makes only $50K a year and had to go into $200K of debt to be one? How about one that isn't a doctor but stayed in a holiday inn express? (Don't worry… nobody will want to do that).
I suggest a new line of Bumper stickers:
1. Honk if I'm subsidizing your mortgage
2. Honk if I'm paying for your health insurance
3. Honk if I'm paying for your food stamps
4. Honk if I'm paying your bonus
5. Honk if you now don't even need a job.
This is a fast track to Socialism on the biggest scale this country has ever seen… I am very scared, angry, and down right mad… It is time the American folks take this country back. And the sooner the better..
Robin Hood strikes again. Why does someone always have to give up something to fund somebody that doesn't?
This is just another ploy to force Americans to "behave" by having health insurrance. Some people don't want health insurrance. I like the idea of expanding the HDHP (Health Saving Accounts) offered by some employers and created under the Medicare Act of 2003. This just what we need to keep competition alive in our healthcare system. Real healthcare cost real money. Why does Houston have the premire cancer treatment center in the world? Because competion made them that why. I don't want to settle for mediocrity!
The philosophy is simple: If personal health care options are more expensive than government offered care, most Americans will choose the less expensive plan. Thus, socialized healthcare will have been "chosen" by the American people and not "forced" on them by the government. It's almost exactly what they tried with tea back in 1773, resulting in the tea party. You can hear this common thread in many of Obama's proposals and speeches also, we need to be on high alert to things being "dangled" in front of us as provocative or cost-effective solutions to this difficult economic time lest we end up buying more than we bargained for. 'Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor Liberty to purchase power.' -Benjamin Franklin
Sadly you are right about the Tea Party, but I highly doubt the people of today will be savvy enough to recognize the trap. The Americans during the 18th century were a hardier bunch who had a healthy skepticism of government. Today, the people have an affinity for government and trust it the same or more than private institutions.
I agree I think the big thing that most people miss is that if govt is paying for your health care they will be responsible for your health.
That means they will be in charge of your body!!! This is opening the door wide open to take our rights.
beware of the "we need to do it for the children" argument. This is all about control, does anybody think these pukes care about our children.
My wife and I can barely afford our health care but I dont want the govt hands in it.
What does this have to do with the question at the top of the page?
CynD – not stupidity. Just another part of his Agenda to force dependency on us and control more of our lives. Doesn't matter if it's been tried before – a good deal of his followers are ignorant of history.
I fear for my children, too. My firstborn is still 5 months away from coming into the world, and already, I feel as if I've let him/her down.
We have a long road ahead.
Lisa the envirolmentalist secret is the planet will be fine if everyone gets off lol
Company health care benefits are paid for because health care costs are off the charts. Since the government is taxing us to death, please support every anti tax activity, including taking the time to write your representatives on a weekly basis. Its only when we take respectful action will we have any chance of relief.
This is where the liberal newspapers have been beating up workers like my husband. He is a Fire Capt in California at one of the busiest stations–normally 15 calls withing 24 hours. Figure that out?–but in the poorest areas where property tax is low so the dept doesn't get paid as much as–let's say Danville, CA – who only see one fire a year if they are lucky!! Inotherwords, work in the rich town, get better pay but less calls OR work in the poor busier area.. and get paid what they can afford.There is definately a flaw with that ..BUT to MY POINT>>>ANYWAY… the local newspaper prints my husbands salary as $140K per year…are you kidding me?? That is a great way to get the public of the poor town to dislike the fireman isn't it? This published amount is supposedly with all benefits. We are only taxed on 90K. We actually get $70K. If we were taxed on the $140K…hmmm wonder what my tax would be. Would that be considered 50% taxed? I consider the newspapers deceiving the public with these amounts. Causing hard feelings and making me angry like we live high on the hog. If he taxes our pre-tax stuff, I will be mad.
This is a scary road Obama is taking us down. Tax those who are receiving private benefits by CHOICE (at some of their own expense) and use the money to fund health care for those who either choose NOT to obtain healthcare or choose to have someone else pay for it. Brilliant idea, Komrades.
A Down Payment on Universal Healthcare, indeed. That coupled with this Comparative Analysis junk….
I think we need to be very watchful whom ever it is and what ever branch of government they are in. Politicians are CON ARTISTS! The democrats and Obama, want to tax every thing they can get thier hands on, not for the good of the american people, but for thier benefit. I pay my taxes and I think it's too much as it is. Give me a break…..
Great, a Democrat President who's a bigger liar than the last one we had – who woulda thunk it?!?
I firmly believe we have to get term limits in place for all our representatives in government. We cannot continue to allow them to be "lifers". And yes, I agree that we need a new conservative party if the current Republicans are unable to grow a spine. How about "the Tea party"? The party that believes in smaller government, lower taxes (obviously), etc.
I believe sometime in our distant past we did vote for term limits for our congress people and they decided to ignore our vote and voted themselves that term limits would not be good because we would lose to much experience. I totally agree and believe an elected position should not be a position for life, but good luck with term limits when the guys we want out of there are they ones that have to write the legislation. The motto should be "No Incumbents Reelected" whether we like them or not.
I voted for Obama, but I feel completely lied to. This was one of the main reasons I didn't vote for McCain…
I see where this is going though now… Remember during the campaign when Obama said that we could all keep our current coverage if we want, but the government-run healthcare coverage would be there for those who did not have any private form of coverage? Well, this is how they are going to force those WITH private coverage into the government-run system. Once it's too expensive to keep your own coverage due to the taxation, the government will step in to "help you out". Brilliant. (And I mean that in an "OH CRAP THATS REALLY GOING TO HAPPEN" kind of way…)
P.S., any 9/12ers in the northern Cincinnati area?
First he tried limiting charitable deductions for the rich (who set up most of the foundations).
Then he is trying to discourage employer paid health care benefits. Note he sends his kids to private schools, so he would likely send his family to private doctors vs substandard public doctors.
What you are seeing is an insidious chipping away of the freedom of choice, and channeling everyone into
AGNOSTICISM and SOCIALISM, which by nature, is the government usurping your freedom under the guise of taking care of you while they, as the ruling class, vote themselves large enough raises to afford private health care.
I am sorry you were fooled. But you are in good and plenty of company.
Be like a former cigarette smoker and join the 912 party.
I agree Jacki. I totally agree.
But the things being suggested here – have you all not been doing that for years? I have. I have written, called, voted, been involved with candidates and primaries, raised funds. It hasn't accomplished one thing. I can't "not" vote for an incumbent when they are running unopposed in my state – yes, even for national office. Ugh. Or the opposition is a 19 year old Green Party candidate. The only way to not vote for an incumbent is if I simply skip voting day. How does that help change things? What is different now? I've enlisted friends and family and co-workers and acquaintances to my side. Nothing changed. Red envelopes – that will send a message but it won't change the Left's view on abortion or the benefits those candidates get from that particular lobby.
Sorry to sound like such a cynic, but we need a new gameplan. I came here looking for direction but I don't see it yet.
People, did you ever hear the saying, "All politics is local"…..that is where we need to start; the good thing about Congressional elections every two years is that we can hold their feet to the fire; we need to keep writing to the editors, writing to Congress, informing people, holding these rallies and so on; of course we will need a fair press to give coverage to it, where we tend to fall short; we need to as Conservatives, or Libertarians use the Internet, the blogs just like the Democrats have; I think that Glenn is on the right foot starting this grassroots movement; it all starts at the bottom…..a strong tree grows from the roots; so too does a strong movement grow from it's roots…..we will prevail and we will overcome.
The next thing they will think of is to tax us depending on the type of illness/disease a person has. Gotta have that tax money so they can vote themselves an increase. People are without jobs, losing their homes, etc., & they vote themselves a raise. These people have to be voted out before the USA is ruined forever.
The interest on all this borrowed money needs to be paid. We will see all kinds of new things subject to taxes.
Next wil be our 401(k) and 403(B) accounts.
I believe we should be able to fill out a 9-12 scorecard for each of the stories submitted. At the end of the day it would tell us which of our politicians are following the values/principles we are professing to hold to. At least then we would be able to see where real change is required.
For this particular article, I must say that I am not surprised, though I am disappointed. I don't believe that either of the two candidates that ran in the last election would have been particularly good for the country. I hope to be able to help effect change at least in a local level that will bring the principles of the Constitution back to my little area and can hopefully spread beyond.
I receive letters from the Republicans… I am still waiting to hear the Democrats side of the story.
For the people in the middle class who voted for Obama because of his "tax cuts", I am sure that many are having and will have buyer's remorse if the health care benefits provided by employers are taxed. Keep in mind that the squeeze on the middle class and small businesses won't stop there. If this Democratic dog and pony show isn't kept in check now, America may be unrecognizable in four years. Keep those E-Mails, letters, and calls coming to the White House and Congress. As Glenn has often said so well, "There is strength in numbers." God help us and God Bless America!
We need to set term limits for all public office.
let me get this right. if you have ins. thru work you will be taxed on it. if your emloyer doesn't offer it he will be fined. If you do not have it at all you must get the medical ins from the gov't. Will they charge or tax for that also in he effort to force everyone to have it?
There is no Obama bashing going on here; just appropriate venting and healthy conversations. Join in and defend the the current administrations policies and ideologis and start a healthy and respectful debate.
I believe McCain's plan included a tax credit for the first $5,000.00 which would have helped me. I have to pay my own insurance and pay the taxes on that money. I do not have that as a benefit. A tax credit would have at least put me in the same game as people with employee health benefits.
Gary, its the same kind of thinking that just a few years back said, "housing is too expensive, we must make housing more affordable for minorities and the lower income folks" and now is trying to prop up the market just when it is getting cheaper by the day and more affordable for everyone. Insanity!!!
So is this tax on the cost of the insurance or on the benefits received? If the tax is on the cost of the insurance then it is a $25-$50 a paycheck tax increase. If it is a tax on the cost of benefits received, it will be impossible to pay since the government has increased the cost of healthcare so high if you have major procedure the tax could end up being more than 100% of your income very easily. This would FORCE everyone except the very rich and our government leaders to give up their private healthcare and go to the socialized medicine and end up getting no care. So then we are all slaves of the state and live or die at their whim.
In his campaign Obama attacked McCain's health care plan becuase it taxed employer health care. He ran adds that stated "John McCain wants to tax your health insurance for the first time in history", yet he turns around and wants to do this. I'm confused.
I have emailed my senators and all I get back is a form letter. They don't hear us.
It’s far to easy to see that with higher taxes on business’s and taxing the employee’s health benefits, the administrations’ working to put everyone in a position to accept whatever the government throws out there in universal health care. I believe Obama has a plan and it is unfolding in a very subtle way. The socialist know “change” needs to evolve slowly otherwise the free will revolt. Each new law created so far has moved us closer to socialism. It shocking to see how shortsighted so many people are. We are the few that see what is coming; unfortunately we have four years to watch our rights and personal freedom eroded away. I am looking to change my government locally until the next national election, if we still have the ability to vote by then! Oh yea I’ve quite supporting the “main stream” media too!
Tyranny
This is just another way to feed the monetary monster this country is enslaved to. Compared to the monetary system and how it works, this proposal is dwarfed.
"When the resolution of enslaving America was formed in Great Britain, the British Parliament was advised by an artful man, who was governor of Pennsylvania, to disarm the people; that it was the best and most effectual way to enslave them; but that they should not do it openly, but weaken them, and let them sink gradually…I ask, who are the militia? They consist of now of the whole people, except a few public officers. But I cannot say who will be the militia of the future day. If that paper on the table gets no alteration, the militia of the future day may not consist of all classes, high and low, and rich and poor…"
George Mason, Virginia Constitution Convention
I email my local, state and federal government daily…all to fall on deaf ears and receive canned responses. How do we get through to our elected officials? What will it take for the government to listen? I pray that it doesn't take bloodshed for them to finally wake up and see what they are doing!!
I love how Obama supporters were SO SO excited because he was going to "lower taxes for 95% of the population," yet everybody who is smart knows that Democrats are notorious for raising taxes. High taxes, big government – that's the Dems game, even though Obama wants you to believe that isn't what he is about.
Not only is he raising income taxes, he raising taxes for everything else and creating new taxes. How many more years?
NOTHING is FREE. Someone (taxpayers) are paying for it. I wonder if those folks who are for FREE HEALTHCARE understand that? Remember, Glenn showed the poll where 24 percent believed the government has its OWN MONEY-wow–where do those 24 percent think that it comes from(wonder what their GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS taught them?) They probably think as I did as a child (until my Dad explained things to me) : that they just print money as they need it –but wait–isn't that what they ARE doing these days?
jrn–I think it takes courage for you to come on this largely conservative site as an Obama supporter and I applaud you! I BELIEVE in every American citizen stating their opinion RESPECTFULLY. I think the 912 Project is to get ALL of us talking RESPECTFULLY to one another again and to find a COMMON CAUSE: Preserving the Constitution and Bill of RIghts. I am a conservative and follow issues closely–as well, my fellow conservatives are extremely alarmed with the current Congress and President Obama's fiscal policies as well as the socialist ideology of the Congressional leaders Reid and Pelosi as well as our President's socialist ideology.That lies at the heart of alot of the anger and frustration you are reading here. Conservatives do not want socialist policies or form of government. Please respond with your TRUTHS and BELIEFS and let's get to talking!
Am I mistaken or did John McCain also suggest a similar plan during the campagins and was nearly run out of town on a rail????? Now we have the flip flop of all flip flops from the man who doesn't seem to be able to tell the truth.
So who gets government health care? Well, being if your company doesn't pay, they are fined. Then those who do, employees get taxed and pay for someone else. Will you get president in the ER, not likely. Then they will tax gas and say it's for health care. So we get taxed twice for the same thing. This won't be just a tax on those making more then $250,000. Gas pumps aren't prejudice. So you are better to work for a company that refuses and get the government healthcare. Since you will pay for it twice, regardless. Then if you are just a welfare bum, you pay nothing. Most likely, you take a bus or walk. Don't work, so no taxes. This will only further enable those lazy turds in society to keep their "lifestyle" up. Disgusting!