Why Cut Spending
…When you can tax fun?
If you make big bucks — or enjoy alcohol, cigarettes and Coke — the government might hit you up to pay for fixing the nation’s health care system.
On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee peeked into vending machines and liquor stores, company payrolls and health savings accounts, looking for a mix of tax increases and spending cuts as a way to pay for a health overhaul — which could cost more than $1.5 trillion over 10 years.
…People who like the tax-free status of their company health benefits could be asked to ante up. Money in the pot: more than $700 billion over 10 years.
Treasure the tax benefits from your health savings account? Some experts say the accounts encourage “excess consumption” of health services — and committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) agreed they’re worth a look. Money in the pot: $60 billion over 10 years.
What encourages “excess consumption” of health services is making them free.
Update: And of course I see the Fearster was on this yesterday.
Oh well, that will teach me to go out of town for a few days…
Nanny State | Mr. Bingley | 
May 13, 2009 6:30 am
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How soon this was forgotten…
“Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.”
Bastard.
Your anger is misdirected, Gunslinger. The person you quoted is not on the Senate Finance Committee.
The person he quoted didn’t attend any committee meetings whilst he was in the Senate gaining that 143 days of experience…
Maybe they figure that if they tax us and life’s joys enough, all the while hectoring us like the spouse from hell, then we’ll all welcome death.
“the tax-free status of their company health benefits”
That applies to the military as well and I DON’T think they wanna go there…
These jokers would send a tax bill to my dead grandmama if they could only figure out the postage.
Maybe they’ll bring up a tax on taxes next, under the “value added” concept.