You Could “Look for the Union LABEL”
But you’d be much better off carrying a union CARD.
…The Democrats’ other problem is that the usual populist line won’t fly. The party would like to be able to protect itself by saying that only those who now receive the most generous benefits will face taxes. Then again, the Americans who now have the Cadillacs (or, in these post-bailout-days, the Swedish sports car Koenigsegg CCXs) of health-care coverage are union workers. Union workers “would be stuck footing more of the bill than others,” says Paul Fronstin, a senior research associate with the Employee Benefit Research Institute.
This was the big gripe back when President George W. Bush first proposed rewriting the tax code to equalize the tax treatment of employer-provided and individually purchased health care (albeit as a means of creating a market-oriented system, rather than funding a federal entitlement). In Michigan, home of the once-mighty auto workers, Sen. Debbie Stabenow growled in 2007: “There are 160,000 people [in Michigan] with excellent health insurance plans . . . who for the first time would end up paying taxes on them.”
The attack against Mr. Wyden was an early shot across the Baucus-Obama bow, and it resonated. Mr. Baucus officially floated his plans for a tax this week, only with a surprising twist: His levy will not apply to union plans, at least for the duration of existing contracts. In other words, Mr. Baucus intends to tax the health-care benefits only of those who didn’t spend a fortune electing Democrats to office. Sen. Ted Kennedy, who is circulating his own health-care reform,…has also included provisions that will exempt unions from certain provisions.
I thought we lived in the UNITED States and ALL shared the burden. I’m so naive.
In the age of hope and change, the only ones sharing the burden are the taxpayers who don’t have a card that says “UNITED” followed by “Auto Workers”, Steel Workers”, “Operating Engineers”, “Food and Commercial Workers”, “Laborers International”, or any such thing associated with bought and paid for Democratic voting blocks. The rest of us are chum and I don’t mean the “best friend” sense.
Obama’s given them Chrysler, he’s giving them GM and, any moment now, tax dollars courtesy of your “Cadillac” health benefits supporting Obama healthcare.
…Baucus said his proposal is likely to cap benefits at “a level higher than the actual benefit that members of Congress receive today.” An employer-provided plan worth less than that level [$13,000/yr per family of four] would remain tax-free, he said, while any benefit exceeding the cap would be taxed as ordinary income.
Such a tax, if adopted, would be phased in over “several years,” Baucus said. And it would be likely to “grandfather” in health benefits set as part of a collective-bargaining agreement, he said…allowing union plans to remain tax-free
…until new contracts can be negotiated.
I despise this guy and his toadies more every day, to the point of choking on bile when his schmug appears, yet again, on the telly. Can anyone count the fuckin’ balls this guy has in the air at any given time? I know he’s hoping the ones that fall to earth won’t be noticed until they’re jammed so far down our throats we can’t breathe to bitch about the ones still suspended in flight.
Healthcare’s the flaming poopie torch on the right.
Nanny State | Mr. Bingley | 
June 18, 2009 10:38 pm
Subscribe
My Dear lady, The problem is as it’s been for some
time, is not benefits or regulations. The economy
is collapsing and nobody seems to care.Why fight over seating on a sinking ship?
The US government hasn’t done anything worthwhile
to help the economy of the US.Gay benefits,health
benefits,global warming benefits.These are fine
but,if the ship is sinking it’s best to stop the flood rather than argue among the crew.
It’s all over except the shouting.In two years
the USA will be the same as Mexico City to the
world organizations.Joe McCarthy was right.
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.
“
What made me cough and sputter last night was seeing Gibbs’ comment along the lines of “We won the election. So now we can do what we want. So STFU if you don’t like what we’re doing with health care.”
Dear God, I hope that we actually get to HAVE an election in 2012, that we don’t wind up with some kind of “President-for-life” situation.
*sigh*
What Ricki said.
Ricki – that’s one fear I don’t necessarily share. There’s that dratted Second Amendment they so loathe, and (in their eyes) a mighty uncomfortable correlation between those who exercise those rights and the love of free elections and the US Constitution. If they decided to suspend elections, they’d be thrown down forcibly, and they know it.
I’m far more concerned that they would just ACORN every election, giving the illusion of transparency and accountability. Casting doubt on the very institution paves the way for anarchy, and that they can exploit. It’s radical leftism 101. No wonder these misearble toads love all those tinpot dictators like Chavez, Castro, Ahmadinijad, Kim, et als. Their sham elections are absolute masterpieces – no teen with an SI Swimsuit Issue ever drooled so much as they do over the efficiency and ruthlessness of such a system. Carter thinks he’s supervising, but he’s really just a trainee.
I thank God for this administration’s total incompetence and general assclownery. They’re too clue-free to actually pull this off. I worry only about the damage that the country will have to ednure and repair after they’re finally done smashing things.
Nightfly, that’s pretty much how we could get a “President-For-Life”; the only thing that would change is the face, not unlike Iran. Just look at how an empty suit like Obama got elected.
At least until the Marxists somehow repeal the 22nd Amendment. But I agree, there’s always the 2nd Amendment.
[shrug} Well, this is what we voted for.
I know you meant the collective “we”, Steve-ster. The individual “we-me” is still screaming “F*CK NO“, as if it were only the day after the election.
I have offered a prophecy that contends, ’round about February 2010, you will be hard pressed to find anyone who voted for the Big O, as in “I din vote for dat sumbitch! You crazy wit da heat? Don tell me you did, dumbass!?!”
I will reassess the polls in August and adjust my date forward as I deem expeditious to bolstering my oracle-like street creds.