Markey(D-CO)at Town Hall - Not this Trip! image: Life
During the Spring Recess, as Democrats head home to their districts, theyare studiously avoiding “larger crowds”, sticking to letters to local newspapers instead. The AP article headlined: ”Vulnerable Democrats are tiptoeing on health care” describes several Democrats from Colorado to Michigan who are concerned about meeting constituents due to their vote on Health Care – in addition, they are “convinced” that once the public understands what is in the bill, that surely they will be re-elected. Who’s to blame – according to the AP: Republicans! Apparently, it is the Republican’s who are continuing to fuel discontent among Tea Party members over the reform. The problem with this article are two-fold – one, if the bill were so great, these Democrats (Rep. Betsy Markey (D-CO), Dina Titus (D-NV), Harry Mitchell (D-AZ) and Mark Schauer (D-MI), would be out holding sessions informing their constituents about what the bill includes that makes it work for American’s. Not so, it is the rhetoric, rather than the meat and potatoes (so to speak) of the bill that they endlessly proclaim. The reason may be that these representatives either hold their constituents in contempt (i.e. – being Progressives there is a definite difference between someone who is “elite” (i.e. member of Congress, or someone who holds a four year degree and is a Progressive) or the “masses” (i.e. your average American) – The masses certainly cannot understand something so complicated, so therefore, they are incapable of knowing what’s good for them. (See standard reply from any Congressional email and/or letter re: Health Care Reform, or any other topic and it begins (Paraphrasing): “This is a complicated matter….” - as if to say, “You, the constituent, cannot possibly understand this or that”. One: arrogance or brainwashed stupidity – take your pick. Two, they have no clue as to what is actually in the bill they signed, but darn it, those Tea Party people do – therein lays the crux of the matter. First, the elite would consider those media maligned “Tea Party” members as uneducated masses – and secondly they must be Republican.
Due to the fact that the Congressional Reps, isolated through either ideology or arrogance, are truly ignorant of what they are dealing with, the public, hiding out seems the most logical step to take. Those in the Tea Party Movement (mainly, funny enough, women outnumber men and are mainly the organizers – see skewed poll with marginals from Quinnipiac here), have actually read the bill, gone through all the amendments and fully comprehend what this (and other bills on the table) contain.
The Reconciliation Act, aside from taking over one of the last profitable businesses a bank had (student loan industry), has a bevy of taxes attached to the Health Reform portion of the bill.
The Los Angeles Times has a partial list:
Tax hikes related to healthcare
Medicare taxes, effective 2013 ($210.2 billion) Payroll tax increases from 1.45% to 2.35% on wage income over $200,000 for individuals; over $250,000 for couples.
For taxpayers in that bracket, a new surtax of 3.8% on investment income.
High-cost healthcare plans, effective 2018 ($32 billion) 40% excise tax on health benefits that exceed $10,200 for individuals, $27,500 for couples.
Tanning tax, effective July 1, 2010 ($2.7 billion) 10% excise tax on indoor tanning services.
Flexible health spending accounts, effective 2013 ($13 billion) Limit to $2,500 a year contributions to tax-free health savings accounts.
Itemized medical-expense deductions, effective 2013 ($15.2 billion) Allow itemized deductions only for medical expenses that exceed 10% of income, up from the current 7.5% threshold.
To get an idea of the scope of the taxes associated with Health Care Reform, The Joint Committee on Taxation has the list and explanation in downloadable format here www.jct.gov. The download (PDF) file is under Recent Publications, JCX-18-10.
Therefore, according to those Democrats who feel “average Americans” will really like this bill once they get to know it, are in for a surprise. For example, the download includes a tax credit for anyone who is involved in an “exchange” (i.e. government run health care plan”, the rest of the nation – not so much as a dime. The Tanning Tax: those on the Hill most likely feel tanning salons are reserved for “people like them” and actors, actresses or the fabulously wealthy – while the average American who has a teenager, or who is planning on an evening out, understands that their daughter will now be paying a tax for that tan for the prom. Understanding that tanning sounds ridiculous – it is the point of how those members of Congress are so clueless as to take something so very minor and with an air of “better than though”, or “the taxpayer has no use for a tanning salon” . They should also be concerned about how those 16 to 19 year old prom goers are going to feel about this zinger. The limit to Flexible Spending accounts is interesting as it discourages people from paying for their own medical benefits – and of course, the rise in the percentage of dollars in deductions for medical expenses, affects many families earning far less than $100,000.
The best line in the article from AP via Yahoo Business News: in speaking about the 2010 mid-term elections: “There's even a chance the party could lose control of one or both houses in the midterm elections.” The House, historically, will turn over 25 seats in an off-year, however, with people (those pesky masses) paying more attention by the day, even the Senate is in play.
The Democrats, who appear to be isolated, or smoking something at the very least, have no idea of what the public is thinking, or who those Tea Party people are (mainly women, who are supposed to be in lockstep with the DNC), for that matter – and they show absolutely no sign of changing their approach to governing or, unlike their Republican counterparts, taking the time to get to know exactly what this Tea Party is all about – it will be their undoing.
Interesting Palin Video (Embed disabled) YouTube.com Feminist Unleashed.
Video below
1 comment:
I read this article. The fact that they have to sneak around and hide themselves after voting for this monstrosity HAS to tell them something.
Post a Comment