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Senators weigh tax hikes to pay for health care

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posted on May, 12 2009 @ 11:10 PM
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WASHINGTON – Senators are considering limiting — but not eliminating — the tax-free status of employer-provided health benefits to help pay for President Barack Obama's plan to provide coverage to 50 million uninsured Americans. Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said Tuesday that there are no easy options. Senators began grappling with how to finance guaranteed coverage, a cornerstone of Obama's plan to overhaul the health care system. Independent experts put the costs at about $1.5 trillion over 10 years. Obama sees a world in which doctors and hospitals compete to offer quality service at lower costs, and the savings help cover the uninsured. Turning that vision into reality remains the biggest challenge for the president and his backers, because hard cash — not just ideas — is required to cover upfront costs of expanding coverage. The president put health care industry leaders on notice Tuesday that he expects them to fulfill their dramatic offer of $2 trillion in savings over 10 years. "I will hold you to your pledge to get this done," Obama said in a letter released by the White House that went to groups representing insurers, hospitals, doctors, drug makers and others. But those savings — even if the industry delivers every penny — won't all accrue to the government. So the financing package for Obama's plan is likely to include a mix of tax increases and spending cuts in federal health programs. Among the possibilities: tax increases on alcoholic beverages, tobacco products and sugary soft drinks, and restrictions on other health care-related tax breaks, such as flexible spending accounts.

news.yahoo.com...

Yes....OH YES.

Taxes...sweet..soft...tasty!

Cigarettes are cheap....tax on pop coming as well...more alcohol taxes!!!!! cool...I can't wait.

Luckily it's not a tax on the poor.

[edit on 12-5-2009 by David9176]



posted on May, 12 2009 @ 11:13 PM
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So they want to tax the crap on anything they feel is unhealthy for us.

Sounds good.




posted on May, 12 2009 @ 11:16 PM
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reply to post by jd140
 


Lol..no..you got it wrong man!!

They just want to tax things we like!

This country is jacked up.



posted on May, 12 2009 @ 11:25 PM
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it's a brave new world for everyone. I hope everyone who voted for Obama likes paying more taxes, because we're about to be taxed into oblivion.
In the final analysis, the hardest thing the Dems will have to figure out, is what's left that they haven't already taxed. I hope these democratic senators who go along with this taxing medical benefits , get their heads handed to them at election time. This shows you how far these kool-aid drinking bastards have gone, following their great leader like a bunch of lemmings, no matter what it cost the regular working stiff.
I sure hope those jerks that support this bill can sleep at night. this government is totally out of control. But I'm so glad we're getting change, it makes all these taxes so much easier to pay.



posted on May, 12 2009 @ 11:31 PM
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reply to post by David9176
 


I just don't get it.

Unemployment is at a 25 year high and the economy is in the crapper.

Yet they want to raise taxes on, like you said, the stuff we like.

How about raising taxes on bottle water or starbucks coffee.

Raise the taxes on that and our debt will be paid for by Christmas.



posted on May, 12 2009 @ 11:31 PM
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What bothers me the most about this is not the taxes or the cost. It's just more government intrusion into our lives, telling us what kind of treatment we can, cannot, and must receive. They destroy everything they touch and this will not be any different.

But back to the tax issue. All one has to do is look how they mismanaged social security. From what I read today, they are going to have to increase the payroll tax 16% and/or decrease payments by 13%.

I saw an interview with the HHS Secretary this morning where she said that everyone can keep their employer based insurance. That may be how it starts. But when the government gets their foot in the door, I predict they will destroy the private health insurance industry like they've been doing to the banks. They will either eliminate them or take them over too.

Why we tolerate these democrats and republicans destroying this country totally escapes me.



posted on May, 12 2009 @ 11:36 PM
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Not to mention...taxes have already been jacked up on cigarettes April 1st and other states have put their taxes on them as well.
Now more?

And let's ignore the rising gas prices.

or inflation.

It's madness.



posted on May, 12 2009 @ 11:40 PM
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sorry kids there is going to be a 10% dinking tax on that kool aid your drinking because it has sugar. but you can have this diet soda with aspertane in it that will turn your brain to mush. it's not taxed



posted on May, 12 2009 @ 11:41 PM
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I've said it over and over and all people wanted to do was flame me for my lack of "compassion for my fellow humans." The nationalization of health care is going to impact us a lot more than people think. We're going to be told what to eat and drink, i doubt we'll be allowed to smoke much longer, exercise will be compulsory etc. ad nauseum. I'm not being a fear monger, i'm being realistic. When was the last time the government gave you something with no strings attached?


TA



posted on May, 12 2009 @ 11:42 PM
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They won't be happy until the middle class can only afford to eat Ramen Noodles.

Not that there is anything wrong with Ramen Noodles.



posted on May, 12 2009 @ 11:45 PM
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reply to post by jd140
 


you can't eat ramen noodle too high in sodium.
it also has too many carbs not healthy also.
this is your gov telling you.



posted on May, 12 2009 @ 11:47 PM
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Originally posted by crawgator406
reply to post by jd140
 


you can't eat ramen noodle too high in sodium.
it also has too many carbs not healthy also.
this is your gov telling you.


Maybe so, but they can tax the hell out of it and a case won't cost more then 10 dollars.

Thats alot of differant poor man meals right there.



posted on May, 13 2009 @ 12:17 AM
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the tobacco tax took effect on april 1st but in many states they started collecting it around the middle of march. so ask yourself were did that money go? the government sure the hell won't admit they took in millions of dollars in taxes early and they won't say what they did with the money either.

as for alcohol go ahead congress raise the taxes on it or ban its consumption again. see how long you collect that tax revenue. Guess you forgot the lessons of prohibition. take something away from enough people and they will find away to make their own.

I have a suggestion to the CEO's of companies that produce alcohol, If The congress raises the taxes on your product, give your product away for free and then go to congress and ask them for a bailout to save your companies and see how long the taxes stay in place.

As for Obama's universal health care Bull**** he can shove it were the sun don't shine! The government has NO BUSINESS to get involved in the health care of the citizens! Everything the government gets involved in turns to crap! Its about time that people wake up! vote these parasites out of office and take back control of our country before we don't have a country left to take back!



posted on May, 13 2009 @ 04:24 AM
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reply to post by David9176
 


Alright! Twinkie taxes! Hah. Hit all Americans with tax increases. The tobacco tax didn't raise enough revenue. Plan backfired! Alright, hit all Americans! Let them see the resuls of that last presidential election. Let it hit home on them. Conservatives told you all how this Obama would raise your taxes, even while he proclaimed there would be no new taxes. Oh, he was just talking about income taxes. So it's okay. The same sorry bas77ds get elected each new election cycle.We earn what we elect.

C'mon ,folks. I shouldn't be and you shouldn't be taxed for drinking a soda, or eating a twinkie or smoking a cigar. Hey, lets tax the tea that people drink! Remember this stuff?

No tax without representation.And now, no tax with misrepresenation.

I hope I corrected all the mispellings. I hate mispellings from me.



[edit on 13-5-2009 by kyred]




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