Bush Admin Attacks Employer-Provided Healthcare

[Spence]

Currently, private employers receive a tax deduction for providing health care to their employees--most of whom could not acquire similar health care in any other way. Mr Bush does not like that and intends to put a stop to it. If any of you get healthcare benefits from your private employers, Mr Bush's plan would put an end to that.

The Bush administration is eyeing an overhaul of the tax code that would drastically cut, if not eliminate, taxes on savings and investment, but it is unlikely to try to replace the existing tax code with a single flat income tax rate or a national sales tax, according to several sources familiar with ongoing tax deliberations.
...
Instead the administration plans to push major amendments that would shield interest, dividends and capitals gains from taxation, expand tax breaks for business investment and take other steps intended to simplify the system and encourage economic growth, according to several people who are advising the White House or are familiar with the deliberations.

The changes are meant to be revenue-neutral. To pay for them, the administration is considering eliminating the deduction of state and local taxes on federal income tax returns and scrapping the business tax deduction for employer-provided health insurance, the advisers said.

Source

So, the compassionate conservative, bible-believing righteous ones in the White House plan to redistribute wealth upwards by making it more difficult for your employer to provide health care insurance for you and your loved ones. Now, does that sound like something a loving Lord would like?

Perhaps, Mr Bush is trying to convince us all to become Christian Scientists.

"All diseases of Christians are to be ascribed to demons; chiefly do they torment freshly-baptized Christians, yea, even the guiltless new-born infants." -- Saint Augustine

[lakewinola]

I think God wants everyone to have access to health care.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

How is Bush justifying this one?

[Spence]

Originally Posted by BRAVEONAWARPATH

How is Bush justifying this one?

They are not justifying it---yet. The White House is well aware that if this issue is actually explained to the public it would enormously unpopular. The tax deduction for employer-provided health care is about the only part of the tax code that anyone likes. Mr Bush proposes to do away with it so he can make other changes that will overwhelmingly benefit people who earn more than $500,000 a year, mostly from dividends, not work. This move is incredibly important to the people who finance the Republican party and have bankrolled Mr Bush's entire political career. It's a chance to create something akin to a permanent wealth aristocracy and they are quite keen on it so Mr Bush must push the issue very hard.

The problem is that it is politically unpopular. That's why this story is coming out in such a fashion. It's a trial balloon, floated by the White House to The Washington Post. They're trying to see how willing Republican members of Congress and K Street will be to fight for this one. Mr Bush does not have to worry about any more elections for himself, so doing something very unpopular isn't such a big deal to him now, but Republicans in Congress have elections coming up in less than two years and would not be happy to see Democratic opponents using this issue against them in a campaign.

[RedskinsDave]

It'll never happen.

[Spence]

Originally Posted by RedskinsDave

It'll never happen.

I have my doubts, too. It fits the radical agenda of the Bush admin to a tee, but, as I noted above, Mr Bush does not have to face any more elections. Republicans on Capitol Hill do. I'm sure Bill Frist would love to be handed this issue, considering his main goal now is to prepare for his own White House bid in 2008.

The point is, however, that eliminating the tax deduction for employer-provided health care [and thus depriving tens of millions of Americans of their health care overnight] is a major goal of the Bush admin. They might not get it, but they want it. That's why they leaked this to The Washington Post.

[NamVet4]

Originally Posted by Spence

out in such a fashion. It's a trial balloon, floated by the White House to The Washington Post. They're trying to see how willing Republican members of Congress and K Street will be to fight for this one. Mr Bush does not have to worry about any more elections for himself, so doing something very unpopular isn't such a big deal to him now, but Republicans in Congress have elections coming up in less than two years and would not be happy to see Democratic opponents using this issue against them in a campaign.

PPSSssttt.............. OOOoooppss................. is that hot air leaking out of the trial ballon?

Of course the Republicans with any sense are not going to publically back this effort. But it sure as hell will scare up some folks . . .

[Spence]

Well, I think it is safe to say there is a very good reason the White House didn't leak this policy to the media before the election.

[lakewinola]

Your cost for your employer provided coverage will increase dramatically. You think your company will absord the cost of these incentives? Or will they be passed directly to you? This amounts to a new tax on the average american and a tax break on the wealthiest (capital gains and dividends).

[Spence]

Originally Posted by lakewinola

I think God wants everyone to have access to health care.

Why do you hate America?

[Booser]

Originally Posted by Spence

Perhaps, Mr Bush is trying to convince us all to become Christian Scientists.

"All diseases of Christians are to be ascribed to demons; chiefly do they torment freshly-baptized Christians, yea, even the guiltless new-born infants." -- Saint Augustine

just as a point of reference, St. Augustine was not a Christian Scientist. Mary Baker Eddy started those guys much later - she believed that sin and death were an illusion (didn't seem to work for her though, as she suffered from a lengthy illness and eventually died). you probably weren't trying to make the correlation between Christian Science and Augustine... i was just making an academic point.

[tommahawk]

Why does Bush not care that his policies have cost hundreds of thousands Americans thier health insurance, and continue to push policies that will cost a million more?
Does he think we should all just pray our ailments away.

[Axegrinder]

I'll try his tried and true drinkin' and druggin' approach.At least I'll feel better for a little while!