There is no free lunch. If the government provides us a benefit, it’s really we who provide that benefit. It’s our government, and the money that it’s giving us is our own, whether that money is borrowed or comes from tax receipts.
The health care legislation that appears likely to pass the Senate is such a bill. The legislation, which runs at least 2000 pages, contains numerous tax components. The latest change eliminates a tax on cosmetic surgery but adds a tax on indoor tanning. Medicare taxes will be increased on individuals earning more than $200,000 by 0.9%. Those are just two of the taxes in this legislation.
And there are numerous carve-outs and special deals so that the bill could make its way through the Senate. Nebraska won’t have to pay for Medicare; the other states will under this legislation. That deal was so that Ben Nelson, a Democrat who represents a relatively conservative state (Nebraska), would vote for the bill. There are provisions in the legislation that aid Louisiana and Indiana, states that are also relatively conservative and have Democratic Senators.
And what do we get for this? I’m still unsure; it appears to be some sort of mandatory health insurance program. What it will likely be is a lot more work for people like me, and a lot more bureaucracy. And a lot higher taxes. The bill, if it passes, will be passed on a straight party-line vote.
Tags: HealthCareLegislation