Final Text of Health Care Bill Arrives in Congress -- Some Provisions of Interest

[Guest guest]

Hi everybody,

 

Well, the final text of the health care bill has reached the U.S. House of

Representatives. Congressman John Campbell, representing Newport Beach,

California and the surrounding area, has summarized a few of this bill's

financial provisions, I'm passing along his comments here. To my knowledge,

every one of Congressman Campbell's comments is correct, without requirement

for further editing.

 

I wish to encourage people to really pause and reflect about what's going on

here and to participate in the political process.

 

Best to all,

Elchanan

_____

 

Friday, March 19, 2010

 

Quote of the Day: " So tonight, to you, the great silent majority of

Americans, I ask for your support. " - President Richard Nixon, November 3,

1969

 

However, this time, I think that the majority of Americans who in every poll

oppose this health care travesty are not and will not be silent. The word is

that Speaker Pelosi still has not persuaded enough Democrats to vote for the

bill against their constituents and in many cases against their own beliefs.

 

Tax Increases: The " final " bill came out yesterday afternoon. Here is a

partial list of the tax increases included in this reprehensible and immoral

bill:

 

 

* A new 3.6% tax on all investment income including capital gains.

That means that the capital gains tax rate (including California state tax)

will rise to 33.9%. The tax on dividend income will rise from 15% today to

53.7% including California tax.

 

* Additional Medicare tax on self employment income and wages. This

removes the current cap on wages subject to this tax and it will effectively

move the top income tax rate from 35% to 43.4% within a couple of years. Add

in the California tax again and would then be close to a 54% marginal tax

rate. I believe that this is the highest of any major industrialized

country. But because spending is so high we would still have $1 trillion

dollar annual deficits even after this tax.

 

* There is a 2.9% tax on all medical " devices " , which basically means

everything used in a doctor's office or hospital. Including gowns, syringes,

and the like. This will increase health care costs for everyone who does

not get free government insurance.

 

* The deduction for Medical expenses is currently limited to those

expenses that exceed 7.5% or your income. This will be raised to a threshold

of 10% of your income. This means that fewer people will get any tax relief

from medical expenses they pay for themselves.

 

* There are various taxes on anything a person might do to pay for

their own medical expenses. Things like Health Savings Accounts, Cafeteria

Plans, and Flexible Savings Accounts are ways for people to save their OWN

money for their OWN medical care on a pre-tax basis will be limited and

taxed. This is all part of the way that President Obama gets to government

run health care by making it illegal or costly to pay for your own care so

you have to go to the government.

 

* A 10% tax on tanning services. I call this the " Jersey Shore tax " .

This one has to be really upsetting to 'The Situation', Snookie, and Pauly

D.

 

* A tax on self-insured health plans. This is another penalty on those

who try to pay for their own health care.

 

* A new tax on pharmaceutical manufacturers. This will raise the price

of drugs for everyone who does not get them from the government for free.

 

* A new tax on " Cadillac " health plans. This is an up to 55% tax on

any health insurance that costs over about $800 per month including employee

and employer contributions. This tax does not apply if you are a union

member or your plan is from AARP or Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

These are major Democratic constituencies and they exempted them. For

everyone else, this discourages comprehensive health coverage. Isn't that

what the President says he is trying to achieve? Like most of what the

President says, his actions are not even close to his words.

 

* There is a new tax on all 'for-profit' health insurance companies

(except for a few favored ones). This will also raise the costs of premiums

for everyone not getting free care from the government.

 

* If you don't buy health insurance (as dictated acceptable by a new

federal czar), you will be fined up to 2.5% of your income even if you pay

all of your medical expenses yourself. If your company does not provide said

health insurance to all employees, the company will be fined up to $2,000

per employee.

 

All of this will cause growth and jobs to decline, medical costs to go up,

deficits and debt to increase, and quality doctors and providers to leave

the business. It will cause fewer people to pay for their own care, and more

to seek government care. And that is exactly what the authors want.

 

In spite of all of these taxes, this bill will create deficits of at least

half a trillion dollars MORE than what we already have at the federal and

state levels over the next 10 years, and a great deal more after that. So,

lots more taxes, lots more spending, and lots more deficits. The time at

which the Treasury will not be able to sell debt any more, except at a huge

rate, is approaching fast. America, in my opinion with this bill, is much

more likely to collapse under the weight of our own fiscal excess than to be

seriously threatened by any external force.

 

Until tomorrow, I remain respectfully,

 

Congressman John Campbell

Member of Congress

 

Newport Beach Office - 610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 330 . Newport Beach,

CA 92660 . (p) 949-756-2244 . (f) 949-251-9309

Washington Office - 1507 Longworth House Office Building . Washington, DC

20515 . (p) 202-225-5611 . (f) 202-225-9177

 

If you wish to contact Congressman John Campbell, please

<https://forms.house.gov/campbell/webforms/issue_.htm> follow this

link.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

this is another sadder day in amerika

we knew it was gonna get worse

and its still going to get alot worse of course

 

the way i see it -

this is the problem:

 

*** amerikans don't respect each other ***

 

amerikans don't respect each other

no one respects my privacy

people no longer think it is even rude to...

monitor my tv, phone, internet and any personal communication

my privacy is no longer my right

i demand the respect of a human

i demand my privacy

but i am just pissing into the wind (american idiom)

i am alone

 

the government can do whatever they want

as long as people do not respect each other

there is no recourse

 

they crippled the health system by outlawing competition.

by making layers between the doctor and patient with

insurance companies, employers, etal

*** there is no accountability ***

the patient is not the one paying

the prices go up, the service goes down

 

most of the people being treated for thyroid conditions, diabetes, and more,

would be better off without ama doctors at all.

 

even if you would rather die than be treated by one of these murderous

criminals, you have to pay for it anyway, or ugoto jail.

 

its absurdly stupid because in this economic crash,

the added expenses to amerikan business will make us all

totally uncompetitive in the world

as if we didn't have enough problems yesterday

 

i want out

i am alone in amerika

i want to die anywhere else

i hate amerika

a country filled with sick stupid people who vote to live like slaves.

they win

i don't respect them either

 

i hope there is no other life in the universe

i would be too embarrassed

 

jrellis

[Guest guest]

On Mon, 22 Mar 2010 04:53:39 -0000

" rahtymz " < wrote:

 

> this is another sadder day in amerika

> we knew it was gonna get worse

> and its still going to get alot worse of course

>

> the way i see it -

> this is the problem:

>

> *** amerikans don't respect each other ***

>

> amerikans don't respect each other

> no one respects my privacy

> people no longer think it is even rude to...

> monitor my tv, phone, internet and any personal communication

> my privacy is no longer my right

> i demand the respect of a human

> i demand my privacy

> but i am just pissing into the wind (american idiom)

> i am alone

>

> the government can do whatever they want

> as long as people do not respect each other

> there is no recourse

>

> they crippled the health system by outlawing competition.

> by making layers between the doctor and patient with

> insurance companies, employers, etal

> *** there is no accountability ***

> the patient is not the one paying

> the prices go up, the service goes down

>

> most of the people being treated for thyroid conditions, diabetes,

> and more, would be better off without ama doctors at all.

> even if you would rather die than be treated by one of these

> murderous criminals, you have to pay for it anyway, or ugoto jail.

>

> its absurdly stupid because in this economic crash,

> the added expenses to amerikan business will make us all

> totally uncompetitive in the world

> as if we didn't have enough problems yesterday

>

> i want out

> i am alone in amerika

> i want to die anywhere else

> i hate amerika

> a country filled with sick stupid people who vote to live like slaves.

> they win

> i don't respect them either

>

> i hope there is no other life in the universe

> i would be too embarrassed

>

> jrellis

>

Dear jrellis,

 

you like myself are one of the ordinary people of the world.

 

***We Lost***

 

We never even actually had a chance of winning. It was always rigged

against us.

 

Now just sit back and watch what happens to a society that has advanced

acidosis and I mean the society not the individuals.

 

All energy turns toxic and works to devour the host.

 

The sick stupid people you mention are ill, stupified by the society

that conditions them as members and it mostly all happens in unblissful

ignorance.

 

It reminds of the prophetic tale of the lemmings over the cliff. It is

like lemmings we go...

 

nepal