About Me

In writing the "About Me" portion of this blog I thought about the purpose of the blog - namely, preventing the growth of Socialism & stopping the Death Of Democracy in the American Republic & returning her to the "liberty to abundance" stage of our history. One word descriptions of people's philosophies or purposes are quite often inadequate. I feel that I am "liberal" meaning that I am broad minded, independent, generous, hospitable, & magnanimous. Under these terms "liberal" is a perfectly good word that has been corrupted over the years to mean the person is a left-winger or as Mark Levin more accurately wrote in his book "Liberty & Tyranny" a "statist" - someone looking for government or state control of society. I am certainly not that & have dedicated the blog to fighting this. I believe that I find what I am when I consider whether or not I am a "conservative" & specifically when I ask what is it that I am trying to conserve? It is the libertarian principles that America was founded upon & originally followed. That is the Return To Excellence that this blog is named for & is all about.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Government Control Of Your Body, Your Money, & Your Life

Well the healthcare reform vote in the House was barely over when I received a call of distress from my dearest friend in SC as well as many messages such as "For the second time in my life I am ashamed of my country. The first time was the day the Community Organizer Socialist was elected."  Thanks to everyone, especially those who receive these messages & participated in town hall meetings & tea parties, who tirelessly tried to stop the passage of BO's healthcare reform plan - rest assured this is not over.  America still has a chance to exist as we grew up in her.
 
During the presidential campaign & most certainly over the past 14 months I have presented all of the information you needed & every argument possible against passage of BO's healthcare reform plan - the plan that passed is just the start of what BO has in mind for America.  Below is an excellent summary, as of Saturday night, presented to me by Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen that includes most of the points from our messages.
 
For those of you who believed all of this was only about healthcare, please look @ how many of the points below pertain to crippling the American economy & thwarting job creation thereby making our trusting unsuspecting people who don't know what to do more dependent than ever on government - just as BO planned all along.
 
---Frelinghuysen Summary---
Here is a partial list of the tax increases in the Pelosi health care bill:
  • 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 "acceptable" health insurance to all workers, the company will be fined up to $2,000 per employee. (This proposal alone may require the hiring of 16,500 new IRS employees.  See attached data sheet from the House Committee on Ways and Means);
  • An 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;
  • For certain taxpayers, the bill increases the Medicare FICA tax from 2.9 percent to 3.8 percent and for the first time, this tax will be extended beyond wages to include interest, dividends, capital gains, annuities, royalties, home sales and rents.  This new tax will be particularly damaging to New Jersey's seniors, many of whom depend on their interest, dividends and annuities to cover their monthly expenses and potential nursing home costs;
  • 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, wheelchairs 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. Under the bill, they will be limited and taxed;
  • A 10% tax on tanning services;
  • 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, an important employer in New Jersey. This will raise the price of medicines for everyone who does not get them from the government for free;
  • A new tax on "Cadillac" health plans. This is a tax of up to 55% 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;
  • 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.

Combined, these new taxes will cause medical costs to go up and private sector job creation to go down, increase budget deficits and national debt, and force physicians to stop seeing Medicare and Medicaid patients. It will cause fewer people to pay for their own care, and more to seek government care.

In the end, the Pelosi health care proposal adds up to more taxes, more spending, and more deficits.  This is a bill American cannot afford.

Highlights of New IRS Authority

Under H.R. 3590 – the Senate-passed health bill
(Source: House Ways and Means Committee Minority)

  • IRS agents verify if you have "acceptable" health care coverage;
  • IRS has the authority to fine you up to $2,250 or 2 percent of your income (whichever is greater) for failure to prove that you have purchased "minimum essential coverage";
  • IRS can confiscate your tax refund;
    IRS audits are likely to increase;
  • IRS will need up to $10 billion to administer the new health care program this decade;
  • IRS may need to hire as many as 16,500 additional auditors, agents and other employees to investigate and collect billions in new taxes from Americans;
  • Nearly half of all these new individual mandate taxes will be paid by Americans earning less than 300 percent of poverty ($66,150 for a family of four).

    SPECIAL EXEMPTION: The Senate-passed bill prohibits the IRS from imposing these taxes and penalties on illegal immigrants.

5 comments:

  1. Just what we don't need...more government control, especially under the control of the IRS.
    Nancy Pelousy wasn't lying, this is a jobs bill, however it's creating more federal government jobs.
    If our Governor, Lt. Governor and attorney general have any backbone they will join the other twenty-one states lining up to sue the federal government.
    Well Governor Christie, Lt. Governor Guadagno and Attorney General Dow? It's time to show what you’re made of.

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  2. Please note that funds for Medicare will be cut by at least $500 billion. This will force many more Doctors to refuse Medicare patients.

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  3. I posted this on my Facebook and have already received several responses. Where did you get this so I can offer the source if asked? Was it on his website?

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  4. you must be sick to your stomach over this weekend's events. The way in which the bill was passed was just as bad as the bill itself. I cannot believe that, in the face of such public outcry, and for the rest of the world to see, Obama and his Speaker would go to such lengths to fulfill his ego. This is an accomplishment? Can't wait to see you at Philly, let us know when you are returning! Luv

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  5. We are sick at heart, but are not giving up...we plan to continue to fight for the America we know and love!

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