The Worst Laid Plans of House Democrats... Certain to go Awry

The House Democrats laid out their 1018 pages of plans yesterday for the new health care reform bill.  Here are some highlights:

An impossible burden on small businesses:

The plan dictates an 8% payroll tax penalty will be applied to businesses who fail to provide their employees with health insurance options.  The penalty would extend to any business that has a payroll exceeding $250,000 annually.  Considering that the average small business employing 5-9 workers has a payroll typically exceeding $350,000/year, such a proposal ensures that small businesses would be the hardest hit. 

Why is a measure that will make it more difficult for businesses to hire more workers being proposed when the country is experiencing the highest levels of unemployment in decades?   

Taxes, Taxes, Taxes:

Households earning as much as $350,000 would be hit with a surtax of up to 2%.  These rates are subject to increase above 3% if the government does not achieve target health-cost savings. Never mind that the wealthy are subsidizing the cost burden of an entire national health care system.  Certainly – no one expects the income threshold to remain fixed either…

Mandated Health Insurance:

If you thought you would be given the option to opt out, think again.  A provision is included for a 2.5% penalty tax on individuals who decline affordable health insurance. 

Cost (?)

How much will it all cost? Although certain to exceed $1 trillion in the next 10 years, in the span of 1018 pages no one bothered to include any total cost projections.

Comments

[Jeffrey Sykes]

Hello: My name is Jeff Sykes. I live in Reidsville, N.C. I've started this online petition against government run health care. You do not have to join the site to sign the petition. Just fill in the required fields. Please pass to all your friends in North Carolina who might agree with us. I am trying to get 10,000 signatures in North Carolina by July 31, 2009.

Sign the petition

Send this note to your friends:

I've signed this online petition addressed to Kay Hagan stating opposition to the public option plan now in Congress.
I am doing this as a grassroots effort to make my voice heard.
If you live in NC and agree with my petition, please sign it and let your friends know about it.