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Administration open to taxing health benefits
New York Times ^ | 3/15/2009 | JACKIE CALMES and ROBERT PEAR

Posted on 03/15/2009 3:38:32 AM PDT by ritewingwarrior

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is signaling to Congress that the president could support taxing some employee health benefits, as several influential lawmakers and many economists favor, to help pay for overhauling the health care system.

The proposal is politically problematic for President Obama, however, since it is similar to one he denounced in the presidential campaign as “the largest middle-class tax increase in history.” Most Americans with insurance get it from their employers, and taxing workers for the benefit is opposed by union leaders and some businesses.

In television advertisements last fall, Mr. Obama criticized his Republican rival for the presidency, Senator John McCain of Arizona, for proposing to tax all employer-provided health benefits. The benefits have long been tax-free, regardless of how generous they are or how much an employee earns. The advertisements did not point out that Mr. McCain, in exchange, wanted to give all families a tax credit to subsidize the purchase of coverage.

At the time, even some Obama supporters said privately that he might come to regret his position if he won the election; in effect, they said, he was potentially giving up an important option to help finance his ambitious health care agenda to reduce medical costs and to expand coverage to the 46 million uninsured Americans. Now that Mr. Obama has begun the health debate, several advisers say that while he will not propose changing the tax-free status of employee health benefits, neither will he oppose it if Congress does so.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government
KEYWORDS: benefits; bho44; bhohealthcare; bhotaxincrease; healthcare; obama; sniff; taxes; zot
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The next step in destroying private healthcare. Renewal for insurance was this month. Some of my employees who are paid well, and have half their insurance paid, wanted to drop out of the insurance plan, and not pay their half, because Obama was going to give them healthcare.

Any reduction in the plan will force the remaining people into a higher cost, pool, which will make more of them drop out. More uninsured people needing the government.

1 posted on 03/15/2009 3:38:33 AM PDT by ritewingwarrior
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To: ritewingwarrior

Tax and spend....same old play book.


2 posted on 03/15/2009 3:41:25 AM PDT by exPBRrat
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To: ritewingwarrior

The next chunk of the next deficit we face. I think my toe hurts. Ouch! I need a grant...


3 posted on 03/15/2009 3:42:42 AM PDT by allmost
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To: ritewingwarrior

If you walk too much they’ll tax your feet.

Time to overthrow this one and start over.


4 posted on 03/15/2009 3:43:22 AM PDT by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
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To: Joe Boucher

Looking back at the Beatles, “If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street, If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat, If you get too cold, I’ll tax the heat, If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet.......Cause I’m the Taxman, Yea, aaa, I’m the Taxman.


5 posted on 03/15/2009 3:55:05 AM PDT by PSYCHO-FREEP (WHAT? Where did my tag line go? (ACORN))
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To: ritewingwarrior

Everyone wants MORE affordable Health Care and Energy. So what does Obama do? He TAXES them! Is this the f-ing change we were hoping for? This country has too many morons. This ain’t rocket science folks, it is simple common sense. We are being run into the ground by a bunch of idiots.


6 posted on 03/15/2009 3:55:59 AM PDT by Always Right (Obama: more arrogant than Bill Clinton, more naive than Jimmy Carter, and more liberal than LBJ.)
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To: ritewingwarrior

bump


7 posted on 03/15/2009 3:57:23 AM PDT by lowbridge (It's not that liberals are ignorant, it's that they know so much that isn't so - Ronald Reagan)
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To: ritewingwarrior

National Debt clock

http://www.truthin2008.org/debtclockwidget.swf


8 posted on 03/15/2009 4:05:08 AM PDT by combat_boots (The answer to 1984 is 1776)
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Comment #9 Removed by Moderator

To: kikidama1

Signed up yesterday to advocate nanny-state policies??

Hmmmmmm.....


10 posted on 03/15/2009 4:16:45 AM PDT by Uncle Ike (At some point, government has to be the next bubble to burst. (H/T Freeper This_far))
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Comment #11 Removed by Moderator

To: kikidama1

In your world, people are taxed for healthcare and denied it unless they meet your criteria.

Have you tried a more liberal site? You need to if you are going to spout this BS.


12 posted on 03/15/2009 4:21:55 AM PDT by dforest
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: kikidama1; Uncle Ike
Healthcare is a huge issue.

It's more than huge, it's HUGH!

and not only that it is

SERIES!
14 posted on 03/15/2009 4:32:39 AM PDT by mkjessup (You're either with our Constitution, or you are with TKU ("The Kenyan Usurper"). CHOOSE!!!)
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Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

To: ritewingwarrior
Previously posted here .
16 posted on 03/15/2009 4:47:21 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: ritewingwarrior

Self-ping.


17 posted on 03/15/2009 4:57:48 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows (Ever think "That'd make a great name for a rock band?" http://twitter.com/newbandnames)
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To: Always Right

I find this interesting. If you look at the European models of state-run healthcare...none of them tax a guy for what he’s putting into the system. Nor do they tax the guy when extra costs at the hospital are involved.

Most families would lessen their coverage in some fashion and thus have less protection. I’m assuming that this is the goal of the plan.


18 posted on 03/15/2009 5:05:21 AM PDT by pepsionice
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To: ritewingwarrior

Does this really need to be posted 5 times?


19 posted on 03/15/2009 5:46:41 AM PDT by autumnraine (Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose- Kris Kristoferrson VIVA LA REVOLUTION!)
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To: PSYCHO-FREEP

But I am a radical lunatic POPULIST LIBERTARIAN WHITE SUREMACIST GOON!


20 posted on 03/15/2009 5:56:47 AM PDT by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
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