Will Obama Tax Health Benefits?

My sense is that taxing health benefits, to the extent it is even on the table (I'm not so sure it is), is a response to the cost criticisms of the reform proposals. It's a means to pay for it and serves primarily as a means to assuage the center-right folks that never want to spend money on things that don't go BOOM.

Of course, there are plenty of ways to drive down costs without taxing health benefits. Primary among them is the public plan. But the center-right folks don't want that either.

Basically, it seems that at this stage the center-right folks are going to have to accept one or the other. The actual liberals in the Senate have said that they will not vote for a bill that taxes benefits or that does not have a public plan. The House liberals have said the same thing. Conveniently, the public is largely in line with the liberal view, opposing taxes on health benefits and largely supportive of a public plan.

In the end, it seems that it should work out such that taxing health benefits is a non-starter and a public plan is a necessity. Because it should work out that way I fully expect the Democrats to fuck it up.
 
ib1yysguy said:
... considering it was the ENTIRE McCain plan to tax benefits and give you a $6000 tax credit with which to buy a family policy that costs on average about $12,000, yeah, he scored points.

Fortunately, Obama's plan isn't LIMITED to this, as McCain's was.
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However his promise was that anybody making less than $250K would see no tax increase in any way. This falls well outside that particular promise. It is indeed like a "read my lips no new taxes" moment for Obama if he does strike this pose.
 
LadyT said:
Completely wrong. All healthcare costs should be tax deductible. Its a broken system and the gov't has let the insurance companies screw us over time and time again. Premiums, copays, check ups, you name it, it should be completely deductible.

If you're concern is that when un/underinsured have to pay medical costs they don't a tax benefit, include them in it. Don't screw over the rest of middle class.
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LOL
That kid is clueless.
He contradicted himself in less than 10 words
 
Damocles said:
However his promise was that anybody making less than $250K would see no tax increase in any way. This falls well outside that particular promise. It is indeed like a "read my lips no new taxes" moment for Obama if he does strike this pose.
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LOL
a reduction in deduction does not a tax make!
 
tinfoil said:
LOL
That kid is clueless.
He contradicted himself in less than 10 words
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Just because a true believer like yourself can't understand how your betters weigh both options and choose the best, and you perceive this as a contradiction in your narrow minded fanaticism, doesn't make it so.
 
He's not doing it, he's holding the shit to your nose so you can see how bad it smells.
Then his other dog shit plan doesn't smell as bad.
Conservative will permanently make him Jimmy Carter II if he does it. He's not that dumb is he?
 
LadyT said:
yeah, what with all those other republican contenders emerging its going to be a rap for the dems right? I mean Sanford, "Quitter" Palin, Limbaugh, and Steele. And this is just a rumor, but I hear Larry Craig is making a come back too. Look out dems!!!!!!!!!!!:p
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But you've hit upon the very reason why Americans have little control over our government.

Obama is a perpetual candidate and is more interested in making good speeches than he is in making good policy. I'm willing to bet you right now that there will be no public option in his healthcare tweaking plan. He's a centrist .. he doesn't do causes.

On the other side we have the republicans, 71% of whom said they would vote for Sarah Palin as president. Outside of Palin, the worst possible contender for the office in human history, they have little else, just as you say.

In the end, the American people are the lossers .. who are left to bash each other on websites like chickens in a pen, and who are left with few meaningful choices in determining the best government "for the people."

So we all stand around and just watch the sunset on the American Century .. and bash each other like chickens in a pen.

The only thing wrong with America is Americans.

It's OUR fault, not the politicians.
 
tinfoil said:
LOL
a reduction in deduction does not a tax make!
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Paying more in tax does a tax hike make. In the end do they pay more? Does that mean that their tax bill increased? He said that those making less than 250K would not see their tax bill increase in any way.
 
Damocles said:
Paying more in tax does a tax hike make. In the end do they pay more? Does that mean that their tax bill increased? He said that those making less than 250K would not see their tax bill increase in any way.
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I think this is interesting in that, as an Obama supporter I assumed he was just talking about income taxes since it always came up in that context. However, as an Obama opponent you took him to mean that no individual making under 250k would have any taxes at all increased whatsoever in any way, not limited to income taxes.

To me Obama has thus far kept his pledge. To you, he hasn't because he increase cigarette taxes or whatever.

It's fascinating.
 
Dungheap said:
I think this is interesting in that, as an Obama supporter I assumed he was just talking about income taxes since it always came up in that context. However, as an Obama opponent you took him to mean that no individual making under 250k would have any taxes at all increased whatsoever in any way, not limited to income taxes.

To me Obama has thus far kept his pledge. To you, he hasn't because he increase cigarette taxes or whatever.

It's fascinating.
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He specifically said, "not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains tax, not any of your taxes..."

It isn't hard to take that he meant not any taxes... He even stressed the word. I'll see if I can find the video for you...

What's fascinating is the selective memory of the left.
 
Here it is:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8erePM8V5U"]YouTube - President Obama's Pledge Never to Raise Taxes on Anyone Making Less Than $250,000 a Year[/ame]

Enjoy... listen... It's tasty.
 
Here's an Obama quote from a debate I believe. In this quote it doesn't specify whether its income tax specific but is that what's implied or is he referring to all taxes?

OBAMA: I want to provide a tax cut for 95% of Americans. If you make less than a quarter of a million dollars a year, you will not see a single dime of your taxes go up. If you make $200,000 a year or less, your taxes will go down. Now, Sen. McCain talks about small businesses. Only a few percent of small businesses make more than $250,000 a year. The vast majority of small businesses would get a tax cut under my plan. And we provide a 50% tax credit so that they can buy health insurance for their workers, because there are an awful lot of small businesses that want to do right by their workers but they just can’t afford it. Some small business owners can’t even afford health insurance for themselves

http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/barack_obama_tax_reform.htm
 
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