Sep 20, 2009 9:00am
Obama: Mandate is Not a Tax
ABCPresident Obama signaled in our interview that he was prepared to address some of the concerns raised by key Senator Jay Rockefeller, who called the Baucus bill a “big middle class tax increase” this week.That means he’ll support more subsidies for middle class families.But in our most spirited exchange, the President refused to accept the argument that a mandate to buy health insurance is equivalent to a tax.Here it is:STEPHANOPOULOS: You were against the individual mandate…OBAMA: Yes.STEPHANOPOULOS: …during the campaign. Under this mandate, the government is forcing people to spend money, fining you if you don’t. How is that not a tax?OBAMA: Well, hold on a second, George. Here — here’s what’s happening. You and I are both paying $900, on average — our families — in higher premiums because of uncompensated care. Now what I’ve said is that if you can’t afford health insurance, you certainly shouldn’t be punished for that. That’s just piling on. If, on the other hand, we’re giving tax credits, we’ve set up an exchange, you are now part of a big pool, we’ve driven down the costs, we’ve done everything we can and you actually can afford health insurance, but you’ve just decided, you know what, I want to take my chances. And then you get hit by a bus and you and I have to pay for the emergency room care, that’s…STEPHANOPOULOS: That may be, but it’s still a tax increase.OBAMA: No. That’s not true, George. The — for us to say that you’ve got to take a responsibility to get health insurance is absolutely not a tax increase. What it’s saying is, is that we’re not going to have other people carrying your burdens for you anymore than the fact that right now everybody in America, just about, has to get auto insurance. Nobody considers that a tax increase. People say to themselves, that is a fair way to make sure that if you hit my car, that I’m not covering all the costs.STEPHANOPOULOS: But it may be fair, it may be good public policy…OBAMA: No, but — but, George, you — you can’t just make up that language and decide that that’s called a tax increase. Any…STEPHANOPOULOS: Here’s the…OBAMA: What — what — if I — if I say that right now your premiums are going to be going up by 5 or 8 or 10 percent next year and you say well, that’s not a tax increase; but, on the other hand, if I say that I don’t want to have to pay for you not carrying coverage even after I give you tax credits that make it affordable, then…STEPHANOPOULOS: I — I don’t think I’m making it up. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary: Tax — “a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes.”OBAMA: George, the fact that you looked up Merriam’s Dictionary, the definition of tax increase, indicates to me that you’re stretching a little bit right now. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gone to the dictionary to check on the definition. I mean what…STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, no, but…OBAMA: …what you’re saying is…STEPHANOPOULOS: I wanted to check for myself. But your critics say it is a tax increase.OBAMA: My critics say everything is a tax increase. My critics say that I’m taking over every sector of the economy. You know that. Look, we can have a legitimate debate about whether or not we’re going to have an individual mandate or not, but…STEPHANOPOULOS: But you reject that it’s a tax increase?OBAMA: I absolutely reject that notion.- George Stephanopoulos
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And, of course, if it is a tax, then that means that tens of millions will be exempted from patying it due to their income constraints, much like they're already exempted from paying income tax... and that means the burden for paying THEIR tax will fall on us.
On the surface, today was a good day for the left. They'll be out spiking the football, following in the Obamaian pattern of post bin Ladin giddiness... but the question remains: did Obama win the election today?
Or did he lose it worse then he otherwise would have? And what will the fallout be for RINO Rob McKenna, who briefly showed testicular fortitude in swimming up against the leftist stream and joining the law suit that caused such howls of consternation and demands he withdraw from the suit, even sparking suits to demand he leave the Obamacare suit. What about that?
Politics is also a game of expectations. The president made various promises as part of his scam to get this passed. But as the Belle of Botox so famously told us, they had to get the bill passed to find out what was in it.
So, on one hand, the Supreme Court tells us this is a tax. It's true, legislatively speaking, because they say it is, but if true, then they've broadened the definition by several miles.
The first definition that came up when I googled it was from dictionary.reference.com:
noun
1.
a sum of money demanded by a government for its support or for specific facilities or services, levied upon incomes,property, sales, etc.2.
a burdensome charge, obligation, duty, or demand.
I suppose it's within their purview to tell us that people are, in fact property, as far as that goes. Does that make it so?
The definition infers that the GOVERMENT provides the "specific facilities or services," but in this case, the government is demanding that the people purchase specific products from private entities that meet their satisfaction. Under the Supreme Court's reasoning, it appears to me that the government may now require everyone to buy anything from the private sector that they deem required... from this insurance scam to kumquats... if the majority's justification is to be believed.
And on the other hand, you've got Obama telling us that it is NOT a tax.
And Roberts joining with the leftist majority?
Who'da thunk it?
Here's what I know: I am not, and I will not, EVER paying the mandate or any of the fines related to it.
Sorry, that's just the way it is.
Because, after all, in prison, isn't health care provided... for free?
Yes, he lied...what is it they say..you can tell he's lying because his lips are moving? My concern is why we are not concerned about what Obama care is going to do to the Boomers...those 70+. Neurosurgeons are now finding out that under Obama care they are going to be prohibited from providing surgical services to those individuals 70+. That is fact. Other individuals I talk to indicate that transplant services will not be provided for those 70+ if they are on government healthcare. Almost everyone 70+ is on government healthcare...its called Medicare. What a terrible thing to do to our elderly. The doctors are mandated to place these individuals on "comfort measures" and wait until they die. What kind of person could sign something like this into law?
ReplyDeleteI'm super surprised! The good thing for me is that I WANT SOCIALIZED heathcare, and even though this isn't it (how are private insurance companies socialism?), it's something. Doesn't fix the ever increasing costs though.
ReplyDeleteMartin, wasn't decreasing the costs allegedly the main reason for this in the first place?
ReplyDeleteWell, that and the assurance it wasn't a tax?