House Dems Look at Taxing the Rich for Health Care

[tekisui]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON – House Democrats at work on health legislation are narrowing in on an income tax surcharge on the highest-paid wage earners to help pay the cost of subsidizing insurance for the 50 million who lack it.

Pushing to complete a comprehensive health care bill by Friday and bring it up for committee votes next week, House Democrats abandoned earlier money-raising proposals, including a payroll tax. They planned to meet behind closed doors Thursday to fine-tune the details.

The action in the House stood in contrast to the Senate, where Democrats edged away from their goal of passing health care legislation by early August amid heightening partisan controversy over tax increases and a proposed new government role in providing insurance to consumers.

As discussed in the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, the surtax would apply to individuals with adjusted gross income of more than $200,000 and couples over $250,000, according to officials involved in the discussion. Most spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.

In addition, key lawmakers are expected to call for a tax or fee equal to a percentage of a worker's salary on employers who do not offer health benefits.

more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090709/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_overhaul

[liberal N proud]

1. Oh, Nooooo, the poor, poor rich!

How will they ever make it if they have to pay higher taxes than what is left of the middle class.

We can't let this happen, taxing the rich like this, it's stealing from the rich to give to the poor. That's just not fair, those silver spoon Americans came by their wealth the old fashioned way, they either stole it or inherited it.

You never know when we might someday be magically elevated to the status of RICH, then we too might be stuck paying those taxes.




We just can't let them burden our fantasy with these extra taxes. We just can't


:sarcasm:

[cdsilv]

2. "highest-paid wage earners "

...don't think that includes the 'trust funders' and those who just have money and aren't paid for working....

[liberal N proud]

6. Might I refer you to this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6020071

It is rare for a majority of Americans to be elevated to those kind of wages, yet the American public continues to defend tax cuts for the rich.

American Dream my ass!

[varelse]

3. Why do I have this sudden apprehension

this feeling that the bill - or at least any part of it that would actually help solve the problem - is going to be doomed by this move?

[madrchsod]

5. i`m thinking the use of the word "surtax" will doom this bill

[Johonny]

12. sounds sexist

what they aren't taxing women too?

[varelse]

15. I can't help feeling that it is the magic bullet aimed at killing anything progressive

that might have survived other tactics. I sure am cynical - and I'd love to be wrong about this.

[madrchsod]

4. a progressive tax on all income not just wages would solve the problem

of course that`s to simple for the politicians to understand

[RB TexLa]

7. Much better than trying to force the healthy to pay more

[spinbaby]

8. It's about time

Make the Walton family cough up a few bucks.

[guitar man]

13. Oh come on now

Why would we want to do that? I mean, sure, I think John Boy did pretty well as a writer, but I don't think any of the rest of them ever made it out of the middle class :silly: :rofl:


I agree though, it's time to hit them up, they've been benefitting from the public teat for a long time....

[kentuck]

14. But then, they maynot have enough money to open a new Walmart..

in the next little town? Hmmmm...maybe that would not be so bad?

[boobooday]

9. Let them eat teabags!!!!!

We must all get out in the street with misspelled signs, to defend the vulnerable rich!

Oh, and I have to add: the narrative on this is that a two-teacher or two-cop family pulls in 200k per year. Bullshit.

[Odin2005]

10. GOOD!

:woohoo:

[tekisui]

16. That's what I say.

[kentuck]

11. and they are panicking...

listening to a few minutes of right-wing radio on the way home from work last night, Mark Levin was on a rant. He said that people would be paying up to 70% of their incomes, especially if they were small businesses. He was using fear and passion to stoke the fires.

[varelse]

17. yes, I can't help but think that this reaction was, shall we say

anticipated by those who proposed this payment method...