In the last few days there’s been a lot of debate over how much health care ‘reform’ will cost. Democrats have talked about the latest estimate from CBO. Liberals have cheered about the reduced cost of the revised bill. They don’t mention that Senate Democrat leaders have been pressuring CBO to be ‘more creative’ with their health care score. Nor do they point out that only Senate Democrats have seen CBO’s findings. Today Congress Daily reports that according to Democrat sources, CBO estimates the bill will cost $1.5 trilllion:
CBO has scored the House healthcare overhaul bill at $1.5 trillion over 10 years, according to sources. House Ways and Means Democrats plan to help pay for the bill by raising taxes on people earning $250,000 or more and taxing sugary beverages, sources said.
The tax on sugary drinks is expected to raise about $50 billion. A previous Ways and Means paper revealed Democrats were considering raising taxes on the wealthy through a 2 percent surtax that would raise $256 billion.
The House will not pay for the measure by taxing employer-based healthcare benefits, suggesting a merger of the House and Senate bills will be difficult. The Senate Finance Committee wants to keep its offsets within the health arena if possible and is weighing capping the value of employer-based coverage eligible for the tax exclusion.
Instead, the House will make Medicare cuts in the neighborhood of $500 billion and raise another $350 billion from an employer mandate. The specifics of the offsets are still somewhat in flux.
Raising the Medicare payroll tax is another big-ticket item that appears to be on the table…
The price tag for the House measure is well above the Senate Finance Committee’s goal of coming in at $1 trillion or less. A bipartisan group of Senate negotiators emerged from a meeting this afternoon with no major progress to report on striking a deal. “We’re not there yet,” Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus said.
Democrats talk all about transparency, but they won’t even share the information they’ve received from the Congressional Budget Office. They make claims about what CBO has concluded, but won’t let others examine CBO data.
Why should they be trusted - and where is the mainstream media?
Update: Or maybe there is no score?
One thing we do know: CBO sent Senate Democrat leaders a letter addressing the costs of their package. Why don’t they share it with the press and the public?
wow cutting Medicare for 0-crap healthcare for all is a disaster for D's...
DONTREADONME Tuesday, July 7th at 5:33PM EDT (link)many things to day on all of the D’s plans for raising revenue to pay for this disaster.
1) go ahead and tax sugar soft drinks; therefore, all investors in KO and PEPSICO should dump their stocks ASAP.
2) what happens when you raise the cost of sugar soft drinks? People stop paying that little sin tax by changing habits, like drinking soft drinks with no glucose or high fructose corn syrup, so where is the revenue going to come from then?
3) starting adding a surtax on those making over 250,000 and you will find a number of people that once made that will not be making that anymore. So inevitably that tax will not bring in as much revenue as forecasted due to a loss of people in the higher incomes.
4) taxing sugary based soft drinks is reciprocal to a tax on corn producers, high fructose corn syrup seems to come from corn.
a) if you tax soft drinks because of the sugar which is high fructose corn syrup why wouldn’t you tax pancake syrup or any of the hundreds of other things that contain sugar?
5) Lastly, I wonder how those on Medicare are going to fell about their benefits being cut to pay for those that can afford health insurance but refuse to pay for it? I wonder what side of the equation AARP on, better yet I wonder what side of this argument the members of AARP are on, because we know that AARP is in the back pocket of the Dems.
Damn Democrats, quit making America FUBAR.
“The UN is right? you can’t be any more “un”; Than you are right now, the UN is undone, Another mushroom cloud, another smoking gun, The threat is real, the Locust King has come, Don’t tell me the truth; I don’t like what they’ve done, Just give me ammo for the United Abominations”-Megadeth
Do we really think they won't tax diet pop?
Flagstaff Tuesday, July 7th at 7:42PM EDT (link)No retailer will go to the trouble of pricing them differently.
Further, will they tax ethanol? It’s made from corn squeezin’s.
For those of you who don’t know, Medicare costs each recipient $96.40 per month this year. Becasue it is available, many companies eliminate some medical insurance benefits for employees and retirees when they reach 65. You’d better believe that if its equivalent becomes available for the general public that employer-paid medical insurance will soon be a thing of the past.
Pluto, the Ninth Planet - Forever!
Why would they?
Rod_Patrick Tuesday, July 7th at 5:42PM EDT (link)If they tell us the real score on the cost of the Dimwit Health Care Program, WE WILL ALL BE APPALLED….. Conservatives and Liberals alike.
So ObamaCrats’ answer to your question is OBVIOUS:
“Our lips are sealed”. or ……. “The People mustn’t know!”
Despite all his infirmities, the super-gaffeistic VP Biden (if his mouth slips once again) is our last hope to know the TRUTH about the cost of Socialized Health Care Program of Comrade Obama. LOL!
We can't handle the truth
paulincolo Tuesday, July 7th at 7:06PM EDT (link)When Congress created the Medicare program in 1965, the CBO projected cost in 1990 was $9 billion. The true cost in 1990 was $67 billion, 7.4 times higher.
In 1987 Congress added a generous special hospitals subsidy to Medicare. The estimated cost was $100 million a year by 1992. The actual cost in 1992 was $11 billion. In 1988 Congress expanded Medicare again to include a home care program. Lawmakers expected the new program to cost $4 billion in 1993. The true cost that year was $10 billion.
If they tell us it will be $1 trillion, it will end up $4T. It doesn’t matter how they score it, it will be severely underestimated.
"and where is the mainstream media?"
NeoKong Tuesday, July 7th at 5:50PM EDT (link)They were at the Jackson memorial.
Priorities you know.
It wouldn’t matter anyway because they support Obama’s healthcare takeover and won’t jeopardize it with little inconveniences like the truth.
They are just an extension of the Obama White House.
ABC’s little Obamercial is just the latest example.
We cannot count on them anymore. Not that we could before.
The new media is all about advocacy journalism.
The opinion of a wise whitino male.
Because they're Progressives, not democrats
alexandriatulips Tuesday, July 7th at 7:16PM EDT (link)They don’t believe in democratic processes - they believe only in their agenda.
wow, think of this all by yourself did you?
DONTREADONME Tuesday, July 7th at 7:40PM EDT (link)I am still waiting for you to add something of value here?
Doesn’t it suck when people come in and address people out of the blue on a diary. Here’s your cookie, now I will wait for something that is intelligent or remotely intelligible. Learn a lesson and pick your fights a little more wisely.
“The UN is right? you can’t be any more “un”; Than you are right now, the UN is undone, Another mushroom cloud, another smoking gun, The threat is real, the Locust King has come, Don’t tell me the truth; I don’t like what they’ve done, Just give me ammo for the United Abominations”-Megadeth
Wow DTOM,
nessa Tuesday, July 7th at 7:48PM EDT (link)you’ve been meaner than a fireant the last couple days. Not that it isn’t entertaining.
“If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”—Samuel Adams
Contributor to The Minority Report
Nessa, now I have to go back...
DONTREADONME Tuesday, July 7th at 7:55PM EDT (link)and look at my comments again to make sure that I haven’t overly cruel. These last three weeks have been very demoralizing for me, I guess my spirit is weak right now.
Now I will go back and make sure that I have not been too mean. I really do not want to turn into a curmudgeon, thanks for the notice, Nessa I will ease up a bit.
“The UN is right? you can’t be any more “un”; Than you are right now, the UN is undone, Another mushroom cloud, another smoking gun, The threat is real, the Locust King has come, Don’t tell me the truth; I don’t like what they’ve done, Just give me ammo for the United Abominations”-Megadeth
No worries, not too mean, just crustier than usual.
nessa Tuesday, July 7th at 8:07PM EDT (link)it happens.
“If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”—Samuel Adams
Contributor to The Minority Report
LOL.
alexandriatulips Tuesday, July 7th at 7:56PM EDT (link)you and aaron both - funny guys
LOL, you're a funny chick too-nt
DONTREADONME Tuesday, July 7th at 7:58PM EDT (link)“The UN is right? you can’t be any more “un”; Than you are right now, the UN is undone, Another mushroom cloud, another smoking gun, The threat is real, the Locust King has come, Don’t tell me the truth; I don’t like what they’ve done, Just give me ammo for the United Abominations”-Megadeth
aw, thanks,
alexandriatulips Tuesday, July 7th at 8:05PM EDT (link)cutie.
aw, thanks,
alexandriatulips Tuesday, July 7th at 8:05PM EDT (link)cutie.
Actually DTOM
David Hinz Tuesday, July 7th at 8:03PM EDT (link)what a-t said was intelligent. There is a very non-democratic [small d] vein in the progressive agenda.
There is little to differentiate a progressive from a Marxist from a Socialist from a Communist.
Their agendas intertwine and their tactics are nearly identical.
The Minority Report — The HinzSight Report — TMRB.tv — MFOB “Miss Tagart, do you know the hallmark of the second-rater? It’s resentment of another man’s achievement.”
David Hinz, it was meant as common knowledge?...
DONTREADONME Tuesday, July 7th at 8:07PM EDT (link)don’t we already know this here? Now I am waiting to see how long it took her to figure out through an online search that “who” is right and not whom.
“The UN is right? you can’t be any more “un”; Than you are right now, the UN is undone, Another mushroom cloud, another smoking gun, The threat is real, the Locust King has come, Don’t tell me the truth; I don’t like what they’ve done, Just give me ammo for the United Abominations”-Megadeth
Charles Kesler has some great comments on Progressivism
alexandriatulips Tuesday, July 7th at 9:08PM EDT (link)over at NRO TV - Uncommon Knowledge.
Here’s the first part:
http://tv.nationalreview.com/uncommonknowledge/post/?q=OTkzNzE1ZTk5YTIwNzg4MmU4NTJiOWY4MDMyNzhmMjU=
Helen Thomas gave us a partial answer last week.
Flagstaff Tuesday, July 7th at 7:30PM EDT (link)She said, “You don’t like our questions because you don’t have any answers.” [inexact quote]
In this case, they have an answer but don’t want us to hear it.
Pluto, the Ninth Planet - Forever!
Stop using "health care"!
Flagstaff Tuesday, July 7th at 7:35PM EDT (link)It’s almost all about “medical insurance,” and the two are not equivalent. The new plans might change the number of people who are covered by some kind of medical insurance, but their health care will most surely be worse. In fact, in the real world, it can’t help but make it worse.
Pluto, the Ninth Planet - Forever!
How can
10ksnooker Tuesday, July 7th at 7:50PM EDT (link)Free health care for all cost so much.
Blame Republican Congresspeople as well
Joe_Cor Tuesday, July 7th at 9:44PM EDT (link)They still are New Toning their way through the socialization of America.
No. This is the Democrats' play: they can own it.
Moe Lane Tuesday, July 7th at 10:03PM EDT (link)If you have outrage to spare after going down your list of Ds… well, let us know: I’m sure that we can find you a few more that you missed the first time.
Check out my new blog at http://moelane.com/.
http://twitter.com/moelane
My (blogging-related) wish list.
Could you please provide some positve reason for your argument,
Richard Mullins Tuesday, July 7th at 10:52PM EDT (link)or simply stop lumping Republican congressmen/women with those that want to pass a Socialist agenda. Their are at least some member that are committed to the defeat of this agenda, but they could use a little encouragement to do so.
For more on my views, go my wordpress site:
http://rpmullins.wordpress.com
For more on Happy jet airlines, go here:
http://happyjetairlines.wordpress.com
For a good dose of satire go here:
http://thesquash.wordpress.com
For more of I like to do a lot:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42008626@N03