Bad News for Opponents of Obamacare

[dblack]

Yes, cut from the same cloth as the Republicans that wrote much of the bill to begin with. But I didn't see anywhere in that link where the Heritage Foundation called for prison terms for non-compliance. Maybe I missed it when I skimmed through, but I didn't see it.

They are all authoritarians. Evidently, bfgrn thinks if they carry a (D) after their name that excuses them of their misgivings, but if they carry a (R) after their name or espouse conservative principles, they should be crucified.

Immie

WOW Immie, you really are dense. There is NOTHING in any bill written by the House or Senate that calls for prison terms for non-compliance.

THAT is a contrived accusation where Republicans took EXISTING laws for willful tax evasion and tried to make it sound like it was part of the health care bill.


Fact Check: Could Skipping Insurance Mandate Lead To Jail Time?

by Christopher Weaver
November 18, 2009 4:30 PM

Some Republican lawmakers say the Democrats' health overhaul could land uninsured people behind bars, but it's a claim rooted in a rigid reading of the law around tax evasion that seems quite a stretch.

The Wall Street Journal that House conservatives are saying "people who refuse to buy health insurance could spend five years in prison," an overhaul critique that has also cropped up in the Senate on the . Like an earlier accusation that reform would create government "," the claim doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

During the House debate early this month, Rep. , R-Ill., the individual mandate to buy health insurance in the Democrats' plan could mean jail time: "I'm not talking about figurative handcuffs," he added, waving a pair of shiny, police-style manacles as he spoke. "I'm talking about criminal penalties."

What? The House bill would require people to either buy insurance, or face a special 2.5 percent income tax. People who don't buy insurance AND refuse to pay the tax would face the standard punishment for knowingly evading taxes, which is . By that logic, any change to the tax code could lead to criminal penalties.

People convicted of such crimes "shall be fined not more than $100,000 ($500,000 in the case of a corporation), or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both, together with the costs of prosecution," according to the code.

The Joint Committee on Taxation described the in response to a request by Rep. David Camp, R-Mich., for information about how the mandate might be enforced.

It's worth noting that the Senate Finance Committee's version of the bill includes an amendment specifying that no one could be imprisoned or face civil penalties for ignoring the tax.

In any event, imprisonment of tax evaders is usually reserved for the most outrageous cases. The letter to Camp notes that the Internal Revenue Service usually pursues unpaid taxes through the civil process — meaning no jail time. In 2008, fewer than 500 people were incarcerated because of the penalties the Republicans are fretting about.

You are a deceitful person. You know exactly what this discussion has been about yet you continually attempt to deceive those who are not following along. It is disturbing that someone like you would be so deceitful.

Shame on you.

Immie

I don't want to indulge in labeling people, but the suggestion that the individual mandate isn't coercive is, in itself, deceitful. Do we really think Congress passes laws it doesn't intend to enforce??

 

[bigrebnc1775]

Congressman John Larson (D-Conn.), who voted for the health care law, said making the law apply to elected officials and their staffers was “simply not fair.”

The problem stems from the same issue other Americans have with the looming arrival of Obamacare: insurance premiums set to increase for just about everyone in the country. And people whose employers offer “Cadillac” coverage (like Congress and their staffers receive) will be hit harder.

On Thursday, President Barack Obama met with congressional Democrats to discuss the problem, and reportedly told his team that he was “on it.” Friday morning brings many reports that a deal had been struck. Politico reported that the Office of Personnel Management intends to rule that the government may continue to contribute to the health care premiums of lawmakers and their staff.

The ruling means that despite an amendment that made all members of Congress and their staffs subject to the same law they are imposing on the rest of America, they won’t have to pay for it. Instead, taxpayers will be footing the bill.

Supporters of obamacare is this fair? I mean after all you talk about being fair is this fair?

obama supporters are hypocrites.