The Alternate Minimum Tax was created by the Tax Reform Act of 1969. Its purpose was to prevent 155 high income households from claiming so many tax exemptions and credits that they would owe little or no income tax. It was not indexed to inflation. It has now become the bane of middle class America. Every year Congress passes a one year patch and kicks this can down the road.
The income level of the middle class has changed. Congress needs to correct this problem not postpone it. This could be done in a simple one page bill. Apply this tax to individuals who have an annual income of over $100,000 and to families with an annual income of over $150,000. Americans have enough to dread at tax time. We do not need this tax hanging over our heads.
Signed,
The Electorate
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Senate's New Health Care Proposal
Just when you think that Congress could not devise a worse health care bill, they prove you wrong. Now the Senate proposes expanding Medicare down to the age of fifty-five; expanding Medicaid ( SCHIP has already been expanded); and having the OPM oversee and regulate private insurance companies. How is this not a PUBLIC OPTION? It’s a public option on steroids. The American public does not want a public option in health care reform – Let’s just change the name. The public is stupid. They won’t know what we are doing. This proposal is bad in so many ways.
Medicare is going bankrupt in 5 – 8 years. Yet Congress proposes cutting 500 billion dollars from Medicare as more and more “baby boomers” enter the system. Now Congress proposes adding at least thirty million more people to the system. This can only make the system collapse sooner. Medicare, at best, is a flawed, inferior system. Medicare denies claims at twice the rate of private insurances. Half the doctors in this country currently will not accept Medicare patients, because the reimbursement rate is so low and it takes so long to pay reimbursements. Some areas of the country have no doctors that will accept Medicare. Medical care not accepted is medical service denied. The doctors, who do accept Medicare, will not be able to provide care to the increased number of patients. Care will be rationed. This health care proposal may bankrupt hospitals and doctors. Medicare only provides basic minimum health care to seniors. A secondary insurance is always needed to provide acceptable care.
Medicaid is worse than Medicare and the same arguments apply. States must pay about half the costs of Medicaid making this an unfunded mandate. Even if the federal government would fund it for a few years eventually the burden would fall on the states. When the states fail, they would be bailed out and fall under federal government control.
SCHIP was a travesty. Children from families making over eighty thousand dollars a year are eligible for SCHIP. Anyone who has an income this high does not need government help to pay for their children’s medical care.
The OPM would oversee private insurance. The devil will be in the details. It has been suggested that these private companies must be “not for profit”. What regulations would be forced on insurance companies? Would policies be required to meet minimum and maximum limits? This could stifle the quality and availability of our health insurance. This part of the proposed bill could go wrong in many, many ways.
I am still of the opinion that no health care reform would be preferable to the health care reform being proposed by Congress.
Signed,
The Electorate
Medicare is going bankrupt in 5 – 8 years. Yet Congress proposes cutting 500 billion dollars from Medicare as more and more “baby boomers” enter the system. Now Congress proposes adding at least thirty million more people to the system. This can only make the system collapse sooner. Medicare, at best, is a flawed, inferior system. Medicare denies claims at twice the rate of private insurances. Half the doctors in this country currently will not accept Medicare patients, because the reimbursement rate is so low and it takes so long to pay reimbursements. Some areas of the country have no doctors that will accept Medicare. Medical care not accepted is medical service denied. The doctors, who do accept Medicare, will not be able to provide care to the increased number of patients. Care will be rationed. This health care proposal may bankrupt hospitals and doctors. Medicare only provides basic minimum health care to seniors. A secondary insurance is always needed to provide acceptable care.
Medicaid is worse than Medicare and the same arguments apply. States must pay about half the costs of Medicaid making this an unfunded mandate. Even if the federal government would fund it for a few years eventually the burden would fall on the states. When the states fail, they would be bailed out and fall under federal government control.
SCHIP was a travesty. Children from families making over eighty thousand dollars a year are eligible for SCHIP. Anyone who has an income this high does not need government help to pay for their children’s medical care.
The OPM would oversee private insurance. The devil will be in the details. It has been suggested that these private companies must be “not for profit”. What regulations would be forced on insurance companies? Would policies be required to meet minimum and maximum limits? This could stifle the quality and availability of our health insurance. This part of the proposed bill could go wrong in many, many ways.
I am still of the opinion that no health care reform would be preferable to the health care reform being proposed by Congress.
Signed,
The Electorate
Thursday, December 10, 2009
End Run Around Congress and the Constitution
The Environmental Protection Agency now states that carbon dioxide emissions pose a danger to public health. It bases its “endangerment finding” on information provided by the IPCC. This United Nations agency bases its conclusions on data from scientists, who we now know have altered or destroyed any data that disagreed with their own preconceived theories. In short, these supposed scientists “cooked the books.” We know the information is tainted, but the EPA uses it as proven fact. This is not scientific or honest. The EPA proposes regulating carbon dioxide as an end run around Congress and the Constitution. The EPA is not comprised of elected officials.
Now members of the Administration are delivering the message to Congress that if Congress does not pass the Cap + Trade Energy bill, the EPA will regulate the bill into existence, but in a more draconian manner. It would affect the economy more adversely than the Cap + Trade Energy Bill would – even more jobs would be lost and prices would rise even higher.
This is not a choice. This is blackmail or gangster warfare. Al Capone would be so proud. This is true Chicago politics as usual. The public is getting very tired of having unwanted policies forced down their throats. Politicians need to wake up and see reality. This is not change that Americans want.
Signed,
The Electorate
Now members of the Administration are delivering the message to Congress that if Congress does not pass the Cap + Trade Energy bill, the EPA will regulate the bill into existence, but in a more draconian manner. It would affect the economy more adversely than the Cap + Trade Energy Bill would – even more jobs would be lost and prices would rise even higher.
This is not a choice. This is blackmail or gangster warfare. Al Capone would be so proud. This is true Chicago politics as usual. The public is getting very tired of having unwanted policies forced down their throats. Politicians need to wake up and see reality. This is not change that Americans want.
Signed,
The Electorate
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
TARP Funds
The TARP bill stated that any unused or returned funds would be applied to the national debt. That is the only way it is to be used. Our current debt can not be sustained or ignored. It must be addressed – now!
If Congress and the Administration want a new stimulus/jobs bill, they should use unspent funds from the first stimulus bill. It hasn’t worked anyway. Less than half of the 787 billion dollars has been spent. Let Stimulus Part I pay for Stimulus Part II.
The federal government can not continue to spend money that it does not have. Washington will turn us into a banana republic.
Signed,
The Electorate
If Congress and the Administration want a new stimulus/jobs bill, they should use unspent funds from the first stimulus bill. It hasn’t worked anyway. Less than half of the 787 billion dollars has been spent. Let Stimulus Part I pay for Stimulus Part II.
The federal government can not continue to spend money that it does not have. Washington will turn us into a banana republic.
Signed,
The Electorate
Friday, December 4, 2009
Please Represent Floridians
To Senator Bill Nelson:
You have to know that the majority of Floridians oppose this health care bill. They have told you this, time after time. What must we do to get you to listen? You have to know this bill would adversely effect the quality and availability of health care for Floridians. Yet you seem bound and determined to support the party line and vote for this BAD health care bill. You were elected to represent Florida - not the Democratic party. You ran as a moderate, but you vote as a liberal. We must judge you by your actions, not your words. I, for one, am not pleased.
Signed,
The Electorate
You have to know that the majority of Floridians oppose this health care bill. They have told you this, time after time. What must we do to get you to listen? You have to know this bill would adversely effect the quality and availability of health care for Floridians. Yet you seem bound and determined to support the party line and vote for this BAD health care bill. You were elected to represent Florida - not the Democratic party. You ran as a moderate, but you vote as a liberal. We must judge you by your actions, not your words. I, for one, am not pleased.
Signed,
The Electorate
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Redistribution of Health Care
Last month, Ex-President Clinton told Congress that Democrats lost so many seats in Congress in 1994 because they did not pass health care reform. This is absurdly incorrect. Democrats lost so many seats, because they tried so hard to pass bad health care reform that the American people did not want. If they had actually passed the bill, they would have lost more congressional seats.
More Americans now oppose proposed health care reform than opposed reform fifteen years ago. Why are Democrats now so determined to ignore the will of the people and pass this legislation? Democrats must know that voting for this unwanted legislation is the same as signing their letters of resignation. Politicians usually have a strong sense of self-preservation. Are they willing to sacrifice their careers for party agenda or do they think constituents won’t remember their bad actions? People will remember for they will have to face the ramifications of this bad bill almost every day. The more they deal with it; the angrier they will become.
Congress needs to scrap these bad bills. All these bills do is put the federal government more in control of our lives and increase the size and scope of government. The people want health care reform that will actually improve the quality of health care. These bills are simply a redistribution of health care. A few more people are covered, but they each receive less care.
Signed,
The Electorate
More Americans now oppose proposed health care reform than opposed reform fifteen years ago. Why are Democrats now so determined to ignore the will of the people and pass this legislation? Democrats must know that voting for this unwanted legislation is the same as signing their letters of resignation. Politicians usually have a strong sense of self-preservation. Are they willing to sacrifice their careers for party agenda or do they think constituents won’t remember their bad actions? People will remember for they will have to face the ramifications of this bad bill almost every day. The more they deal with it; the angrier they will become.
Congress needs to scrap these bad bills. All these bills do is put the federal government more in control of our lives and increase the size and scope of government. The people want health care reform that will actually improve the quality of health care. These bills are simply a redistribution of health care. A few more people are covered, but they each receive less care.
Signed,
The Electorate
Saturday, November 21, 2009
No Reconciliation
Before the scheduled Saturday vote to bring the Health Care Bill to the Senate floor, we need absolute assurances that if this bill is brought to the floor the majority leadership will not seek to pass this bill by reconciliation. If such assurances are not made, then don’t let this bill be sent to the Senate floor.
If this bill were to be passed by reconciliation, the country would be tore apart. The American public is already irate, because they feel legislators are not listening to them. Reconciliation would absolutely drive people up the walls. It would be like holding a lit match to tender. Reconciliation must not be even considered.
Signed,
The Electorate
If this bill were to be passed by reconciliation, the country would be tore apart. The American public is already irate, because they feel legislators are not listening to them. Reconciliation would absolutely drive people up the walls. It would be like holding a lit match to tender. Reconciliation must not be even considered.
Signed,
The Electorate
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