How are wingers dealing with this?: Bush Urges Tax Increase

[BurtWorm]

Somehow I missed this story. I'm kind of surprised that it isn't being made more of, considering it's a major theme of the State of the Union and it shows Bush up to be as much of a tax hypocrite as his father--except that his father didn't concentrate his hypocrisy on the middle class.

This story is from Saturday. Today's story on Bush's ratings on the eve of the SOTU indicates that Grover Norquist has given his blessing to this idea. :wtf:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/washington/21health.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Bush to Urge New Tax Plan for Health Care Coverage

By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and ROBERT PEAR
Published: January 21, 2007

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 — President Bush intends to use his State of the Union address Tuesday to tackle the rising cost of health care with a one-two punch: tax breaks to help low-income people buy health insurance and tax increases for some workers whose health plans cost significantly more than the national average.

White House officials say Mr. Bush has decided to forgo the traditional formula for the State of the Union — a laundry list of ideas, many of them dead on arrival — in favor of a more thematic speech that will concentrate on a few issues, like health care, immigration and energy, on which he hopes to make gains with the new Democrat-controlled Congress.

The basic concept is that employer-provided health insurance, now treated as a fringe benefit exempt from taxation, would no longer be entirely tax-free. Workers could be taxed if their coverage exceeded limits set by the government. But the government would also offer a new tax deduction for people buying health insurance on their own.

“I will propose a tax reform designed to help make basic private insurance more affordable,” Mr. Bush said in his weekly radio address on Saturday, “whether you get it through your job or on your own.” He did not offer specifics, but an administration official provided details of the plan.

The proposed plan is a startling move for a president who has repeatedly vowed not to raise taxes. And it is certain to run into opposition from business groups, labor unions and, most of all, the Democrats who now run Capitol Hill.

“It’s a bad policy,” Representative Charles B. Rangel, the New York Democrat who is chairman of the House committee that writes tax legislation, said in an interview Friday night. “We are trying to bring tax relief to the middle class. The president is trying to increase their tax liability. This proposal is inconsistent with what the majority is seeking in the House and the Senate.”

...

[Nickster]

1. Because no one has come out and explained the circumstances in plain english. They are allowing

Dubya to come out with his spin that it's a tax credit and will make healthcare more affordable. Who doesn't want cheaper healthcare. Damn liberal media!:sarcasm:

[neoblues]

2. Sounds a bit like what the following article is about...

Paul Krugman: Gold-Plated Indifference

[BurtWorm]

5. It is exactly what Krugman talks about, there and in the Money Talks extra

that article links to:

http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2007/01/paul_krugman_ad.html

Excellent information in both. Thanks for the link!

:toast:

[Caoimhe]

3. It's a gift for his union-busting buddies

Force employees who work at places that provide health insurance benefits to include the dollar value of that benefit in their TAXABLE income that they must then pay income tax on. As if that were disposable income... Absolutely one of the stupidest ideas I've heard come from this "corporate loving" Administration.

Through the years many people have gotten health benefits in LIEU of raises. Through the years people have worked hard to guarantee the health care benefit packages at their work instead of trying to find a better paying job that doesn't have said benefits. This guts all their efforts and raises taxes on working stiffs who are trying to get by.

Only a spoiled rich frat boy cheerleader trust fund kid could dream this bullshit up and try to call it "health care reform"

[Hav]

4. .

A DUer already quoted from a FR thread where a Freeper basically said that Bush is a liberal because of this...

[BOSSHOG]

6. Isn't it just wonderful that grover norquist has given his blessing

in other words, there is nothing good about this proposal for working class Americans. If grover is such a saint of an American why does he not run for public office?