Who is the Political Genius Behind This Idea?
Posted on January 21, 2007
Filed Under Politics |
I had to read this twice in order to believe Bush would be so stupid. I’m grateful to Charlie Rangle for his clear, direct & apposit response, quoted in this bit from the Times:
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.â€
The really weird thing is that this seems both politically and economically stupid. Really, who is the genius who came up with this? Man, these guys are profoundly out of touch. See also: Alan Schussman’s link here.
Stumble it!