President Obama’s Health Care Reserve Fund

How do the numbers work out on this?
1 in 50 households make over $250,000/year
There are 111,162,259 households in the US
So (unless I’m mistaken) 2,223,045 households make over $250,000/year
The trust fund will be $634,000,000,000.
So the new burden on the households will average $285,194.41
or if it’s half, $142,597 additional tax burden per household
Is that right? Please tell me I’m wrong.

So President O is not only going to let the Bush tax cuts expire, but further increase the burden on the upper 2% by limiting deductions.

Are we in some kind of bad dream here?
The Obama administration thinks 10 billion in pork is nothing–200 million for tatoo removal is nothing.
And Americans don’t care about wasteful spending anyway.
But oh that $13 a week taxpayers get is a lot of money. It will stimulate the economy–and will save us.
And to BO’s supporters all of this is fine and makes perfect sense.
Obama is America’s worst nightmare.

I don’t know why any ambitious young person would support Obama. He punishes those who aim high–taking almost 60% of their income.
His new generation of slacker supporters don’t worry about Obama’s pork spending.
They either don’t pay their taxes or aren’t required to pay.

We have $30 million for Nancy Pelosi’s harvest mouse yet we still have to raise taxes?

The top marginal tax rate isn’t within 20 pts of 60%.
We’re getting close. Wait ’til next week when we get the “poor people need a Rolls Royce” tax.

This is unbelieveable! With the way the economy is going how many people are really left making that much money and if you are on the cusp of making that kind of money it’s going to work out better for that individual to make less. You will be “richer” if you make slightly less than 250k than the one who makes the 250k.
WOW! Great incentive to excellence.

It is nice to know that the majority of the comments here, so far, come from those with the minoritry of opinion. It gives me confidance in America again.
Thank God.

great!!!! funy how republicans didnt bat an eyelash when bush added 5 trillion to national debt..and most of taht was war related,yet the gop is haveing a cow that we are gonna help commom people.

Some of you really need a reality check. My mother was born here, so were her parents and so on. She has worked hard, three jobs at times for most of her life. She is without healthcare, making below the poverty level and she is almost 60. She is literally choking to death because no doctor of hospital will see her without healthcare and she makes 100 dollars too much to receive any county assistance. wait until it’s you or someone you love who has never abused the system or used it for that matter and you have to watch them DIE right before you when there is care and medicine to help them. Tell me about fair then.

prevaricate… great word, and very true. We actually have been talking about me not working anymore and my husband cutting back on his hours. Why would we work for others who have been lazy or foolish. Did you know illegals here in this country will be able to benifit from the home bail out? Disgusting

The reason I’m against government social programs, including health care is the money always go to the same people. People that never work themselves out of their situation. Then when someone in the middle class needs a temporary fix the door is slammed in their face.

Ryan C We already are Ryan depending on where you live, we live in a totally democrat run city of Baltimore and when you count in sales tax, property tax, state and city on top of Federal we are working over 7 months out of the year to pay our taxes. This is disgusting. We live in a city of entitlement and only 25% pay taxes and 75% consume taxes.

without- I agree we can do better in this country with regards to health care. It is expensive to buy insurance, and often too easy to lose.
you said: My mother was born here, so were her parents and so on. She has worked hard, three jobs at times for most of her life. She is without healthcare, making below the poverty level and she is almost 60.
=======
Have you considered paying for a health care insurance policy for your mother?

Posted by: jon | Feb 25, 2009 6:06:02 PM
It has been proven that social programs create dependancy. Google this The Cloward-Piven Strategy, Part I,2,3 Manufactured Crisis

Considered paying for my mother’s insurance? Yes, I considered it. Except that I make not much more than she does. I live in a house that’s falling down and am terminally ill with less than a year to live.
Does that matter? No! Because no insurance will take her because she’s ill and 60! THey don’t have to cover her.

Mags | Feb 25, 2009 6:03:35 PM…in addition to the illegal supports, Obama wants to send $900 M to Gaza.

This means less healthcare benefits to medicare patients. Obama wants another trillion dollars. He is spending money we don’t have. we will never recover from this fools administration.
Posted by: CW
___________________________________
I guess he doesn’t care that medicare patients have to pay 20% out of pocket for their medical bills WITH NO MAXIMUM OUT OF POCKET COST!
How much out of pocket costs do medicaid patients have? I guess that is why they call it the redistribution of wealth.
I guess it doesn’t matter that you have contributed a lifetime for these benefits.

Dr Levine has spoken often of Rules For Radicals. But I’m not familiar with The Cloward-Piven Strategy of Orchestrated Crisis. Thank you for the reference.

: John F. You know John I think he will raise it above 39.6%. I am so sick of listening to him say we need to take from the wealthy which is far from wealthy were we live. He on the other hand is a multi millionaire, and his cabinet are all tax cheats

Time to start working less hours to get the income under $250K. Hey, with free health care, maybe I won’t work at all. One thing I know for sure – I’m not paying for this socialist cr*p while others sit on their fat b*tts and watch Jerry Springer.

Amen Samuel , that’s why socialism never works for very long

“Time to start working less hours to get the income under $250K.”
ROFLMAO!
You guys are hilarious that you think earning less than $250K will mean you bring home more than if you earned more than $250K.
It shows a lack of understanding on how taxes work.
And it makes it all the likelier that you aren’t making close to $250K.

“when Palin made a TRUE comment about being able to see Russia from her state the ripped her to shreads”
No, she claimed to be on the lookout for Putin’s incursions into US airspace when she had ZERO responsibility when it comes to national defense.
Though SNL summed her up nicely as the babbling idiot that can see Russia from her house.

“I’m so tired of the GOP “complaining” about taxes when their messiah crushed the wealthy with a 50% burden.”
Nicely done Jason.

Reagan reduced the top tax rate from 50% to 28%.

Ryan C | Feb 25, 2009 6:22:27 PM….did you even Google the subject (much less read it)?

Mags | Feb 25, 2009 6:42:23 What was the highest tax rate when Reagan took over from Carter? I think it was 70%?

They’re starting at nearly 634Billion and going up from there?? I don’t mind the people getting health care, but I sure don’t want our govt to control it.

“I think Americians should demand the kind of healthcare these government workers have. They are trying to shove something down our throats that will effect ALL of us.”
I agree.
Which is why I hope Obama follow thru on his plan (which was also part of Clinton’s & Edwards’ plans) to open up the insurance plan enjoyed by Congressional members to everyone.

“Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist ideology focused on solving economic, political, and social problems that its supporters see as causing national decline or decadence.”
Thanks deanbob so I guess we now know where right wingers who blame minorities and liberals for ruining America are coming from.

Ok enough is enough. Obama is tying to make the US a Socialist heaven. In 2010 we can reverse all the damage he is doing.

“Insurance plans for government employees are not free.”
No of course not.
“Government employees pay monthly premiums that a lot people with lower incomes will still not be able to afford.”
It is one of the public plan options Obama discussed during the campaign.
I have not seen it made part of this particular plan as of yet.

I’m glad to see Obama beginning to deal with the health care problem. Health care costs underlie the whole economy. They are a large part of the government deficit, the struggles of employers, and the devastation happening to families.
Obama is right. We have avoided facing major problems like exponentially rising health care costs and the whole Medicare entitlement, and now the jig is up. We have to face the problems and solve them. I thank God for his vision and willingness to try to do very difficult things.

i am tired of arguing with liberals who simply fail to realize we don t have this money even if you taxed people at a 100% rate. i want health care for everyone but you cant do bullet trains and windmils or acorn or housing. the man is a lawyer. i have more education than mr obama…dude you need some serious help.
mr obama said income tax will not go up unless you make over 250k. he failed to mention that in his own proposed tax bill social secuirty taxes will rise from a cap at 106k right now to 250k. the rate of tax is 15.3%. if you make 249,000 not 250k…your social security tax just went up 20,000.dont tell abpout his zero taxes.

So again, the Rich can afford it, the poor will be taken care of. What about us in the middle? Of course I do think I heard him say during his first term, as if he KNOWS he’s going to make it to a second? They can’t pick out a dog, but they sure can spend spend spend……I pray to God I am wrong….

Obama is going to cut the military to nothing, and we are going to get terror attacked repeatedly…and he is going to jack taxes on the entire working class.

i would like to see a huge tax on republican Whine…. now that would solve all of our problems.

Oh..gosh,,,he asked for lots of money again and again..
I guess he gets use to it.
He got lots of money for his campaign.
Can he ask Oprah to donate again?

Jason Says
Reagan: 81-86: Highest Margin Tax rate: 50%.
Obama: Proposed Highest Margin Tax rate: 39%.
I’m so tired of the GOP “complaining” about taxes when their messiah crushed the wealthy with a 50% burden.
LMAO!
——-
Before you say something know the history of US.
It was 80% when Reagan tookover, He reduced it.

This is unbelievable. Where is he going to get the money for this? There is no way to fund all of these programs, cut taxes and cut the deficit in half.
I do not want socialized medicine. And if people really knew what it entailed, they wouldn’t want it either. Do you want to wait 6-9 months to have a bad gall bladder taken out? Do you want your broken leg to not be set on a timely basis because you are 1) not a professional athlete or 2) you don’t stand on your feet all day at your job – it’s ok to walk with a cane the rest of your life, if you don’t meet criteria 1 or 2.

Not only have we elected a nobody with no experience, he is seeking to spend this nation into so much debt, it looks hopeless for us to ever get out. God help us all.

It is surprising how many people truly do not understand the issue and why healthcare quality and costs must be address now. Our country must gain productivity in healthcare to improve overall quality, lower costs, gain GDP productivity and by saving lives from needless errors.
These healthcare issues of quality, costs and saving lives through reduced errors is the responsibility of our government, medical establishment and patients.
Nearly 100,000 Americans die each year from errors or from adverse drug reactions and nearly half of Americans are non-compliant with their doctors instructions and prescriptions.
Recently the our government passed legislation to address this issues with e-prescribe (doctor prescribe electronically to the pharmacy) to reduce errors.
Research has proven Electronic Health Records improve healthcare quality, reduce costs and saves lives, again from needless errors.
Obviously Obama administration is doing the smart thing by investing in healthcare to gain productivity and improve quality, Why? When the entire baby boomer generation retires not only will it impact social security but medicare as well.
This investment in electronic healthcare by our government is not nationalism, its fiscal survival, improving healthcare quality to lower cost and saving lives.

AWESOME!!! Another speech and a guaranteed 3rd downturn in the market. “A little less talk and little more action.” Thanks Toby Keith, my thoughts exactly ☺

Enjoy your new communist state but study your history so that you’ll know your fate. With any luck this country might achieve the same level of success as Cuba. Keep the maintenance up on your lawnmowers because you’ll soon be eating grass.

The Saudi Royals flew to the Mayo CLinic for their medical care for a reason–its a world class facility; the best. “Universality” is what our current Public Health Care system is already set up to achieve–you get what you pay for.

Jason–Reagan cut the highest tax rate of 70% to 35%.Reagan eliminated tax shelters the wealthy typically used to avoid paying taxes and forced them to invest in the free market AND pay taxes. The “misery index” that was used as a marker plummeted.

The military has socialized medicine. There are some fantastic doctors there, but we never saw the same one twice as a dependent. My dad could choose from 2 colors of glasses frames and everyone got Erthromycin no matter what ailed us. The limited choice and government making my family’s health care decisions isn’t anything I’m buying into.

Top Democrats brush off the president on earmarks
By Walter Alarkon
Posted: 02/25/09 08:23 PM [ET]
Leading Democrats on Wednesday appeared to brush aside President Obama’s suggestion that they sacrifice earmarks in the federal budget, arguing Congress knows better than “faceless bureaucrats” how to spend taxpayer money.

I say if you want health care GET A JOB!!(And I mean a REAL one you know the kind that actually expects you to work for 40hrs per week) If Demoncrats want health care for everyone then go right ahead…no one says you can’t give the Govt more of your money or adopt a non insured, welfare sucking crack addict to take care of. Just leave my hard earned money ALONE. I want to choose what charity I give MY HARD EARNED MONEY TOO. I don’t need the government to choose for me. I am a Republican and we have the brains to think for ourselves. We aren’t spineless, brainless Democrats who can’t seem to care for themselves and need govt to run things for them. I say GROW A PAIR and run your own life.

Then Sen. Hillary Clinton would not have simply “Aimed” for Universal Health Care – she would have made it her administration’s top priority. Barack promised universal health care for nearly every American during his rediculously grovelling campaign. How that he’s made it the White House, he sings a totally different tune. Aside from some possible Medicare reform, its George W. all over again. The more I see Barack as President, the less I am impressed.

First: Olamba and Pigosi will let the Bush tax cuts expire (lot’s of guts there). Second: They’ll add additional taxes for social security via the so-called donut tax so that the first 105k is taxed, the next 145k is not taxed (for SS) and then the tax starts again at 250k. They’ll also make SS a welfare program with means testing so that your benefits will be reduced or eliminated if you made too much money in your career. Third: As we see in this article Olamba and Pigosi will limit itemized deductions to 28%. The result will be that payroll taxes and estimated taxes will skyrocket which will dramatically reduce discretionary spending hurting the economy even more. Most folks that make over 250k have the ability to defer their bonus income via wealth accumulation plans. This is what I plan to do if I still have a job after the Dems are done ruining the country. When is it enough?

Paul–where did you get that stat? Quebec’s high court ruled its own health care act outlawing private medical insurance violates their Human Rights charter–certainly you don’t believe the US fares lower than that? I’m betting my Iranian neighbor would argue with you too–a doctor doesn’t even come see you at the ER in her country until someone shows up w/the cash to pay for services.

The other half of the $634 billion, the official says, would come from reducing the itemized deduction rate for families with incomes over $250,000, limiting it to 28 percent are you kidding the people are gonna see what happens when you play robin hood against the haves and giving to the have nots esp when the have nots did do any thing to earn it and the haves worked there fingers to the bone to live the american dream this is not socialism its communism this is not the america i know

ACLU made it illegal for a hospital to ask a patient to produce documents to show they are a legal citizen of the United States.
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It is not the ACLU that made that illegal. It is the Declaration of Geneva – which supplanted the Hippocratic Oath – that has made it illegal. Or rather, it has always been illegal for phsycians to deny healthcare to anybody who asks for it. The relevant part of the Declaration reads: “I will not permit considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing or any other factor to intervene between my duty and my patient”

“that one not-so-little bit of liberal pork will go A LONG way to ensure that republicans dont rise above the rank of dogcatcher”
ROFLMAO!
Right wingers are ALREADY making excuses for 2010.

Universal health care is one giant step down for America. It’s always less effort politically to step down. This massive social huddle towards universal health care is a counterfeit promise to the poorest of us. No personal requirments can be made with socialism that cannot be side-stepped by individuals. This is an evil Ponzi Scheme will add weight to the already back breaking fiscal burdens of Medicare and Social Security. A tidal wave of failure is on the horizon and this is our plan? Sooner now, rather than later, it must fail. Ask Bernie Madoff. Our leaders do understand what they’re doing, right? Then to history at least I’ll ask, is war against them justified? Our leaders are resigned to have us all sit on our and rationalize how we might have our cake and eat it too, but without making cake. (Fiat cake.) We WERE a great nation. If you are a Boomer, or older, you’ll probably agree with me on these things. The knowledge of the ‘majority’ is changing, or being changed, by the powers at large. I’m not at all against taking care of our own, but unless I personally see an effort being made by those applying for my help, I WILL CHOOSE not to help. What America did so well as we raised up as a productive nation, was to allow, or enforce, individualism through personal responsibility. We held that individual value high. Responsibility means personal choices can be made subject only to the rights of others. Socialism destroys responsibility on that choice level. Socialism is no more fit for America than homosexuality is to marriage. And so, universal health care will not raise us up to a higher level. America WAS a great nation but the sign posts of our compromises are mocking us. What should we do? This path weakens. If our individual compassions and sense of responsibility can be superceded by our central government, we will all be vulnerable to losing much more. A national heart exalted above the hearts of individuals? This reeks of evil. It demands to be shouldered EQUALLY by our whole nation, but not by choice. How many steps down until we’re finished?

ellsbells930 – I believe Paul was not necessarily referring to hospital executives. I believe he was pointing out that health care insurance and drug company executives play a role in keep the cost of health care in this country high.

President Obama is continuing to fuel the class wars in this latest effort. He has vilified anyone who makes over $250,000 a year as if this is some horrible thing they have done to the rest of the American people. I really get concerned about all that is going on lately in America. The president seems to want to make this and every other issue a war between the “haves” and “have nots.” He is taking advantage of our current economic chaos to put his own unique spin on the reality as he sees it.
Healthcare reform needs to involve some choices by those who wish to participate. It isn’t very democratic to make everyone pay and then limit their choices at the same time. You can surely bet that President Obama would not allow his wife or children to be denied medical care that he thought was essential, but that “the system” though was not. However he expects all of us to be part of this without question.
I voted for this man, and now severely regret it. In hindsight I think Hillary Clinton would have been a fairer and less egocentric president. Perhaps its time that the voters thought about this as the 2010 and 2012 elections come around. Hopefully this country will not be too broke or too divided to have elections by then.