To the Editor,
Much like the “Cap and Trade” legislation passed by the US House earlier this year, the health care so-called “reform” plan being proposed by Senator Max Baucus is little more than a massive tax increase on all Americans. The Baucus plan contains what is known as an individual mandate. This would require all Americans (this excludes illegal aliens and convicted felons) to purchase government-approved health insurance coverage by 2013 or face fines of up to $1900 per non-covered individual. Guess who will collect this fine? That’s right – our friendly Internal Revenue Service will be in charge of collecting the fine and those who fail to pay will be subject to the same penalty as income tax evaders. Under section 7203 of the U.S. Tax Code, this could carry a penalty of up to $25,000 and a year in jail. The Joint Committee on Taxation confirmed after questioning during the Senate committee hearings that this section of the tax code would be used to enforce this provision of the Baucus bill.
If the Tax collectors are using the existing Tax Code to extract this additional money from the Taxpayers, how can anyone seriously consider the Baucus “reform” to be anything but a gigantic tax increase? This tax will of course hit millions of people who earn far less than the $250,000 that then-candidate Obama claimed would not see their taxes increase, not one dime! Much like the House Bill 3200, the Senate health care legislation adds up to nothing more than a further expansion of government power, greater federal government control over the lives of Americans, and a huge tax increase for everyone. This abominable legislation should be soundly defeated. If you agree, contact your Senators and strongly urge them to oppose the Baucus bill.
Mark Vincent
Amherst