The Democrats' Plan

It is bitterly funny to recall how - only a year ago - the left shrieked hysterically about the preciousness of freedom and liberty and the alleged assault on those principles by George W. Bush. My, how perceptions radially shift with the reins of power. While we still retain the freedom to protest and demonstrate for the time being, our voices may as well be mute as it is clear that our public servants cannot or will not hear them.

In blatant and arrogant defiance of the will of the people, the House of Representatives not only is ignoring the citizens, but is also brow-beating its own members who are reluctant to vote for the health care fiasco touted by the Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Scheduled for a vote today, the measure may be pushed back a day or two because the leadership is having difficulty securing the requisite 218 votes for passage. This is somewhat good news in an atmosphere of doom since the longer it takes for a vote, the more scrutiny the bill receives.

Even as the opposition points out the obvious flaws in the bill, quoting from the very language of the document, the Democrats flatly deny its nefarious intent. Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp (R-MI) has posted a letter online from the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) in response to his request for confirmation of the penalty for non-compliance with the provisions of H.R. 3962. The bill clearly states that individuals who do not maintain “acceptable health insurance coverage” and do not pay the required penalty face fines of up to $250,000 and five years in prison.

Some frightening excerpts from the JCT letter:

“H.R. 3962 provides that an individual (or a husband and wife in the case of a joint return) who does not, at any time during the taxable year, maintain acceptable health insurance coverage for himself or herself and each of his or her qualifying children is subject to an additional tax.” [page 1]

“If the government determines that the taxpayer’s unpaid tax liability results from willful behavior, the following penalties could apply…” [page 2]

“Criminal penalties

Prosecution is authorized under the Code for a variety of offenses. Depending on the level of the noncompliance, the following penalties could apply to an individual:

• Section 7203 – misdemeanor willful failure to pay is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year.

• Section 7201 – felony willful evasion is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years.” [page 3]

The key players in this mess, Obama, Pelosi and Reid keep repeating the talking point "choice and competition". Well, here is your choice if this monstrosity gets passed; You can forfeit a minimum of $15,000 per year for government healthcare, you can pay 2.5% of your income for the new individual mandate tax if you don't buy coverage, or you can pay $250,000 in fines and rot in a cell for five years.

So where does the "competition" come in, you ask? My best guess is whether the government charges you for its compassion or they offer it for free to you, prisoner number 54961A.

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