Democrats say tax hit in health plan goes too far

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: The Dallas Morning News

WASHINGTON – As President Barack Obama on Monday began a new push to overhaul the health system, Democratic congressional leaders, bowing to unease among lawmakers and governors in their own party, suggested scaling back a plan to tax top earners to pay for the legislation and signaled a retreat from their ambitious timetable.

Meanwhile, emboldened Republicans launched an aggressive attack on the bills moving through Congress. Party Chairman Michael Steele said in a speech that Obama is "conducting a dangerous experiment with our health care."

House and Senate leaders had been pressing for floor votes in each chamber before lawmakers depart for the August summer recess.

But congressional aides said it was increasingly clear that the Senate would not be ready to vote on its bill before its recess begins Aug. 8, and that House Democrats seemed unwilling to vote to raise taxes without knowing where the Senate stood.

Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/healthscience/stories/072109dnnathealthcare.3ff4617.html

[John Q. Citizen]

1. Single payer, on the other hand has a proven track record of containing cost and provideing quality

care.

It's a shame the Democrats were so timid that they couldn't even allow single payer advocates to attend meetings, planning sessions and hearings.

It's easy to see why the Repos are so emboldened; The Dems signaled from the get go they were scared shitless of change.

[kenny blankenship]

2. +1

[Selatius]

6. It would be a realistic option in a country with a functioning representative democracy.

We have a government that is heavily influenced by corporations, with voters little more than passive participants occasionally changing out people here and there. For the most part, the politicians still need money to run campaigns, and corporations have it in spades. That is why things do not change, and any change that comes are half-steps at best but never challenging the underlying power dynamic in the US.

[villager]

3. Democrats reassure America: Don't worry, we'll fuck this up, too!

n/t

[wroberts189]

4. Just undo w's tax cuts... call it republican irresponsability nt

[AlbertCat]

5. Yeah. Or get Corporations to pay the "minimum tax" regardless of loop holes....again.

[tomm2thumbs]

7. Democrat politicians 'retreating on healthcare' prove they have 'cut and run' in their blood

C O W A R D S

Those that want to claim the moral high ground but sit in their offices in Washington with superior health care, telling others they cannot have even basic health care.

My guess is Obama will never campaign for such fools and will do everything in his power to let constituents know their 'help' was anything BUT and that maybe some new Democratic blood is called for in such states as that. I'm all for that.

[liberal N proud]

8. Buying the propaganda or just being bought off

[Q3JR4]

9. The way I figured it,

the bill that came out of the House was the best we were going to get and the senate version was the worst.

That being the case we were always doomed to health care that sucks balls.

Just my opinion.

Q3JR4.

[Clear Blue Sky]

10. Why? The Wall Street fat cats can't pay a little more tax?

[Blandocyte]

11. Guess we didn't give them enough

with the bailouts. They don't have a penny to spare.

[Vinca]

12. OMG - what is it with the Dems? Michael Steele looks at them cross-eyed

and suddenly the megawealthy shouldn't pay the price of a good handbag so their maids and landscapers can have medical care. What has happened to this country? Yesterday we celebrated the anniversary of a truly great event that was the result of thinking positive and thinking BIG. Now the mantra is "no we can't."

[iamjoy]

13. Yes We Can

We still can. I don't think "no we can't" is the mantra now, I think it is more like

"but we don't waaaant tooooo"

:hurts:

[Fiendish Thingy]

14. Gives new meaning to "Yellow Dog"

Shameless cowards.

[sinkingfeeling]

15. How can I believe this 'story'? Only one of the Democrats is mentioned by name . I want to know who

these 'lawmakers and governors' are. How many are there? And why should they override what the citizens want?

[comtec]

16. STOP TAXING TIPS!

sorry...
I know i'll have to find the proper place for this.
Someone up thread mention forcing minimum wage.
I don't know how many of you know but wait staff's tips are bing taxed!, in addition their WAGES ARE LEGALLY BEING LOWER TO AS LITTLE A 2 DOLLAR AN HOUR!
My sister was a waitress for countless years - so im a little familiar with this.
Ironically IIRC this happened UNDER CLINTON, he allowed a change in the tax code so that tips are taxed as income!

Why am I pissed off about that?
well for one, part of that was because if the tips were high, the employer could LOWER THE HOURLY WAGE FOR THAT NIGHT, which means the employee who work his or her ASS COMPLETELY OFF, would not actually take home MORE money!!!

Why is THAT important?

Because no matter how much a wait staff person makes, they don't KEEP ALL of it. it gets passed around to the bus boys, and the cooks, and to other wait staff that helps cover customers.

That money may technically be income, but at the end of the night, on a slow night, you can end up LOOSING money!

I have a good friend who is a waiter, and the other night he worked 4 hours and ended up loosing like 2 dollars at the end of the day... let me repeat that for the slow ones

HE LOST MONEY GOING TO WORK