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Oh, YOU assure me. How do you know? Are some people charged more income tax then they can afford to pay? What do these people do? Besides the average salary/income in NYC is quite a bit more than the average salary/income in Houston.
I'm sure that some are charged more income tax then they can afford to pay. But that's not really my argument.
My argument is that it is impractical to charge folks the same rate when they live in different areas and pay different amounts of money for literally everything in their lives.
Living here in the Bay area, my rent is probably higher then yours. My food is more expensive. My gasoline is probably more expensive. Does Illinois have state taxes? CA does. We have higher emissions standards, which require more upkeep on the cars. My utility bills are more expensive. Because rent for stores are more expensive, the prices of nearly all goods are higher. This directly leads me to having less money in my pocket then someone who makes the same amount as me elsewhere - and I can verifiably guarantee you that the wages for most jobs here, while a little higher, are not proportionally higher then they are in other places. Not even close.
So pardon me if it seems a little odd, that you would think someone who lived in two different places would be impacted the same way by a rise in their taxes - and that is what it will be under mandates, due to people's individual situation.
What if your employer currently provides you health care for free or for almost no money? How many families who currently pay not much for health care will be forced to start paying more, under a plan whose costs are neither understood nor proven? It would effectively cost me more money with each paycheck. I don't think that's very fair. That's the problem with mandates; it doesn't take people's individual differences into account. It won't take people's individual financial situations into account. What will be determined as 'rich enough' in one place won't suffice everywhere. You want universal health care? Fine. I want a special credit b/c of my residence in an expensive state. Multiply this by a whole heck of a lot of people and add it to the amount of the subsidies.
Well, is my company going to continue to pay for me under the new program? I don't know. What if other companies decide to cut their health program, but don't put that extra money into the pockets of their We don't know for sure. There are just so many unanswered questions about how this plan is going to work out, that it's difficult for me to think that buying into it is a good idea.
Let me ask ya: do you support Hillary's plan b/c you are a Hillary supporter, or because you honestly understand everything that goes into it? Every time I raise objections over the parts of the plan which are not spelled out - by her or anyone - such as exactly how or when the costs are going to drop, or other large problems, you just brush them off as if they are immaterial. They are not. I believe that you are exhibiting some of the same 'Messianism' that you accuse me or others of. You're not as interested in discussing the problems with your candidate, or her plan, as you are in slavishly defending something you passionately believe in.
I understand - trust me. I don't even blame ya. But don't pretend that we are any different. Let me be clear that I don't believe that Obama's plan is much better on any of these questions - but then again, we can wait to see if the efficiencies work before committing ourselves to something.
Cycloptichorn
no worries man, no worries.
