Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid played the role of Santa Claus on Saturday, stuffing senators stockings to make sure that they fell in line to vote for the Obama health insurance stimulus plan. Those who thought Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana got an early Christmas present last month for one of her votes on the matter, should check out what Santa Reid put in Senator Ben Nelson's and Senator Bernie Sanders's stockings.
Nelson, a Democrat from Nebraska, got a number of Christmas goodies for his vote. The press seems to dwell upon watered down restrictions on abortion funding, but the big present for Nelson was federal funding for Nebraska to provide Medicaid benefits to all people who are below 133 percent of the poverty level. All fifty states will be required to provide such coverage and deal with the adjusted costs, save Nebraska. Nebraska will have the people from the rest of the country pay the bill for such.
Santa Reid also put $10 billion for public health clinics in Senator Bernie Sanders's of Vermont's stocking.
How is Santa Reid and the Democrats planning to pay for all of the above? They will be using IRS elves to collect $400 billion in "revenue enhancements." It will hit middle and upper lower class people in their wallets. First, there is a fine, enforced by the power of the IRS, for people who do not have health insurance coverage. Indeed, that is one big stocking stuffer for the insurance industry, as they will be offering a product people have to buy. The insurance industry has for years gave members of Congress a lot more than milk and cookies, it seems that it will be rewarded for its efforts.
The second interesting tax increase is a ten percent usage tax on tanning beds. One has to wonder what clever elf drew up that provision for Santa Reid. Women make up the majority of tanning bed customers. Women also tend to vote Democratic. Who knew that women would make Santa Reid's naughty list and get such a lump of coal this holiday season?
The elderly on Medicare also made Santa Reid's naughty list, as they will face cuts to Medicare coverage to help pay for some the goodies in the current bill. Again, the elderly, especially in the bigger states, tend to vote for the Democratic Party.
Thus, it seems Santa Reid has handed out a big lump of coal to the American people, and even his party's strongest supporters. The current bill does not address the leftover costs people face once insurance has paid its part. It simply makes people who are struggling to have health insurance pay a fine for not being covered. It makes businesses struggling to operate pay a fine for not covering their employees. It cuts funding for elderly and disabled health care. It taxes what some Americans see as a form of simple enjoyment. It punishes those Americans who work hard and achieve and make more than Santa Reid thinks they should.
Years ago, there was an article written entitled, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." That article dwelt on the goodness of the Christmas spirit. This Christmas Season, we have Santa Reid, his elves in the Senate and a President who has handed the reigns of the national sleigh over to him. Santa Reid appears to be a tool of big business, who uses big government to reward reward them and his cronies in the United States Senate. A holiday movie could not have a better villain. Unfortunately, Santa Reid is not a movie character. Santa Reid and his elves in the Congress are real, and they will be presenting us the bill for their gift giving soon. How fitting that they plan to pass the Obama health insurance stimulus plan on Christmas Eve.
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