continued several scones later, and i'm not even the scone type -- my heart belongs to the sugary-and-shortening goodness of the safeway bakery: sure, i have questions about the bill, the most popular portions of which require americans to maintain health insurance or pay an uninsured tax. like am i now going to have to show proof of health insurance at a traffic stop? or are health care professionals, who are also bound by another favorite bill of mine affectionately known as the health information portability and accountability act of 1996, supposed to make those reports? and what is the psychological effect of a mandatory reporting duty on a health care professional, who has taken an oath to enter only for good and remain free of all intentional injustice and mischief, to add an uninsured tax to necessary (and expensive) services? better yet, is the government relying on *snort* self-reporting? and who believes that $700 per year (the maximum tax to an individual without coverage once the law is fully phased in) is sufficient to obtain any health insurance policy worth a damn? and if the cost of shitty health insurance outweighs the shitty benefits, where is the incentive to actually obtain mandatory health insurance, rather than just pay the stupid fine? which begs the final question -- if there is no incentive to obtain mandatory health insurance, why shouldn't individuals be able to save their $700 for apple cider vinegar and hydrogen peroxide and cayenne pepper and neti pots, which alone or combined apparently can cure everything from baldness to flatulence? and is monopoly going to modernize its playing board? i mean, when was the last time you heard anything about a luxury tax?
then i got to the point of the bill that prohibits the IRS from taking any action to enforce payment of the tax. the IRS cannot put you in jail, seize or levy your property, or otherwise subject you to criminal properties. the IRS can charge you double the amount they owe you, but again ... they can't actually take any collection action. now i am not a tax professional and i'm probably violating some ethical rule by giving out unsolicited and free legal advice to the entire internet, but here it is: DO NOT PAY THE TAX. while you're at it, break out the red lipstick and knee-high boots, rebel.
so it appears the bill will have only two apparent effects: good, honest people who are trying to get by without relying on government benefits will now take advantage of medicaid to avoid the tax, increasing government spending. and good, honest people will pay an extra $700 per year for nothing and given their decreased disposable income, probably also take advantage of other government programs, like subsidized housing, food stamps, unemployment, etc., increasing government spending. hrrrm....
i can't lie -- i worry about my children. it is common knowledge amongst those who dare to discuss politics, religion, and/or sports with me that i believe the united states will be demoted to a third world country (acknowledging that this term is no longer fashionable) both socially and economically -- and i that believe it will happen during my lifetime. this is just another brick in the wall. but ... despite the rant i managed to squeeze out after proper nourishment, i'm up to my elbows in alphabet soup and diapers and choo-choo trains and vainly trying to impart life lessons on little dudes who have no capacity for reason or rational thought. i don't have time to start a revolution. instead, i can cast my vote for one powerless doofus over another in a presidential election, knowing that between living in a conservative state, the existence of the electoral college, and the persistence of the two-party system, it's a futile gesture. and celebrate america's revolution by eating processed meat foods and watching miniature explosions in the sky. is this what thomas jefferson had in mind? freedom from the british so we could subjugate ourselves?
