Obama-Care & All That Jazz

We borrow and spend money from other countries like a crackhead hits the pipe for their next fix. And now that the election over (thank the heavens) a lot of people are looking at the economy and this Universal Heath Care System, otherwise known as Obama-Care, and how the hell we are going to pay for it all because in the long run America is financially fucked. We are borrowing money from China and elsewhere at a substantial rate. According to the United States Treasury we topped $16 trillion in debt back in September with no stopping (hell, not even a tapping of the brakes) in our sights anytime soon, and according to the latest data (December 2011) 56.9% of the U.S. debt is foreign held (whether by counties or private partners) with Main Land China leading the way with $4,996 billion which is actually down from previous years. But as we look towards the future with Obama at the helm of the country we can be assured that the $16 trillion we owe is only going to grow. (The U.S. Treasury believes that in the first quarter of 2013 (Jan.-Mar) the U.S. another $342 billion in marketable debt)

When it comes to Universal Health Care we can not pay for it in it’s (Obama’s) form. Ending the war doesn’t help because that is BORROWED money, taxing the 1% more will not help. 1 per centers all ready pay 35% (I am not talking Capitol Gains which is another tax bracket all together, I am just talking personal income). The $2000 penalty a year for those that still refuse will not pay for it. So in the end the only thing Obama can do is raise taxes across the board. Something he will not do, or so he says.

As it stands in the U.S., the middle class -according to the MARGINAL TAX RATES 2012- is taxed between 15% (35,350 & under a year down to roughly $8,000) to 25% (35,351-85,650 a year). Now compare that to the U.K. who has a similar Universal Health Care plan (I am not saying ours is going to be anything like the U.K.’s, I am just using them as an example) the middle class is taxed 20% (34,371 and under) to 40% (35,371-150,000 a year). Now Obama’s version, however, is that anyone who makes $250k a year is considered rich (and by estimates he has to put himself in that tax bracket between his Presidential salary and that of his wife’s), the problem is that those people are already paying something like 33%. Now the uber rich already hide their money in off shore accounts and/or claim Capitol Gains. Now you raise the rates on anything over $250k, the uber rich that do not already file Capitol Gains will, if not then money goes off shore. Raise Capitol Gains and companies that pay that tax are just going to push the cost down the line, same goes for business and corporate taxes where in the end the consumer (meaning you, me and everybody) gets to make up the difference to their lost income along with a reduction of workers.

I know both Obama and Romney talked about closing loop holes and deductions to make up the difference in not raising taxes on the middle class, however, there are not enough people in America that make that kind of income to make up the difference so in the end we are back to raising taxes across the board.

And here is another thing: the U.K. spends something like 12% of their taxed income on health care. And their population is not as big as ours. So we can expect the government to probably have take more than that. Add in all the other entitlements, then on top of that National Defense (which will be cut but that is still going to be in the billions), the bailout, the stimulus, the money we have to pay back, the list goes on and on. How can we afforded it? But with that said Romney had no clear cut path either. His health care that he passed when he was governor was pretty much Obama-care LITE. And his plans of cutting loop holes and deductions was not going to help out either because there are not enough deductions to cut. So, again, in the end the middle class either has to take the same cuts or raise taxes.

We are already seeing companies looking to drop workers from staff to get around the health care laws that make them pay part of difference (now more people out work, more people collecting unemployment, more people needing welfare). And Obama-care is only partially in effect. It does not fully kick in until 2014. Just in time for the Mid-Terms.  

Cash Strapped Illinois is Strapping On it's Strap-On

Better watch out because it appears that the cash strapped state of Illinois is strapping on it’s strap-on and is about to give it’s citizens an anal ram job sans lube.



Those in the know and the power control have decided to let Chicago have it’s way (surprise surpirse) once again -however, they get away with getting their way by including the townships of Schaumburg and Aurora as well- by allowing the state tax rebate to be withheld and deducted from if you happen to owe money, say, for parking tickets or other bills outstanding like stop light cameras and such that you may have outsatnding. The state already stops allowing you from renewing your license plate sticker and/or your license for that matter if you owe anything from parking tickets to toll violations. Isn’t that nice of them. Even though if you miss paying one of these tickets they raise the price astronomically, like the toll-way authority charges a 25 dollar fine -to start with- on every missed toll NOT paid with-in 7 days. What the fuck is that?! The toll is only a 1.50 (WAY OVER PRICED) and they somehow get way with a 25 dollar fine per toll that only goes up when you don’t pay it in the allot time they give you. So, say, you missed the toll, you don’t pay in 7 days they raise it 25 dollars more (remember that’s per toll) and then they send you a letter saying you have thirty days (NOW THIS IS IMPORTANT) from the date of the letter, the problem here is that you may get that letter two weeks or more from the time it is dated. So now you miss that date and they raise the fine 50 dollars on top of the 25 you already owe and then start the process all over again. Now, for all you nay sayers out there that scream about how you should pay your fines I somewhat agree with you, but, how the fuck is this fair. How are we suppose to pay a fine that grows at such a rate (remember its per violation. So 25 per missed toll then 50 more per toll), not only that, it’s not like the toll-way authority sends out notices in a timely matter either. Back when they first stated this whole IPASS debacle the Authority would wait until you incurred a set amount before they started sending out notices. So, once again, if you were one of those people who do pay their fines right away you might not find out until you owed over 200 dollars worth in fines. Again, how the hell is this fair? Where is our right to a hearing? That little thing that is granted for all Americans because of the Constitution. Oh, they get around that -the same way the stop light cameras do as well- by sending out a picture of the violation. Sometimes that pic is so fucking dark and grainy it could be anything. And good luck calling because you’ll be on hold until you die and if you are lucky -or patient- enough to get a fucking human to talk to they are either unwilling or uncaring to actually help.




Again how is that fair? Why is it thrust upon our shoulders because the assholes we -for whatever the fucking reason- elected into office to represent us can’t seem to fill the gap in the budget or even bring in new job markets to build up the tax base?



It’s not. But for some unfathomable reason we still seem to stupid at seeing that these fools need to be shown the door when it comes to voting. Maybe we are just afraid of change; maybe we are to fat and lazy now to care; or maybe we are so disenfranchised by it all that we just get in the booth and do as we are told by the magic idiot box that is and has become television.



Maybe we should start voting for politicians the same way we do for American Idol, make the whole process of campaigning the same way. Maybe then we might get some new blood in office.

 

At the moment I am up for anything.