CLAIM: “Montpelier is keeping a $5 billion secret. Why? Because the truth will result in the largest single tax increase in state history.”
— Television commercial from conservative super PAC Vermonters First
FACTS: So what’s the secret? The super PAC Vermonters First is referring to the state’s current annual health care expenditures, including private insurance and federally funded programs, which total $5 billion. If Vermont moves ahead with a publicly financed universal health care system, residents would pay taxes instead of insurance premiums to cover the cost.
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True but containing a great big sin of omission.. the republican way. Just scare people and leave out anything that might undermine your fear and gloom outlook and help people feel better. Brought to you by the republican god of deception, Carl Rove.
“No one knows, however, just what state taxes will be raised or on whom.
That’s because the Shumlin administration is keeping the financing plan
under wraps until after the election. “
That should be scary enough for anyone. If it were nothing to fear Pete would just come out and say what it is BEFORE THE ELECTION. He is obviously withholding it because the majority of Vermonters…struggling middle class… will not be happy at all with it.
FYI, Karl.
Tell that to Romney who won’t tell us anything on a much grander scale. If that lieing rat gets elected he’ll screw up this entire country and create another financial collapse yet he won’t be specific about anything and he changes his mind as often as the wind blows depending upon who he thinks is listening. I’m sure the information about the funding mechanism for Vermont Health Care isn’t complete and rather than alarm anyone the guv thinks it’s better to have his house in order rather than let incomplete information out the door for people like you to snipe at and make trouble before you know anything for certain. You can’t get anything done if everyone is breathing down your neck and doesn’t let you think and do you’re work. That’s why my office isn’t out on the shop floor here. He’s also made a promise to not do anything if it costs more to do it than the way we do it now which is a reasonable thing to say and do and even when they think they have a plan ready to go the legislature will have it’s say and public comment will take place before it goes into action. I’m sure whatever the Shumlin crew comes up with will be vigorously debated and have many changes before it becomes law. No reason to create a bunch of hysteria and misinformation before anything is really known.
Will people still be able to deduct this “tax” as a Federal itemized tax deduction as is done with health insurance premiums now?
Let’s stay on topic, there’s no need for distracting away from the issue with federal politics.
” He’s also made a promise to not do anything if it costs more to do it than the way we do it now”
LMFAO
“I’m sure whatever the Shumlin crew comes up with will be vigorously debated and have many changes before it becomes law.”
Ummm, it already is law……….
This is bad. The GMCB is in way over their heads. Paying for the whole thing should be job number one. What the hell are they doing for those $100,000 year salaries?
Duh, when you remove massive profit from the equation of course we’ll all be paying less then we currently do. That’s just simple common sense. Right jcarter1?
Common sense has never applied to government and certainly not Shumlin. On the other hand, “naive” sums up Vermonters (in general) perfectly.
b.) if the program costs 5 billion, it cost 5 billion. The profits of insurance companies are irrelevant. It still costs 5 billion. The taxpayers still have to come up with 5 billion. AIG may make less now then previously, but Vermonters are still on the hook for 5 billion. The state of Vermont still needs to come up with 5 billion worth of taxes. The health insurance companies may have lost some bucks, but there will still be 5 billion of (deliberately kept secret until after the election) new taxes.
Thirdly, insurance companies generate profit by spreading insurance over a millions and millions of people. Some people cost them more (seniors) and some cost less (young people). We do not have a million people in vermont, let alone tens of millions to spread out the cost. Secondly our population is one of the oldest in the nation. Do you really think Vermonters generate “massive” profits for insurance companies? Not likely, and it very well may cost them money offset by some other state with a younger, healthier population.
Last thing to think about, current gov’t run programs underpay, which shifts costs to private insurances who pass that along to rate payers. Basically the gov’t insurance is WHY your private insurance costs so much. What happens when there is no cost shifting?