Taxing bad behavior

Oh good lord. Here you go: 42 USC § 18032 - Consumer Choice, again.

I see this,
(D) Members of Congress in the Exchange
(i) Requirement
Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, after the effective date of this subtitle,
the only health plans that the Federal
Government may make available to
Members of Congress and congressional
staff with respect to their service as a
Member of Congress or congressional staff
shall be health plans that are—
(I) created under this Act
 
Is that a question? The ACA creates private multi-state insurance plans that can be sold across state lines (through exchanges), and seeds non-profit, member-run health insurance cooperatives to offer more choices in state markets.

The point is that members of Congress don't get their group plans anymore through the Federal Employee Health Benefits plan, they have to go buy a plan on their own like anybody else without employer-sponsored coverage.
 
I think if you dropped out of high school, you should not get any government-provided healthcare, welfare, or food stamps.

I think if you have four kids by four different fathers, you should not get any government-provided healthcare, welfare, or food stamps.

Enough with the seat belts, 16 oz sugary drink limits, and plastic bag bans. If we are going to start being a nanny state and forcing people to take proper care of themselves, then we need to start getting fucking serious about it.
 
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Taxing bad behavior

It is common knowledge that the government can reduce “bad” behavior by taxing or penalizing it.
Tobacco and alcohol use are the perfect examples. Every time the tax rates increase on tobacco products, some people quit using tobacco. It happens with alcohol also. Some people quit or reduce consumption because they can’t afford it anymore. Some because they just don’t want to pay the increased taxes....

We need a constitutional amendment banning this practice at all levels of government. It's a gross violation of the principle of equal protection and an underhanded expansion of government power. Congress has used this loophole to implement de facto mandates and penalties, dictating behavior in ways that would be strictly off limits if attempted it via straight forward legislation.
 
"Putting special taxes on medical related goods and services isn’t going to improve medical care any more that putting special taxes on tobacco increases the sale of tobacco products."

False analogy. The idea is to reduce the costs in the long run, not increase the revenue stream.
 
Yup, a 2% tax on those poor health equipment corps will just KILL them. What idiocy, brainwashed chumps.

No Jack ass, it will increase the cost of the heath Products the Develop and Market, which will increase the cost of Medical Care. Jesus you people are Dense.
What? Companies pass on the cost of all taxes to the consumer???? Oh my GAWD! That needs to be made criminal!

:rolleyes:
 
If a given behavior is really "bad," it should be illegal (or subject to restrictions). If it is not illegal it should not be an excuse for the government to seperate people from more of their money.
 
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puM1eT15NYw]Demolition Man - Illegal.mp4 - YouTube[/ame]
 
If a given behavior is really "bad," it should be illegal (or subject to restrictions). If it is not illegal it should not be an excuse for the government to seperate people from more of their money.

We the People through their elected reps disagree with you.
 
If a given behavior is really "bad," it should be illegal (or subject to restrictions). If it is not illegal it should not be an excuse for the government to seperate people from more of their money.

We the People through their elected reps disagree with you.

That's not the way representative democracy works in the U.S.

Democracy isn't viable unless the minority can trust that the majority won't be able to run roughshod over everyone else. Without that trust - without reliable limits on what can be imposed on us by government - there is no democracy and no social contract, only brute tyranny. And brute tyranny always fails.
 
Yes taxation IS a ALSO means of social control, no doubt about it.

Do you think it should be? If so, do you think there be any limits on what can be dictated to us through taxation?
 
Part of the health care bill calls for a tax on so-called “Cadillac” health care plans. Just like tobacco, alcohol and water, this will price some people out of the market. Instead, they will settle for a sub-prime health care plan. The government won’t get it’s anticipated revenue stream, and some person will end up not getting the type of medical care they really wanted to and was willing to pay for.

The "anticipated revenue stream" here is folks with employer-sponsored coverage substituting taxable wages for (arguably) overinsurance. Eliminate the tax benefits of piling up ever more expensive high actuarial value plans, and a great many folks with those plans will just prefer cash and more reasonably priced plans.

A higher tax revenue, slower health expenditure growth double whammy.

Kinda like the congresscritters plan?
Oh wait, their insurance plan is special, exempt, and you and I pay for it.

Congress isn't exempt from the ACA.

http://mediamatters.org/research/2010/03/25/media-falsely-claim-obama-and-staff-are-exempt/162248
 
"Putting special taxes on medical related goods and services isn’t going to improve medical care any more that putting special taxes on tobacco increases the sale of tobacco products."

False analogy. The idea is to reduce the costs in the long run, not increase the revenue stream.

How does taxing something reduce the cost of it?
 
If a given behavior is really "bad," it should be illegal (or subject to restrictions). If it is not illegal it should not be an excuse for the government to seperate people from more of their money.

We the People through their elected reps disagree with you.

That's not the way representative democracy works in the U.S.

Democracy isn't viable unless the minority can trust that the majority won't be able to run roughshod over everyone else. Without that trust - without reliable limits on what can be imposed on us by government - there is no democracy and no social contract, only brute tyranny. And brute tyranny always fails.

Constitutional, electoral process upheld by SCOTUS is not tyranny.

The minority, when protected as it has been through the entire process, does not dictate to the majority.

Capiche?
 

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