Unions Tentatively Strike A Deal Regarding Excise Tax

[WillowTree]

Unions tentatively struck a deal Tuesday to exempt collectively bargained healthcare plans from a tax on high-cost plans expected to be used to help raise revenue for the healthcare overhaul.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern and United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger met with House Speaker Pelosi Tuesday, a day after labor leaders met at the White House to express their opposition to the excise tax.

House and Senate Democratic leaders are to meet with President Obama this morning at the White House to discuss health care. House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel said he hopes there could be an agreement on the excise tax as early as today after the White House meeting, but then conceded: "That's stretching the word `hope.' "

Exempting collectively bargained plans would appease unions that often offer expensive health plans in lieu of higher wages. The deal could also help Obama avoid breaking his promise not to tax those earning less than $200,000. Obama recently expressed a preference for the excise tax.

The excise tax could further be tweaked to ensure Obama's promise is kept for non-union workers as well.

Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., said she plans to hold a briefing today to remind negotiators that CEOs of non-union companies also are against the tax.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said the deal was not enough to bring him on board to support the excise tax on high-cost plans.

"It's setting up a divide-and-conquer situation here where some people are going to feel they're paying for other people, and they're all working," Grijalva said. "That politically is possibly the most dangerous thing Democrats can do is create that division."










CongressDaily - Unions Tentatively Strike A Deal Regarding Excise Tax









rat bastards struck more behind the door deals,,, how loverly..

 

[slackjawed]

Another closed door deal with Andy Sterns and the unions, I am shocked, just shocked.
During the daytime too, just shocking!

 

[jillian]

Another closed door deal with Andy Sterns and the unions, I am shocked, just shocked.
During the daytime too, just shocking!

how is it closed door if you know about it?

damn right collectively bargained for benefits should be exempt. raises and other benefits are given up in exchange for the health benefits.

 

[Sinatra]

Absolutely sickening the backroom dealings surrounding this process.

How many hundreds of millions of dollars were promised on this round of negotiations?

Good lord the Democrats are in such a mess...

 

[slackjawed]

Another closed door deal with Andy Sterns and the unions, I am shocked, just shocked.
During the daytime too, just shocking!

how is it closed door if you know about it?

damn right collectively bargained for benefits should be exempt. raises and other benefits are given up in exchange for the health benefits.

The article pointed to a closed door meeting, but in reality the sarcasm is because it's such a non-issue, this article.

 

[jillian]

Absolutely sickening the backroom dealings surrounding this process.

How many hundreds of millions of dollars were promised on this round of negotiations?

Good lord the Democrats are in such a mess...

really?

backroom dealing?

hey, yutzeleh... who was in the room with dick cheney when he devised our energy policy?

what? you don't know?

me either. now go back under your rock and take your faux outrage with you.

 

[slackjawed]

Absolutely sickening the backroom dealings surrounding this process.

How many hundreds of millions of dollars were promised on this round of negotiations?

Good lord the Democrats are in such a mess...

really?

backroom dealing?

hey, yutzeleh... who was in the room with dick cheney when he devised our energy policy?

what? you don't know?

me either. now go back under your rock and take your faux outrage with you.

Now THAT is simply bullshit. Claiming the 'other guy did it first' isn't a defense for anything.
Jillian, from your other posts I though you were more intelligent than that.
Now I am shocked.

 

[jillian]

Now THAT is simply bullshit. Claiming the 'other guy did it first' isn't a defense for anything.
Jillian, from your other posts I though you were more intelligent than that.
Now I am shocked.

I didn't claim the 'other guy did it first'.
I was pointing out that the person i was addressing is a lying hypocrite.

feel better?

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Another closed door deal with Andy Sterns and the unions, I am shocked, just shocked.
During the daytime too, just shocking!

how is it closed door if you know about it?

damn right collectively bargained for benefits should be exempt. raises and other benefits are given up in exchange for the health benefits.

Why do unions deserve to be exempt from the tax and not non-union people?

 

[slackjawed]

Now THAT is simply bullshit. Claiming the 'other guy did it first' isn't a defense for anything.
Jillian, from your other posts I though you were more intelligent than that.
Now I am shocked.

I didn't claim the 'other guy did it first'.
I was pointing out that the person i was addressing is a lying hypocrite.

feel better?

yeah, i do, my faith is restored.

 

[jillian]

Now THAT is simply bullshit. Claiming the 'other guy did it first' isn't a defense for anything.
Jillian, from your other posts I though you were more intelligent than that.
Now I am shocked.

I didn't claim the 'other guy did it first'.
I was pointing out that the person i was addressing is a lying hypocrite.

feel better?

yeah, i do, my faith is restored.

thanks, kiddo

 

[WillowTree]

Absolutely sickening the backroom dealings surrounding this process.

How many hundreds of millions of dollars were promised on this round of negotiations?

Good lord the Democrats are in such a mess...

they are fucking themselves out of a way to pay for it,, and the head rb,, said he ain't gonna sign it if it ain't paid for..

 

[jillian]

 

[slackjawed]

Another closed door deal with Andy Sterns and the unions, I am shocked, just shocked.
During the daytime too, just shocking!

how is it closed door if you know about it?

damn right collectively bargained for benefits should be exempt. raises and other benefits are given up in exchange for the health benefits.

Why do unions deserve to be exempt from the tax and not non-union people?

My guess would be to uphold the strength of contract laws, for one anyway.
In most cases the unions have neegotiated a contract and may have given up pay raises or something else for healthcare.
I might be wrong, but it looks like if they don't exempt them the unions would have a good case for challenging the law.

 

[Navy1960]

Frankly, I say good, want to know why? because it is one more reason why thie bill is going to be faced with constitutional issues, not that it already has many, but one more to add cannot hurt. Parhaps that little part in the constitution about what is it, Oh yes, I remember, the 16th Amendment,

The Congress shall have power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises [ . . . ] but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States


Tell me how, exempting a Union from the same tax you would tax someone else somehow makes it still uniform. Again, I'm thankful that the those crafting this bill seem to ignore these kinds of things as all it will lead to is it's eventual reversal.

 

[WillowTree]

Frankly, I say good, want to know why? because it is one more reason why thie bill is going to be faced with constitutional issues, not that it already has many, but one more to add cannot hurt. Parhaps that little part in the constitution about what is it, Oh yes, I remember, the 16th Amendment,

The Congress shall have power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises [ . . . ] but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States


Tell me how, exempting a Union from the same tax you would tax someone else somehow makes it still uniform. Again, I'm thankful that the those crafting this bill seem to ignore these kinds of things as all it will lead to is it's eventual reversal.

I think the present bunch or rb's have more than proven they just don't give a crap about the constitution..

 

[chanel]

I saw a Dem congressman on Cavuto today (didn't catch his name) but he said rather definitively that this story is not true. I guess we'll find out soon but I can't imagine a politician lying. (Where's that sarcasm smilie?) Lol

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Why do unions deserve to be exempt from the tax and not non-union people?

My guess would be to uphold the strength of contract laws, for one anyway.
In most cases the unions have neegotiated a contract and may have given up pay raises or something else for healthcare.
I might be wrong, but it looks like if they don't exempt them the unions would have a good case for challenging the law.

Everybody negotiates their salary, benefits, etc in some way, shape or form. I don't see how the Federal government deciding to tax high valued health insurance plans has anything to do whatsoever with whether one has an official contract or not in regards to health benefits with their employer. The employer isn't going back on its contract, therefore nothing is being broken. How is it any different than if the government raises the tax on income? Salaries of union members are negotiated through collective bargaining too.

 

[Immanuel]

Another closed door deal with Andy Sterns and the unions, I am shocked, just shocked.
During the daytime too, just shocking!

how is it closed door if you know about it?

damn right collectively bargained for benefits should be exempt. raises and other benefits are given up in exchange for the health benefits.

Why do unions deserve to be exempt from the tax and not non-union people?

Hey, some of us have to pay for this shellacking we are receiving.

Immie