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Payroll Tax Overload
Governor Shumlin recently announced that increased payroll taxes will
be a big part of raising the revenues necessary to fund Vermont’s new
health care system. That’s right. After raising property taxes and
creating a sales tax on gasoline earlier this year, Vermont Democrats
now have trained their sights on a payroll tax which is almost certain
to crush the average Vermont family. Where, may I ask, is the outrage?
Even before Obamacare passed, the Shumlin administration couldn’t wait
to devise a massive overhaul of Vermont health care. The passage of the
utterly unaffordable “Affordable Care Act” simply gave Vermont
Democrats an excuse to push the pedal to the metal in a massive takeover
of a huge segment of Vermont’s economy.
Along the way,
Shumlin and others have repeatedly been asked how they were going to pay
for their big plans. Repeatedly the question has been dodged. Now the
truth is out.
Governor Shumlin and his cronies insist that
such a tax will be offset by reduced costs of health insurance premiums
presently paid (or co-paid) by Vermont employers and employees. Add
those lofty assurances to the Democrat list of past rosy predictions of
future costs and/or benefits which rarely turn out as nicely as
predicted. Long after such promises and overly optimistic projections
have been forgotten, Vermonters have been and continue to be stuck with
the tab. Naturally government doesn’t give us the full blown details of
such short falls or dreams that did not come true. After all, that would
be tantamount to an admission of failure, that government “experts” are
not as smart as they want us little people to think they are.
The elite political ruling class which has evolved in Vermont gives
little note to outcomes and cost-benefit ratios, but it is their good
intentions which get attention. Evidently as long as one has honorable
intentions then past failures, cost overruns and harmful unintended
consequences don’t matter.
This upcoming massive payroll tax
expense exacerbates other rising costs of life in Vermont. Taxes always
go up. Government spending always goes up. School budgets always go up.
Government policy even drives up your electric bill. Small wonder that
Vermont residency is becoming increasingly unaffordable.
Political elites are killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Working
Vermonters will eventually vote with their feet by leaving the state,
leaving the political elites wondering what happened.
•
Can anyone explain how Shumlin’s announcement that an allegedly
necessary payroll tax increase is not front page above-the-fold news?
The Valley News covered it....in section B.
•
Under
ObamaCare you and I are mandated to pay for health insurance which
covers, among other things, ambulatory patient services, emergency
services, maternity and new born care, substance abuse, mental health,
prescription drugs, rehab and rehab devices, contraception,
sterilization, early abortion pills, etc. In addition, the following are
mandated by the state of Vermont: home health care (with a union for
those care givers sure to follow), autism, prosthetic devices, clinical
trials for cancer patients, among other things.
Why should
anyone be forced to pay for sterilization coverage? Why should those who
use no addictive drugs pay for substance abuse treatments for others?
Why should people absolutely opposed to all abortions be compelled to
pay for abortion services?
In a free society, shouldn’t individuals be allowed to pick and choose the services for which they want to buy coverage?
Whether the issue is property rights, economic freedom, or tax burden,
the sad truth is that we are an increasingly less free society.
Dick Tracy was raised in Woodstock and educated in Woodstock schools. He now lives in Sharon.
Governor Shumlin recently announced that increased payroll taxes will be a big part of raising the revenues necessary to fund Vermont’s new health care system. That’s right. After raising property taxes and creating a sales tax on gasoline earlier this year, Vermont Democrats now have trained their sights on a payroll tax which is almost certain to crush the average Vermont family. Where, may I ask, is the outrage?
Even before Obamacare passed, the Shumlin administration couldn’t wait to devise a massive overhaul of Vermont health care. The passage of the utterly unaffordable “Affordable Care Act” simply gave Vermont Democrats an excuse to push the pedal to the metal in a massive takeover of a huge segment of Vermont’s economy.
Along the way, Shumlin and others have repeatedly been asked how they were going to pay for their big plans. Repeatedly the question has been dodged. Now the truth is out.
Governor Shumlin and his cronies insist that such a tax will be offset by reduced costs of health insurance premiums presently paid (or co-paid) by Vermont employers and employees. Add those lofty assurances to the Democrat list of past rosy predictions of future costs and/or benefits which rarely turn out as nicely as predicted. Long after such promises and overly optimistic projections have been forgotten, Vermonters have been and continue to be stuck with the tab. Naturally government doesn’t give us the full blown details of such short falls or dreams that did not come true. After all, that would be tantamount to an admission of failure, that government “experts” are not as smart as they want us little people to think they are.
The elite political ruling class which has evolved in Vermont gives little note to outcomes and cost-benefit ratios, but it is their good intentions which get attention. Evidently as long as one has honorable intentions then past failures, cost overruns and harmful unintended consequences don’t matter.
This upcoming massive payroll tax expense exacerbates other rising costs of life in Vermont. Taxes always go up. Government spending always goes up. School budgets always go up. Government policy even drives up your electric bill. Small wonder that Vermont residency is becoming increasingly unaffordable.
Political elites are killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Working Vermonters will eventually vote with their feet by leaving the state, leaving the political elites wondering what happened.
•
Can anyone explain how Shumlin’s announcement that an allegedly necessary payroll tax increase is not front page above-the-fold news? The Valley News covered it....in section B.
•
Under ObamaCare you and I are mandated to pay for health insurance which covers, among other things, ambulatory patient services, emergency services, maternity and new born care, substance abuse, mental health, prescription drugs, rehab and rehab devices, contraception, sterilization, early abortion pills, etc. In addition, the following are mandated by the state of Vermont: home health care (with a union for those care givers sure to follow), autism, prosthetic devices, clinical trials for cancer patients, among other things.
Why should anyone be forced to pay for sterilization coverage? Why should those who use no addictive drugs pay for substance abuse treatments for others? Why should people absolutely opposed to all abortions be compelled to pay for abortion services?
In a free society, shouldn’t individuals be allowed to pick and choose the services for which they want to buy coverage?
Whether the issue is property rights, economic freedom, or tax burden, the sad truth is that we are an increasingly less free society.
Dick Tracy was raised in Woodstock and educated in Woodstock schools. He now lives in Sharon.
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