I have spoken about tort reform before. This is one more MAJOR problem with this bill.
It figures. The Pelosi Plan will punish states that limit trial lawyers’ winnings.
Capital Confidential reported this at Big Government:
Section 2531, entitled “Medical Liability Alternatives,” establishes an incentive program for states to adopt and implement alternatives to medical liability litigation. [But]…… a state is not eligible for the incentive payments if that state puts a law on the books that limits attorneys’ fees or imposes caps on damages.
Tort reform could save the country $54 billion.
So it only makes sense that democrats would oppose it.
Gateway Pundit
Americans for Tax Reform has culled the 1990-page Pelosi health-care overhaul bill to find the taxes that will supposedly collect over $540 billion in revenue over 10 years. It’s quite an impressive list of new burdens on Americans and their health-care providers and producers — but that’s redundant. After all, who do you think will end up paying for the medical-device taxes? It won’t be insurers or doctors:
- Employer Mandate Excise Tax (Page 275): If an employer does not pay 72.5 percent of a single employee’s health premium (65 percent of a family employee), the employer must pay an excise tax equal to 8 percent of average wages. Small employers (measured by payroll size) have smaller payroll tax rates of 0 percent (<$500,000), 2 percent ($500,000-$585,000), 4 percent ($585,000-$670,000), and 6 percent ($670,000-$750,000).
- Individual Mandate Surtax (Page 296): If an individual fails to obtain qualifying coverage, he must pay an income surtax equal to the lesser of 2.5 percent of modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) or the average premium. MAGI adds back in the foreign earned income exclusion and municipal bond interest.
- Medicine Cabinet Tax (Page 324)
- Cap on FSAs (Page 325)
- Increased Additional Tax on Non-Qualified HSA Distributions (Page 326)
- Denial of Tax Deduction for Employer Health Plans Coordinating with Medicare Part D (Page 327)
- Surtax on Individuals and Small Businesses (Page 336)
- Excise Tax on Medical Devices (Page 339)
- Corporate 1099-MISC Information Reporting (Page 344)
- Delay in Worldwide Allocation of Interest (Page 345)
- Limitation on Tax Treaty Benefits for Certain Payments (Page 346)
- Codification of the “Economic Substance Doctrine” (Page 349)
- Application of “More Likely Than Not” Rule (Page 357)
Hot Air » Blog Archive » House ObamaCare bill: Here comes the taxes!
I feel so sorry for the pain that the US has caused to the democratic country of Honduras. It’s disgusting.
Now we know why John Kerry demanded that the Law Library of Congress withdraw its report declaring the removal of Manuel Zelaya from the Honduran presidency legal, weeks after the issuance of the report. Honduras, under new pressure from the US, has agreed to allow Zelaya to return as president to the Central American nation under an agreement announced this morning. However, there is one piece of good news, assuming Zelaya keeps his word:
The interim government of Honduras has yielded to international pressure and agreed to allow the return to power of Manuel Zelaya, the ousted President who was toppled in a military coup four months ago.
The breakthrough came after renewed pressure from senior US officials who travelled to Honduras this week for a last-ditch effort to end the crisis.
“It is a triumph for Honduran democracy,” said Mr Zelaya after the rival sides agreed to a deal under which he may be reinstated as President within days.
Well, no, it’s actually not a triumph for Honduran democracy. The parliament in Tegulcigapa had voted unanimously for his removal after Zelaya attempted to violate the nation’s constitution and fake a referendum vote, for which ample evidence existed. It’s actually a triumph for American interventionalism, which this administration pretended to eschew. So much for a humble foreign policy.
The problem should be short-lived, however (emphasis mine):
Mr Micheletti said that Mr Zelaya could return to office after a vote in Congress that would be authorised by the country’s Supreme Court. He said that the deal would require both sides to recognise the result of a presidential election due to take place on November 29 and would transfer control of the army to the top electoral court.
Hot Air » Blog Archive » Zelaya returned to power
