Tuesday, March 23, 2010

The Smoke and Mirrors of Health Care "Deficit Reduction"

The Health care bill passed by the House depends on a number of cost/income assumptions.
   First, it assumes the solvency of Medicare and Social Security, two programs that are scheduled to run out of money within the next 10 years if not before. Without a huge influx of money which won't happen if the economic picture does not change and the federal deficit is not corrected.
   Second, the CBO analysis is based on taxes collected over the next 20 years to fund the program beginning in 2014. Obama and Democrats in the Senate have already made promises to states and unions to reduce those taxes to get passage of the bill. According to Jay Cost the Health care bill depends on taxes over the next 20 years to fund insurance for the uninsured over the last 10 to a tune of 2 trillion dollars. If the income assumptions on those estimates are off (and they already are) then the whole "deficit reduction" calls of Democrats are out the window and not only is there no "deficit reduction," the deficit will skyrocket (like it already isn't). According to Peter Suderman of Reason.com, the "adjustments" added to the bill in the House will have the effect of doing just that, turning this "deficit reduction" bill into deficits we have never seen before.
   Finally, no one is talking about the fact that Obamacare assumes that economic recovery is imminent. this ain't necessarily so. As much as Obama has talked about jobs "created or over 10% of Americans are out of work. Yes, the jobless rate remains unchanged at 9.7, but in another smoke and mirrors ploy, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics has been asked to "cull" the unemployment rolls of workers, "no longer seeking employment." This means in effect, that while unemployment is unchanged, it is actually going up.  Beyond the unemployment figures, depressed because of this administration's animosity towards "evil" business, the Obama administration is creating an environment toxic to the wealthy. Talk show host Rush Limbaugh has frequently stated he would move out of country if Obamacare is implemented. There is no reason not to believe that wealthy people will move out of an unfriendly tax environment similar to the way they did when California went whacky liberal.
  I have said it before, this administration will lean to the left until someone puts the breaks on. Raul Grijalva loves to spend your money. Next year let him work for a living.

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