Why would unions that purportedly serve working class interests oppose a tax on executive health benefits? Are they stupid or simply greedy? Do they even pretend to represent the broader working class or are they only interested in maximizing the benefits of their own members?
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/nov2009/db20091123_720329.htm -----------------------------------------snip In chasing revenue to help pay for health-care reform, Democrats have managed to rally two groups that tend to oppose each other—unions and Big Business. The focus of their ire: a proposed 40% excise tax on high-premium or so-called Cadillac health plans. The proposal targets health premiums above $8,500 for individuals or $23,000 for families, with the tax beginning in 2013. The excise tax would provide the government an estimated $149 billion by 2019, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The complete $848 billion reform bill is expected to lower the U.S. deficit by $130 billion. A final bill remains subject to extensive wrangling in Washington and could include a variation of the tax or none at all. Democrats have a tough road ahead gathering enough votes in the Senate to pass reform. -raghu. -- "I used to do drugs. I still do drugs. But I used to, too." - Mitch Hedberg _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
