Kill Bill: Tax Slashers for 1% Could Eviscerate Medicare, Medicaid, ACA

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CBO is still doing it’s job it seems, and thanks to them we know that the Republican Tax Scam legislation could result in huge cuts to Medicare. To many of us this is our only hope of getting any kind of when we reach 65. It will mean many Seniors will die younger than necessary. At 68, I don’t like the sound of that.

‘It’s a Tax Bill. No, It’s a Healthcare Bill.’

Bernie Sanders just posted this on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/senatorsanders/

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It is disappointing, but not surprising that the House Republicans just voted to give the Koch brothers and other billionaire campaign contributors a massive tax break. Under the House bill, the top 1 percent would get half of the tax benefits, while nearly half of middle class families would see their taxes go up.
As bad as the House bill is, the Senate tax plan is even worse. It would raise taxes on all middle class families making $75,000 or less by the end of the decade in order to provide permanent tax relief to profitable corporations that shift American jobs to China and American profits to the Cayman Islands. Meanwhile, it would throw 13 million Americans off of health insurance, cut Medicaid by $179 billion, and substantially raise premiums on Americans throughout the country.
This legislation must be defeated. We need tax relief for the middle class, not the billionaire class.

So a massive call to Senators is in order. Some get nervous when they think of reliable Senior voters being unhappy. Others will just fall on the sword and retire after this and hope for a cushy lobby job etc.

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How would this affect you?

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divineorder's picture

...

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

divineorder's picture

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The one that gripes my @ss the most is threat to Medicaid.
My mother, while still able to walk, needs constant technical nursing and supervision paid for by Medicaid. None of my siblings or I could not take care of her in our home.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

divineorder's picture

@dkmich ....

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

divineorder's picture

@divineorder

....

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

k9disc's picture

This isn't an entitlement, or some kind of euphemism for "gift".

These are actual Gifts to the corporate sponsors and their esteemed investors.

GIFTS to the RICH! It's the American Way.

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“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu

divineorder's picture

@k9disc possible to stop it?

,,,,

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

snoopydawg's picture

@divineorder

the deficit, then it has to pass with 60 votes, not 51. It's still so damn mind boggling that one party can pass this big of legislation that affects the whole country because of some rules for doing it this way.
I've read some articles that say this is going to add $4.5-6 trillion to the deficit. This will bring it up to $24.5 TRILLION. Deficits mattered when Obama was president, but Cheney said that they didn't matter when he was in charge.

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Unabashed Liberal's picture

@snoopydawg

to the Dem Leadership & O because they are the deficit/fiscal hawks--and have been since WJC ushered in fiscal austerity in the 1990s. The 4% cut to Medicare would be due to their PAYGO Rules.

See below.

Statutory Pay-as-You-Go Act

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, Title I of Pub.L. 111–139, H.J.Res. 45, enacted on February 12, 2010, is a public law passed during the 111th United States Congress and signed by President Barack Obama.

The act reinstated pay-as-you-go budgeting rules used in Congress from 1990 until 2002, ensuring that most new spending is offset by spending cuts or added revenue elsewhere (with several major policy exemptions). . . .

Legislative history[edit]

The Act was introduced in the House of Representatives on June 17, 2009, by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland) and has been cosponsored by 169 of the 257 House Democrats.[1]

The Act had initially passed the House of Representatives 265-166 as a standalone bill in July 2009, then was attached in the Senate to legislation raising the debt limit to $14.3 trillion.

A majority of 241 Democrats supported the bill while a majority of 153 Republicans opposed it.

In the Senate, the amendment attaching pay-as-you-go language to the debt limit increase passed on a party-line vote of 60-40, and the debt limit bill subsequently passed 60-39.

After the House passed the bill by a vote of 233-187 on February 4, 2010, the bill was sent to Obama's desk. He signed it into law on February 12, 2010.[2][3]

Remember, the Bowles-Simpson Commission rendered its proposal, "A Moment Of Truth" (see a PDF copy in my top signature line) in December of 2010. Seems logical (to me) that the PAYGO bill was passed by Dems, at least partly, in preparation for the passage of a so-called Grand Bargain.

I've noticed that many Dem Party shills and/or organizations--like CAP (Center For American Progress), New America Foundation, Brookings, etc.--never mention this is their Tweets, etc.

To be clear, I think that taxes should be raised for both corporations and the wealthy--the idea of cutting these taxes is laughable (IMO).

Mollie

The "Grand Bargain" isn't dead--it's being implemented incrementally through piecemeal legislation. Please read "The Moment Of Truth."

"The standard of living of the average American has to decline. I don't think you can escape that."
--Paul Volcker, The New York Times, October 18, 1979, Page 1.

“If we can divide the electorate this way, we can have them expending their energies fighting amongst themselves, over issues that for us, have no meaning whatsoever."
--USA Bankers Magazine, August 25, 1924

"Every time I lose a dog, he takes a piece of my heart. Every new dog gifts me with a piece of his. Someday, my heart will be total dog, and maybe then I will be just as generous, loving, and forgiving."
--Author Unknown

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Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.

snoopydawg's picture

@Unabashed Liberal

he's the gift that keeps on giving, just like Clinton was. Weren't the Bush tax cuts made permanent during his tenure? They were going to sunset, but both parties voted to make them permanent. This is how we can see the difference between them, eh?

Does anyone know if the CBO is non partinson or honest? The tax bill is going to raise the deficit more than the $1.5 trillion that republicans are telling us.
Nice of them to make them permanent for the rich and the corporations while they end for the rest of us, isn't it?
Another thing that is wrong with this is that most congress members will benefit from them. Wrong on so many levels!

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Student loans taxed? Does that do a great job of keeping the poor uneducated? It is perfect for keeping wealthy people in charge of the rest of us.
Medicare. I thought I could count on it.
Taxing alimony? While unborn heirs to the Trust will not pay taxes?
We are a shitty country, so close to being 3rd world, this tax bill just might get us there.
The bastards did it. The Senate will rally around their donors.
It is gonna happen unless there is a miracle.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@on the cusp And of course you're right with keeping people uneducated. Some of the lines hit me, but really, I do not even really care that much how it effects me. I should, I know, but I'm just so angry and disgusted at the whole ugly stupid mess. And there's not one thing that can be done to stop these freaks and their idiot enablers. I know my two Dem's here will "vote against it" but they all know that game is rigged. Damn them.

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Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur

@lizzyh7 Hopes, dreams, health, education, all are going to be taken from us, as I place myself squarely in the lower middle class category.
I got my property tax bill today. That is a significant deduction. Losing that is alarming. Will I need to sell my little acreage?
And my charitable contributions deductions?
How will nursing homes and their facilities and employees exist if Medicaid is cut?
Shitty country. This is a SHITTY COUNTRY!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Deja's picture

@on the cusp
I'm guessing they'll just have recordings of laughter.

I am curious to know what my mom thinks of this. She once had a shitty look on her face and I asked what was wrong. She said she was writing a check to Obama.

Guess she has a smile on her face now? Or, maybe now she'll start actually reporting everything they make in hopes of officially making more, and in turn paying less? Gonna have to fire those "illegals" and hire Americans (who would file suit for working conditions and just might assault both my parents after snapping from the constant verbal abuse) so she can report their wages. All that non deductible cash paying no fewer than two undocumented immigrants for at least the last 25 years has chapped her hide all this time. Gonna have to unload a bunch of real estate as well, since the deduction is going bye-bye.

Not going to call and ask, though.

I suppose it can't hurt to call our two crooks, though. Sad

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@Deja as much as I want employers of illegals to get their comeuppance, I fear hiring legals will not help the hires. The legs of employee lawsuits have been kneecapped.
Your mom will be ok. Her legals of the future will take up the slack.
Not much solace, huh? And she will pass on to you an untaxable estate, so just be nice. I know you can do it chica!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Deja's picture

@on the cusp
My kids and I have been on and off Medicaid over the years so I'll never be able to inherit a dime. It goes to the state. All of it, as far as I know.

That's what will happen to anyone whose parent(s) leave them anything if the parent(s) was ever on Medicaid too.

You sign a form that says as much when you apply.

How do I know? Mom was there to swoop in and get the deal of a lifetime when one of her childhood neighbors died a few years back. She paid the state, and was "nice" enough to cut her childhood friend a check for a few thousand bucks.

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@Deja You just call me. There are waivers. I am telling you, chica, BE NICE!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Deja's picture

@on the cusp
I'm nice to her when she is to me. But you call me when you get finished with work and feeding the horses tomorrow. I don't want to interfere with your work and life.

Totally off topic: did you hear that Ft. Bend County SO attested that lady that was on the news for driving around (for 11 mos) in a truck with a big Fuck Trump and Fuck You Too for Voting for Him sign on her truck? A sealed warrant for felony fraud out of Rosenberg, supposedly. Things that make ya go hmmm.

Her husband picked her up from the SO in that truck lol! Wink

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@on the cusp @on the cusp

This needs to get out - personalized. Once those with that that 'touched-by-propaganda' level of faith in Trump realize what this is going to do to everybody - to them - they'll flip.

Those propagandized into the pathological attitudes termed 'right-wing' who may cheer when 'it's adversely affecting (whichever of the list of) them' they've been brainwashed against won't like it when they realize that programs they've paid into their whole lives will be slashed to ribbons or gone for their unsupported old age and that they already are being so for Grandma, who's coming to live with them and that this affects the already grim prospects for their kids.

Your list of how it affects you, personally; that addition of '...$4.5-6 trillion to the deficit. This will bring it up to $24.5 TRILLION. ...' in SnoopyDawg's commentary - how such as this will adversely affect every non-hyper-wealthy American to tip even those not yet perhaps so desperately struggling, (already at 60% of Americans near, on or over the brink, and rapidly growing) to tip them over the edge - if such examples as these don't bring this home to people on right-wing sites and make them realize that this is going after the rest of their life-blood, including that of their own nearest and dearest, I have no idea what will or can wake them up in time to unite with all awake Americans as a people to save themselves and make democracy happen in America.

They must understand that they cannot ask for more of this by voting for any corporate/billionaire/super-wealthy candidate ever again. Virtually all of these people effectively got rich at someone else's expense and to them, that's just how they 'do business'.

Government is not a business; it's a caretaking position of the country and public's health, wealth and welfare and that's why The People forming the country delegate their public power and money to public service positions intended to serve the public good. And not to serve it up on a silver platter to those who would predate upon the public - predatory criminals which the public's protective arm and collective power, which we term government, is supposed to defend the public from.

A democratic government cannot, by definition, 'rule' as self-interested or otherwise-exclusive individuals, to suit themselves or others in their group, and no-one can be considered 'above' the public-protective law required for social, economic and physical survival.

But they evidently will if we, the people, let them.

Edited because I repeated a word in adding to a sentence which was already long enough, lol.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Big Al's picture

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divineorder's picture

@Big Al

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

snoopydawg's picture

@divineorder

Interesting article on people that lost everything in the economic crash. I read that because of this, the costs for trailers are going up because of supply and demand. Now I wish I had bought the 5th wheel trailer that I found online. It was in great shape and because it was an older one, its construction was much better than the newer ones are. It had real wood cabinets instead of the flimsy ones being used in the newer ones.

You two have a camper, right? If so, why did you choose that over a trailer?

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@Big Al Yes.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Daenerys's picture

@Big Al How though? They have all the fancy toys and can obliterate anyone who dares try. Citizens or foreign governments alike. What do we do?

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This shit is bananas.

Big Al's picture

@Daenerys That's all we got.

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snoopydawg's picture

the thousands of people who are living in RVs were left to fend for themselves as were we all during the Empty Suit's presidency. If he had passed half of his campaign promises, I doubt that so many people would have stayed home and the democrats wouldn't have lost control of congress. They would at least have held one house, but this was the plan, wasn't it? Put them in a position where they can't block republicans from passing their massive tax cuts for their donors. This is exactly what this is because they told us that.

People will die if this goes through. The amount of money that they have to cut from just about everything is going to be devastating.
What happens to all the people in nursing homes when Medicaid is cut so much that it will be too costly for the managers to keep them open?

Gawd! I can't believe that we are going to allow them to do this to us. We are paying their salaries, yet they pass something that will harm most of us.
There is something we can do if this does pass. Quit paying our taxes. The IRS doesn't have enough people or money to go after millions of people that do this. People were withholding a percentage of them to protest the wars during Obama's president and the IRS didn't have enough people then.
This should be our line in the sand. Congress has been turning up the heat on our kettle for far too long and it's time for us to jump out of it.

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Daenerys's picture

@snoopydawg My mom is paying us to help with the farm now; she pays us cash. I was thinking should I start keeping track in January for tax reasons? But then this is definitely going to affect us too; we're on medical assistance, and my husband has visions of going to graduate school so.... Fuck 'em. I think everyone should try to get paid in cash if at all possible for this very reason.

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This shit is bananas.

snoopydawg's picture

@Daenerys

The PTB are trying to make a cashless society so they can have control of our money. This is being tried in a few European countries right now. If they do away with cash, then we will have to put it in banks or credit unions.
I think people should quit using google wallet that lets them pay for stuff from their phones. This is giving the PTB the idea that people want to get away from using cash for their transactions.
That water keeps getting warmer and warmer doesn't it?

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detroitmechworks's picture

@snoopydawg Simply because the electronic pickpockets are far too numerous. I vastly prefer the US postal service and the 6 dollar fee a month to be left alone.

Yes, sometimes I need to purchase something online. Burner Debit Cards on sale at any major store are my friend in such a situation.

Perhaps I'm just old and paranoid, but I intend to never open a bank account again if I can help it. Credit Union, MAYBE, and I sure as hell won't keep my savings there. Besides, I prefer to have a clean barrier between my offline and online presences.

Yeah, maybe I did play a little too much Shadowrun in the 90s.

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

divineorder's picture

@snoopydawg to stop medicaid cuts.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

about opposing this bill, you might suggest that some of them make statements strong enough to earn a place on MSM among the stories about Russia, Moore, Franken, and the never ending soap opera that is Trump family and friends.

People went into the streets over a threat to the ACA. This bill cripples the ACA as a minor sidebar. I don't see the level of resistance that will make Republicans pause.

In the midst of this disaster there are still people taking space to attack Bernie and his Bros. Why aren't Democrats having their own hearings outside the capitol bringing in officials to tell how their states will be affected?

This bill will kill people. On the other hand billionaires remember their friends.

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