Obamacare "Tax" Upheld by Supreme Court

rberq wrote:

Freddy wrote:Governor LePage says, "You must buy health insurance or pay the new Gestapo – the I.R.S."

This is something NEW? Ever since my first "real" job at age 15, I have had to pay the IRS, and they were even more like the Gestapo then. There are lots of things I would prefer not to pay taxes for. I like our governor when he is being a manager rather than a partisan politician. I'll be glad to give him a pass on paying the healthcare tax, if he will arrange a pass for me on the state and federal programs I disagree with. Otherwise he can kiss my butt.

Interesting concept.

I wonder what things would look like if taxes were voluntary?

I wonder if all those using the "it's for the children" rationalization for taxes would continue paying for the children?

I would guess that if you were to have to pay to use anything & everything that taxes provide one may soon decide that it's way cheaper to pay the tax.

samhill wrote:I would guess that if you were to have to pay to use anything & everything that taxes provide one may soon decide that it's way cheaper to pay the tax.

Is that because government is so efficient at doing things?

Nope, it's because Gov. is involved in just about everything. In the long run they were probably efficient in the beginning of most things then as time goes on & favors get paid it becomes worse & worse.

franco b wrote:

samhill wrote:I would guess that if you were to have to pay to use anything & everything that taxes provide one may soon decide that it's way cheaper to pay the tax.

Is that because government is so efficient at doing things?

No. I think it's because government does the "big" things, which if they were done privately would become monopolies and rip off the public. Would the monopolies be overall more expensive or less productive? I don't know, maybe overall they would be better. But do you want private enterprise in charge of things like prisons and reform schools, after seeing what happened to the kids in Pennsylvania? Giving a corporation a financial incentive to put you in jail turns out not to be wise. There are probably other areas where financial incentives would not be wise.

rberq wrote:I think it's because government does the "big" things, which if they were done privately would become monopolies and rip off the public.

In some cases OK, but how about you consider the USPS as compared to UPS and Fedex?

rberq wrote:

franco b wrote:

samhill wrote:I would guess that if you were to have to pay to use anything & everything that taxes provide one may soon decide that it's way cheaper to pay the tax.

Is that because government is so efficient at doing things?

No. I think it's because government does the "big" things, which if they were done privately would become monopolies and rip off the public. Would the monopolies be overall more expensive or less productive? I don't know, maybe overall they would be better. But do you want private enterprise in charge of things like prisons and reform schools, after seeing what happened to the kids in Pennsylvania? Giving a corporation a financial incentive to put you in jail turns out not to be wise. There are probably other areas where financial incentives would not be wise.

Specifically which big things would become monopolies if it were not for the government taking them over? Name one absolute monopoly that arose and sustained itself as such within a completely free market?

rberq wrote:

franco b wrote:

samhill wrote:I would guess that if you were to have to pay to use anything & everything that taxes provide one may soon decide that it's way cheaper to pay the tax.

Is that because government is so efficient at doing things?

No. I think it's because government does the "big" things, which if they were done privately would become monopolies and rip off the public. Would the monopolies be overall more expensive or less productive? I don't know, maybe overall they would be better. But do you want private enterprise in charge of things like prisons and reform schools, after seeing what happened to the kids in Pennsylvania? Giving a corporation a financial incentive to put you in jail turns out not to be wise. There are probably other areas where financial incentives would not be wise.

Isn't the government a monopoly that rips off the people?

But unlike Carnegie, D.C. is going to die and there's no chance they'll be broken up.

How about the big things like the interstate highway system, would you rather pay a toll every few miles when ownership would change? Would you want to get on an airplane that is totally doing it's own cost cutting maintenance & then what would it be first plane on the runway has the right of way? How many people die of food poisoning despite of the FDA because of Co.s cutting corners or paying off inspectors? And hey who needs certified doctors anyway, the list could go on & on.

Hey Sam I don't think anybody's calling for anarchy here. I bet we could agree that there has to be some balance and some regulation. It can get out of control both ways. You can find all kinds of info to bash Reagan, but he lowered taxes, and kept a lid on ever expanding government and the economy boomed.
Do you favor ever-expanding government and eventual total control of us?

What has Obama done for the US? Bullet train? Shovel-ready jobs? Lift 2 million out of poverty as he promised? The new jobs created in spite of him not because of him as he brags, are outweighed by the number of deadbeats going on disability now! Cut the deficit in half yet did he? A lot of de luxe promises and all we have seen is expanding government and now extortion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Why is President Dwight D. Eisenhower called the "Father of the Interstate System"?

Although the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944 authorized designation of a "National System of Interstate Highways," the legislation did not authorize an initiating program to build it. After taking office in January 1953, President Eisenhower made revitalizing the Nation's highways one of the goals of his first term. As an army Lieutenant Colonel in 1919, Eisenhower had accompanied a military convoy across the United States and saw the poor condition of our Nation's roads. Later, during his World War II stint as Commander of the Allied Forces, his admiration for Germany's well-engineered Autobahn highway network reinforced his belief that the United States needed first-class roads. As a result, Eisenhower formed internal committees to study the idea, enlisted the Nation's Governors to offer suggestions, and met with Members of Congress to promote the proposal. When legislation failed in 1955, observers predicted that in the presidential election year of 1956, the Democratic Congress would not approve such a significant plan sought by a Republican President. Nevertheless, President Eisenhower continued to urge approval and worked with Congress to reach compromises that made approval possible. The President signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 on June 29, 1956. "

He worked with congress and state governors! Obama has a great working relationship with Jan Brewer, eh?

Modeled on the Autobahn and fails to come close in every conceivable way!

Lets see, a pay as you go highway sound ok. The gov. would only have to make them keep it up to standards. Airplanes?? Really? How profitable is it to crash planes into the ground? Who will fly your airline with crashes going on? Same with food, not good for profits if your product is continually killing people. The market is better at penalizing companies then the gov. Doctors? Really?? The local hospital went into receivership and had to import CERTIFIED emergency room docs at incredible cost. One of the asshats almost killed me. What does certify mean? Nothing but it makes you feel better. No amount of regulation and certification will eliminate human error and just plain stupidity.

Kevin

I thought the gas tax was a "pay as you go" highway system?

jpete wrote:Modeled on the Autobahn and fails to come close in every conceivable way!

Come on it's not that bad. But I did hear the autobahn roads are like 18" thick! If they get a tiny ding in the road they replace a whole section.

Probably would be better if they didnt give so much money to Greece.

Kevin