1st Presidential Debate 9PM EST

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

So you are opposed to mandates across the board? No matter what? State, federal or local level?

No, and don't try the auto insurance on me. Auto insurance doesn't make allowances for income levels of a purchaser. And, mainly, if you don't pay for insurance, you don't drive the car, hence, no penalties.

If you don't pay for the healthcare mandate at the state or federal level? - Drop dead.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Light

He reminded me of the preachers who sound like a donkey braying. Substance doesn't matter as long as you bray loudly.

And talk really fast. I thought he was channeling Chris Matthews, although I didn't see him spit.

[Light]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

So in MA if you don't buy insurance you are taxed extra? Do you have a source for that?

How much is the penalty for no insurance?

Residents without MCC health insurance face monthly penalties. The penalties add up each month without health insurance, and must be paid at tax filing time. Short gaps in coverage (up to three months) are allowed without a tax penalty.

Penalties are based on ½ the cost of the lowest-priced Commonwealth Choice plan available to you. The penalties vary by age and income, based on percentages of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG). People with incomes at or below 150% of the FPG do not have to pay a penalty if uninsured.

The 2012 tax year penalties are:

Income and Age 150.1-200% FPG 200.1-250% FPG 250.1-300% FPG Above 300% FPG
Age 18-26 Above 300% FPG
Age 27+
Tax penalty $19 per month
$228 per year $38 per month
$456 per year $58 per month
$696 per year $83 per month
$996 per year $105 per month
$1260 per year (See What are the penalties? from the Health Connector and Individual Mandate Penalties for Tax Year 2012 from the DOR.)

You can use the FPG income and household size categories below to see which penalty category would apply to you.

(For example, if your income is greater than the 150% FPG income amount and less than or equal to the 200% FPG income amount shown below for your household size, your tax penalty category would be "150.1-200% FPG.")

Health Insurance Tax Penalty Income Categories - Tax Year 2012
(based on Federal Poverty Guidelines effective January 2012)
Household size Annual Income (% of Federal Poverty Guidelines)
150% FPG 200% FPG 250% FPG 300% FPG
1 $16,764 $22,344 $27,936 $33,516
2 $22,704 $30,264 $37,836 $45,396
3 $28,644 $38,184 $47,736 $57,276
4 $34,584 $46,104 $57,636 $69,156
5 $40,524 $54,024 $67,536 $81,036
6 $46,464 $61,944 $77,436 $92,916
7 $52,404 $69,864 $87,336 $104,796
8 $58,344 $77,784 $97,236 $116,676
each extra person +$5,940 +$7,920 +$9,900 +$11,880
(See 2012 MassHealth Income Standards and Federal Poverty Guidelines)


If you owe a penalty, you will calculate the amount when you complete Schedule HC of your state income tax return.

To estimate your penalty, see Estimate Your 2011 Tax Penalty on the Commonwealth Connector web site.

People who cannot find affordable health insurance or who qualify for a religious or hardship exemption or waiver do not have to pay a penalty. See Do I have to buy health insurance? for more information.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Light

He reminded me of the preachers who sound like a donkey braying. Substance doesn't matter as long as you bray loudly.

but with preachers we call that the 'nointing

[Monterrey]

Reminds me of the Bunch and Breeze song ....

Where they go "spank the devil on the head .."

SPANK OBAMA ON THE HEAD!!!

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

So in MA if you don't buy insurance you are taxed extra? Do you have a source for that?

Massachusetts Health Care Reform: Tips and Resources

Starting July 1st, 2007, all Massachusetts residents age 18 and over must have health insurance. Every year, you will need to show proof of health insurance on your state income tax return. If you do not have health insurance, you will face a stiff tax penalty.

http://www.mass.gov/ocabr/consumer/i...re-reform.html

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Monterrey

Reminds me of the Bunch and Breeze song ....

Where they go "spank the devil on the head .."

SPANK OBAMA ON THE HEAD!!!

I need to include you on our blog radio program we do every night.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

Was I supposed to start liking him now? Fat chance. So in the ensuing days, keep that in mind. I don't care whether he wins or loses. He was never my candidate and never will be.

While all the seals are clapping and barking at Romney's performance, I want to pay attention to what he was saying.

First of all, he says he isn't looking to make a $5 trillion tax cut. Independent analysts show that his rate cuts and other changes would total $5 trillion in the next 10 years. The Tax Policy Center says that it is also mathematically impossible to cover a $5 trillion reduction by eliminating tax breaks solely on high-income taxpayers. He spoke earlier of cap reductions of $17,000, but at the debate he said it would be $25,000 or $50,000.



On his claim to repeal Obamacare and keep pre-existing conditions - Romney's top advisor said that people with pre-existing conditions will not likely be able to purchase insurance. “With respect to pre-existing conditions, what Governor Romney has said is for those with continuous coverage, he would continue to make sure that they receive their coverage,” said Eric Fehrnstrom, referring to existing laws which require insurance companies to sell coverage to people who already have insurance, or within 90 days of losing their employer coverage.

He claimed that "half" of the green energy projects the government invested in had gone out of business. The actual number is 3 out of 26.

That depends on where you get your numbers. http://www.dividedstates.com/list-of...lar-companies/

According to this source, there are 14 companies that have either declared bankruptcy, lost millions of dollars or gone out of business.

He claimed that 23 million people were out of work. The actual number is 12.5 million.

This is a highly subjective and debatable number, because it depends on the number you count in the "labor force."

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...rt-labor-force

If you count underemployed and people who aren't looking for work, you are looking at 14.7% unemployment.

To put it in perspective for you, Ron Paul stated in March of this year that the unemployment rate is probably "closer to 20 percent." --Source

If you go with Paul's rate and the current civilian labor force [source] of 154.6 million, you have 30.9 million unemployed. Are you with Paul on that number?

He claims that 50% of college graduates can't find work, but he is factoring in the underemployed. That would be people who ARE working, but not using their degree. That is nothing new.

And a LOT of conservatives, including those that you like, agree that underemployed numbers should figure into the numbers. There has been a lot of belly aching from conservatives over the way the Obama administration spins the numbers to make it appear that there has been improvement.

So, anyway, these are just a few stretches and with all the data he put out, I'm sure there will be more. I haven't fully had time to finish the transcript.

He did answer a question correctly that Obama was totally wrong on - What is your job as President? Obama: "To protect the American people." Romney: "Too uphold the Constitution." That would be the right answer and he did his Republican thang on that one. Being that he supports the NDAA, along with Obama, I find it hard to believe he is sincere on that answer.

NDAA is problematic, that's for sure. I'm with you on this one.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

No, and don't try the auto insurance on me. Auto insurance doesn't make allowances for income levels of a purchaser. And, mainly, if you don't pay for insurance, you don't drive the car, hence, no penalties.

If you don't pay for the healthcare mandate at the state or federal level? - Drop dead.

Illustrating the point that really, a mandate isn't always a mandate isn't always a mandate. So you are fine with some mandates, and not with others. Apparently, you aren't fine with mandates that don't come with penalties for non-compliance? By the way, I would consider losing the privilege to drive a car a penalty. That is removing a freedom.

I agree that healthcare would be a unique mandate. However, if it is left up to the states to decide how it is handled, it can be customized and managed better, IMO.

Healthcare does need to be addressed. It can either be addressed by trying to come up with a huge plan that tries to suit everyone (federal level), motivating states to come up with smaller, customized plans to suit their constituency (state level), regulating insurance companies and the medical industry through caps and tort reform (my favorite), or leaving it all as is and letting millions of uninsured people slip through the cracks while those who do have insurance have increasingly higher bills and less coverage. (least favorite)

I can tell you from personal experience what it's like to go without insurance both because it's cost prohibitive for those who are self-employed and because of having a child with pre-existing conditions. We pay everything out of pocket, and cross our fingers that we have no big emergencies. For our family of 5 with Jeffrey's asthma, we would pay $650/month for the most basic of coverage, not including dental, and with huge deductibles ($10,000 for hospital visits) and copays (40-50%). It is a problem that needs to be addressed, and I would be disappointed with any candidate who didn't at least offer possible solutions. I can't agree that Romney's ideas are bad, because he hasn't really detailed them. He has alluded to the fact that his plan for Massachusetts worked, but he has also clarified that he would expect states to craft their own plans, unique and customized. It's hard to form an opinion if you don't really know what his plan is. He hasn't stated, as far as I know, that he would put in place a plan for the whole country "just like" the plan for Massachusetts. His idea is that states would, just like Massachusetts, craft a plan for their own constituents. Those are two entirely different balls of wax.

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by Light

Romney won big on self energy. He made Obama look bad.

On the other hand all on here who are whooping it up need to pay closer attention to what he said. He reversed himself on almost all that he has said in his campaign speeches.

An Etch A Sketch moment just like his adviser said he would.

Which issues specifically?