Labor's $60 Billion Payoff

[lostinblue 1,989]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405..._article_MoreIn

Democrats seem impervious to embarrassment as they buy votes for ObamaCare, but their latest move makes even Nebraska's Ben Nelson look cheap: The 87% of Americans who don't belong to a union will now foot the bill for a $60 billion giveaway to those who do.

The Senate bill was financed in part by a 40% excise tax on high-cost insurance coverage. The White House backs this "Cadillac tax" as one of the few remaining cost-control tokens. But Big Labor abhors the tax because union benefits tend to be far more generous than average, and labor leaders and House Democrats have been throwing a political tantrum for weeks.

So emerging from their backrooms, Democrats have agreed to extend a special exemption from the Cadillac tax to any health plan that is part of a collective-bargaining agreement, plus state and local workers, many of whom are unionized. Everyone else with a higher-end plan will start to be taxed in 2013, but union members will get a free pass until 2018.

Ponder that one for a moment. Two workers who are identical in every respect—wages, job, health plan—will be treated differently by the tax system, based solely on union membership..........more......

[lostinblue 1,989]

Longshoremen have been exempted (page 362) from the 40% “Cadillac plan” excise tax which will be assessed on comprehensive health insurance plans

http://talk.newagtalk.com/forums/thread-vi...85&posts=16

http://www.cdobs.com/archive/syndicated/ob...r-others,105923

President Obama praised the Senate yesterday for clearing a 60-40 procedural vote on his health plan in the dead of night and "standing up to the special interests who've prevented reform for decades and who are furiously lobbying against it now." They're furiously lobbying all right—not against ObamaCare but for the sundry preferences in the Senate bill.

Start with the special tax carve-outs included in the "manager's amendment" that Harry Reid dropped Saturday morning. White House budget director Peter Orszag has claimed that the bill's 40% excise tax on high-cost insurance plans is key to reducing health costs. Yet the Senate Majority Leader's new version specifically exempts "individuals whose primary work is longshore work." That would be the longshoremen's union, which has negotiated very costly insurance benefits. The well-connected dock workers join other union interests such as miners, electrical linemen, EMTs, construction workers, some farmers, fishermen, foresters, early retirees and others who are absolved from this tax.

In other words, controlling insurance costs is enormously important, unless your very costly insurance is provided by an important Democratic constituency.

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/377538_port03.html

The PMA's Web site describes the ILWU members' benefits package as costing more than $50,000 per employee, including fully paid health care with no premiums or deductibles.

The average Longshoreman's wages currently range from $30.68 per hour for the most basic skill level to $36.48 per hour for chief supervisors and supercargo operators. Those wages can vary dramatically according to the workers' level of experience and the time of day in which their shift occurs.

Depending on their retirement date, retirees will get $1 to $4 more per year of service per month. Base monthly pension rates that once totaled $80 to $150 per year of service would increase to a base amount of $89 to $180 by July 1, 2013. By that time, Longshoremen or clerks who retire after July 1, 2008, could earn a maximum pension of $6,660 per month if they have 37 or more years of service and retired at age 62 or later.

Change we can believe in folks.......

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/377538_port03.html

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

And once again we see it is not about health care and not about reform. Someone, PLEASE, needs to euthanize this political VOMIT before it gets passed into law.

The good news is that each of these "compromises" builds opposition to the bill. Scott Brown for Senator!

[Niels Bohr 72]

Another fear-mongering from the rightwingers. So predictable.

[Ban Hammer 12,884]

Another fear-mongering from the rightwingers. So predictable.

so you're saying what's in the op is wrong?

[NickD 202]

Only thing I know, the only unions we have in Wisconsin are the teachers, city, state, and county workers. If any corporation is threatened by a union, will pack up and go down south and many have done that. Too bad the state leaders also don't go down south, but they just raise taxes instead.

[Pooky 3,367]

Another fear-mongering from the rightwingers. So predictable.

The truth hurts, doesn't it.

Another lame comeback, no refuting the OP, no explanation of the reason behind this farce.

Tell me, who else are the unions going to support? The Republican'ts? I doubt it very much.

So why are the Dimocrats bending over backward to buy off the unions here? What is this payoff for, exactly?

[leith@Ievgeniia 8]

Another fear-mongering from the rightwingers. So predictable.

fear-mongering???? payoffs to uinions, payoff to to 2 states, "open door on cspan' as promise!!! 56%+ of usa dose not what this, 32% support this piece of ####### of bill, sounds like to me your out of touch!! just like congress!!!

who will pay for this?? the rich, the small businesses?? get a grip!!! if i get hit with more taxes, i raise my prices and you pay of it!!!!

FACTS!!!

gees out of liberal! good thing though, your time is up in the fall and jimmy can now thank god!! i am not worst president in history~~!!!!

and i guess u will give me the finger,

[natty bumppo 289]

didn't you know that Niels belongs to the engineers union ... he really drives a train.

[leith@Ievgeniia 8]

i worked on amtrack as a chef for 10 years. still do not care for the union. worked all over the usa, great employees and still have some super firends, but management deserves to deal with the union in that case

[Niels Bohr 72]

Natty,

You drive a train of nuts. I drive a train that runs your world.

Edited January 17, 2010 by Niels Bohr

[natty bumppo 289]

Natty,

You drive a train of nuts. I drive a train that runs your world.

and it's serviced by the same people you sneer at ...

[Pooky 3,367]

Natty,

You drive a train of nuts. I drive a train that runs your world.

Then pray that someone working the signals is up to the job and switches you to the right track, 'cos the one you're on is going nowhere.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

And once again we see it is not about health care and not about reform. Someone, PLEASE, needs to euthanize this political VOMIT before it gets passed into law.

The good news is that each of these "compromises" builds opposition to the bill. Scott Brown for Senator!

Exactly.

Goooooo Scott Brown!!!!!!

[Pooky 3,367]

And still no "Pro-Healthcare" counter-argument or explanation. Very telling.