On the Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare):
Passed in March of 2010, the objective of the act was to make medical care affordable, yet premiums keep rising at an unaffordable rate. The act placed costly administrative requirements on doctors and hospitals. Before the act doctors could and did set up their own private practices serving their communities. The administrative burden forced many doctors to affiliate with large practices and/or a hospital. Remember the refrain that “you can keep your doctor”?
The real purpose of the affordable care act was providing health insurance to those 1) who could not afford the premiums, 2) whose employers did not offer a health care plan, 3) to those who had a pre-existing condition and more recently 4) provide health insurance to foreigners who crossed our borders illegally. The government offered health care plans at reduced premiums. Who paid the difference between the cost of the health care plan and the amount charged to those meeting the Obamacare eligibility criteria (400% of the poverty rate)? You did!
At the time this is how it happened. The monthly Medicare tax withheld by your employer increased from 1.45% to 2.35%, The top tax bracket went from 35% to 39.6%, the social security payroll tax increased, Capital Gains tax increased from 15% to 28%, dividend tax went from 15% to 28%, estate tax increased from 0 to 55% and a 3.5% real estate transaction tax was added. The higher taxes are required because Obamacare needs funds to pay the difference between a market based premium and the reduced rate insurance sold to those eligible for Obamacare. They get the same care at a lower premium cost.
During COVID, Congress expanded the number of people eligible to receive Obamacare subsidies by eliminating the 400% of the poverty rate rule. While it was intended to be temporary to help those out of work, the Progressive/Democrats now want to make this permanent, leading to the Schumer shutdown. If you think the Democrats should not be holding the Country hostage, please contact your elected officials, Senators Sanders and Welch, and House Representative Balint and ask them to vote for the Continuing Resolution which provides funds for existing programs and keeps the government running while they sort out their differences (which is called negotiating).
-Eric Salat, Manchester
Dear No kings, Mobilize:
I have, even while holding reservations, locally organized for your coalition because I have understood the danger Trump poses, the Frankenstein let loose by Justice John Roberts. However, I am astounded that by this time there has been no word on organizing for effective actions. We have a dangerous and unstable felon in the White House enabled by an equally dangerous MAGA GOP and six MAGA Supreme Court Justices, all supported by an incongruous coalition of anti-abortionists, intolerant religious fanatics, misogynists, climate deniers, greedy capitalists. As if this were not enough, the dangers of nuclear testing are to begin anew so as to distract us while starving us, denying the right to healthcare and a peaceful world.
What do I mean by effective actions?
Rolling General Strikes
Rolling boycotts.
Mass Teach-In in Washington D.C. to span a week or two where we collectively imagine, complete with details, the world we actually want so as to where to successfully focus our energies We have to know WHAT we want before we take aim.
I plan to push these demands.
Thank you.
-Giovanna Lepore, Jericho
Editor’s note: a letter about the Vermont GOP that appeared in an earlier version of this post was withdrawn at the author’s request.