(left) The Winners of the 2008 Presidential Election As my chiropractor twisted me into a knot and clicked and crunched me, he explained why his practice is now part-time. He's returned full-time to being a "G-Man." He's got his old union garbage collection job back, mostly for the health benefits.
With his knees on top of my hips, he reached and pulled my arm towards him. "Did you hear Obama's gonna tax union healthcare?" Oh yeah? I enquired cautiously. "Yes, to pay for his plan he's going to tax what they call the Cadillac plans. The labor leaders are meeting with him today." CLICK.
And the union leaders did meet Obama. Behind closed doors. The White House demanded that labor not discuss the meeting with the press. (contradicts Obama election promise #152: all healthcare plan meetings would be broadcast on C-SPAN.)
All of a sudden our union health benefits (mine ran out in October) are deemed Cadillac plans. On NPR the "experts" lectured me yesterday that union members are more likely to visit doctors more than others. The implication is that: A. We have too much healthcare and B. that we have NO lives and have nothing better to do than read People magazine in doctors waiting rooms. The rich have seemless, endless healthcare, do THEY spend their days hanging out at the hospital running unnecessary tests? I don't think so.
The head of the AFL-CIO recognizes that union members will be pissed about all this. They spent $100 million of our dues getting Obama elected. He refuses to pass the weakest pro-union laws. Instead he stabs us where it hurts with a tax on the union benefits we fought and won in our union contracts. So Trumka, the AFL-CIO head, threatens that union members will boycott the 2010 elections. It's an empty threat. Why not instead mobilize union members for a rank and file-run Labor Party? The result would be instant. Both big parties would immediately pass all sorts of pro-working class legislation.
So WHAT IS OBAMA THINKING? The Democrats will unquestionably lose the union vote now. And what do the Democrats get? A slap on the back at the country club for doing what's right for "the country?" How far can Obama go on his drive to the right? Probably a lot more. The reserve team of American Capitalism, the Democratic Party, WILL lose this November's mid-term elections. The question is: will there be somewhere else for us to put our vote?
From today's news: January 12th, 2010
"Obama has come out in favor of the so-called 'Cadillac tax' "
from Obama speech, October 4th, 2008:
"John McCain's plan taxes healthcare benefits for the first time in history . . . and middle class people watch the system they rely on begin to unravel before their eyes . . . well that's not right . . . we can do better than that!"
(From Obama's website Organizing America dated: October 4th, 2008)
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:JvID8Ocj0YEJ:www.barackobama.com/2008/10/04/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_129.php+2008+John+McCain+calls+these+plans+“Cadillac+plans.”+Now+in+some+cases,+it+may+be+that+a+corporate+CEO+is+getting+too+good+a+deal.+But+what+if+you’re+a+line+worker+making+a+good+American+car+like+the+Cadillac%3F+What+if+you’re+one+of+the+steelworkers+who+are+working+right+here+in+Newport+News,+and+you’ve+given+up+wage+increases+in+exchange+for+a+better+health+care%3F+Well,+Senator+McCain+believes+you+should+pay+higher+taxes+too.+The+bottom+line:+the+better+your+health+care+plan+–+the+harder+you’ve+fought+for+your+good+benefits+–+the+higher+the+taxes+you’ll+pay.+%5B%5D+You+see,+Senator+McCain+would+pay+for+his+plan,+in+part,+by+taxing+your+health+care+benefits+for+the+first+time+in+history.&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari
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