Jay Rockefeller admits healthcare reform bill could mean a big tax increase on middle class families

  Today Democrat Senator Jay Rockefeller admitted the the healthcare reform bill may amount to a “big, big tax increase” on the middle class. This is something that I have been writing about for quite some time so you can imagine my pleasant surprise when I read these comments by the Democrat senator.

  Jay Rockefeller speaking of his constituents:

Referring to Baucus, Rockefeller said, “He should understand that (his proposal) means that virtually every single coal miner is going to have a big, big tax put on them because the tax will be put on the company and the company will immediately pass it down and lower benefits because they are self insured, most of them, because they are larger. They will pass it down, lower benefits, and probably this will mean higher premiums for coal miners who are getting very good health care benefits for a very good reason. That is, like steelworkers and others, they are doing about the most dangerous job that can be done in America.”

  Finally a Democrat admits that while it may sound good to the leftists to punish insurance companies by imposing taxes on them that those same companies will just pass the tax on down to the consumers. This is the part of the equation that many of the supporters of this healthcare reform bill miss; the fact that insurance companies are not going to pay for the tax increase, we are.

  He continues:

So that’s not really a smart idea, in fact, it’s a very dangerous idea, and I’m not even sure the coal miners in West Virginia are aware that this is what is waiting if this bill passes

  It sounds like this is one Democrat whose vote for healthcare reform cannot be counted on by fellow Democrats. And I think this point is right on; I believe that many people who support this legislation because of the tax increases that will be levied against the big insurance companies do not realize that the costs will be passed down to them.

  It is not very often that we hear a Democrat speak in terms like this; this is a welcome change. I hope that more Democrats see the light and realize they cannot back a healthcare reform bill that will increase the cost of healthcare.

  Many Americans receive healthcare benefits from their employers tax free, that will change if the healthcare reform bill passes. Jay Rockefeller woke up and now realize this, now we just need more Americans to wake up also.