Opinions of a Wandering Waif

sdscomments:

waifsworld:

sds:

“Never before has Congress required people to buy a private product to qualify as a law-abiding citizen.”

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ObamaCare and the Constitution - WSJ.com

via skooks777 (via hilker) (via obamacare)

That is not true. There is nothing in the bill that requires a person to buy a particular product. All is says is that if you want the tax break, you have to prove you have insurance. 

It is no more unconstitutional than the tax break mortgagees get. ~ waif

What in the world are you talking about? What “tax break”? The bill is very clear: if you do not purchase insurance that meets government requirements, you will be fined.

From the Christian Science Monitor:

Are there penalties if you don’t buy insurance?

If you ignore this mandate and don’t get health insurance, you’ll have to pay a tax penalty to the federal government, beginning in 2014. This fine starts fairly small, but by the time it is fully phased in, in 2016, it is substantial.

An insurance-less person would have to pony up whichever is greater: $695 for each uninsured family member, up to a maximum of $2,085; or 2.5 percent of household income.

There are exceptions. Certain people with religious objections would not have to get health insurance. Nor would American Indians, illegal immigrants, or people in prison.

Emphasis mine.

Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to levy taxes, but they must be uniform—every citizen must be taxed, if a tax is given. So it is with the health care bill, every citizen must have it, uniformly. If you want to avoid the tax penalty, buy insurance. If you buy insurance, you don’t pay the tax…you get a break on the tax.  ~ waif