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Monday, June 8, 2015
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Defining The Fine To Feel Fine
by Ehi Ekuase
Things that are expensive: Paintings at the Lourve in France,
opening a Swiss bank account, buying a house, Education, Ignorance (overstand me), a pair of Air Yeezy 2’s,
and waking up in a new Bugatti; but as expensive as these things are, rarely is
anything more expensive as healthcare. It’s less than likely that the regular
person will buy the Mona Lisa or drop the $100,000 minimal deposit needed open
a Swiss bank account, it’s less than likely that the average individual will
get a pair of Air Yeezy 2’s and wake up in a Bugatti the following day AND not
everyone would want to get a college degree. All that was previously listed
(with the exception of ignorance) will not have
a direct effect on your general wellbeing if you choose to not spend any money
on them; BUT healthcare on the other hand is something that is expensive and directly
effects your wellbeing…unless you were born with a healing factor that allows
you to recover from virtually any wound, disease, or toxin at an accelerated
rate—you will inevitably spend money on something(s) that will help you get
healthy (and inevitably cost yourself money during the time lost during
recovery).
Now, given that government spending on
Healthcare coverage (Medicare and Medicaid) is increasing
and with the cost of healthcare methods inevitably increasing due to factors such as the rising cost of malpractice insurance for doctors (which involves the increase in additional unnecessary test being administered by hospitals and doctors to solely to cover their asses), increasing Emergency Room visits as results of violence and self destructive behaviors in society, etc--the Affordable Care Act (AKA "Obamacare") was created to produce a butterfly affect of reform in the healthcare system to ultimately reduce the burden placed on the government. Like car insurance, all citizens will be required to have coverage or face a penalty.
The penalty of the Affordable Care Act is something that has warranted much concern from the people, but as it stands now, consumers don’t have to report on whether they have coverage or are exempt from the mandate until they file their 2014 income tax return, which are due April 15, 2015. (Insurers will be required to provide everyone they cover with information that will help them demonstrate they individuals who don’t obtain health coverage in a given year (and are not exempt from the mandate) are subject to a fine of $95 for an individual or 1% of family income, whichever is greater. In 2015, the penalty increases to $325 per adult, or 2% of family income, whichever is greater. If an individual does not have sufficient health coverage by the deadline, the “IRS will hold back the amount of the fee from any future tax refunds,” according to HealthCare.gov, the government’s marketplace website. If the individual does not get a tax refund, the “IRS could carry over the sum due and apply it against any refunds in future years. On a joint return, the penalty of one joint filer could be applied against the refund due to the other joint filer,” as stated by Mark Luscombe, principal analyst at CCH Tax & Accounting North America.
Timothy Jost, a professor at the Washington and Lee University School of Law and coauthor of the casebook “Health Law” says,"If you don’t pay it, all they can do is wait until they owe you some money and take that. Or probably just send you a letter every now and then reminding you that you owe money to the IRS”. Importantly, the law also prohibits the IRS from using liens or levies to collect any “payment you owe related to the law, if you, your spouse or a dependent included on your tax return does not have minimum essential coverage,” according to the IRS, meaning that the IRS cannot go into a person’s “checking accounts anyway and just take the money.
It's going to be interesting to see how all this pan's out. Until next time, stay healthy and may you one day wake up in a new Bugatti.
Cited Sources:
Friday, October 18, 2013
Nothing Was The Same: Congress After The Shutdown
by Ehi Ekuase
After having "fought the good fight" that prevented almost all government employees from receiving their income, with the sole purpose of hindering a competitive healthcare program to aid Americans, House Speaker John Boehner and the rest of the GOP finally compromised. On October 17, 2013 (votes in the Senate, by 81-18, and the House, by 285-144) government offices and agencies reopened, along with the government's ability to borrow money before it ran out of money to pay on its existing debts...Smh, it was sounding like the government was going to have to take out a payday loan from another country to get by this month, that or sell a State (I select Wyoming...who knows anyone from Wyoming? I couldn't rub two friends together and produce a casual acquaintance from Wyoming).
Nonetheless, even with Congress' spending power increased, that solution will only keep the government funded through January 15, 2014 and raise the debt limit through February 7, 2013. This means we will have to cross this road again, which potentially means placing Americans under unnecessary hardships and placing the county's credit rating and international credibility at risk--yet again. The possibility of another government shutdown happening is VERY real, especially with donations to the Senate Conservatives Fund greatly increasing in September as the political action committee helped push a conservative rebellion in Congress to dismantle President Obama's health care law; the interference of ideology blind politicians, like Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, stating that he'll, "continue to do anything" to derail healthcare law" and President Obama refusing to back down from his stance on healthcare...the term "Furlough" will eventually become the new F-bomb--Smh, fuck.
As "Obamacare" now becomes the next hot topic in Congress and the government shutdown fading away into the background, I have one question: Were politicians still receiving pay during the government shutdown (they are public servants)? I just find it ironic that politicians could still enjoy their pay and the benefits of government subsidized healthcare, while their constituents were made to temporarily do without--especially since politicians are paid by the taxes their constituents pay to the government.
Cited Sources:
Monday, October 14, 2013
CTRL+ALT+DEFAULT
We are in day 14 of the government shutdown, but with so much happening in the country--increased crime rates, politicians benefiting from government subsidized healthcare telling their constituents to rally AGAINST government subsidized healthcare and the release of GTA V (smh...BUY IT!), its easy to understand how someone could lose count. Our present government shutdown is not the first nor is it the longest, our government has had 17 shutdowns since the passing of the Antideficiency Act (originally enacted in 1884 and was made to prevent congress from making any new financial obligations or paying existing obligations that exceed the budget they set), with the longest shutdown period being 21 days (December 15, 1995 to January 6, 1996 under the Clinton Administration).
Now, one would assume with elected 535 officials (100 in the Senate and 435 in the House of Representatives) representing their constituents as a individually and representing the nation as a whole on Capital Hill, that they would put aside petty differences and irrelevant ideologies to unite and prevent unnecessary hardships to the thousands of people in our country and if you assumed this...I apologize, I send you my condolences with a Hallmark Card and a Drake CD. No side is really budging, while we approach defaulting on our existing financial obligations. According to a recent article in USA TODAY, "...the fiscal crisis gripping Washington now hangs on whether two men can broker a deal: The Senate Republican and Democratic leaders. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., closed Sunday's Senate session saying he was "optimistic" that talks he has been having with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., can lead to an end of the federal government shutdown and an increase in the nation's debt limit". After reading this, you could be possibly be thinking the same thing that some people thought after hearing their names..."Who the f#@k are they?" and I don't blame them, lots of Americans can't name 3 branches of government yet alone name the individuals that occupy those branches.
Nonetheless, Senators Reid and McConnell are being looked at as the team-up needed to end the shutdown. Currently the goal in congress is to have a compromise reached by October 17, 2013, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. stated that, "Americans want Congress to do its job. … That's all they're asking us to do" and continued to say, "I'm confident and hopeful that will be accomplished." Given the climate, would a compromise reached by the 17th? less than likely, but if one reached it would possible have quite a few questionable stipulations with it. Like the other officials in the Senate, we the people can only hope for the best with the talks between Senators Reid and McConnell.
Cited Sources:
1. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/10/13/senators-rand-paul-lindsey-graham-government-shutdown/2975603/
2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/RL34680.pdf
3. http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/a-brief-history-of-federal-government-shutdowns/
4. http://www.gao.gov/legal/lawresources/antideficiencybackground.html
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