Tax increase of 3% or 4.6%

The news about the House passing the tax break for the middle class but not for those making over $200,000 is being posted around the web. It is hard to believe that the big uproar is over 33% going back to 36% and 35% going back up to 39.6%. This is on taxable income we are talking about.

I think I should have been more outraged when they cut my gross income 5%. There is now talk about taking another 2.5% of my gross to fund the "Basic Health Plan" (BHP). So here I am, already down 5% gross and the GOP thinks I should be behind keeping the wealthiest from paying an additional 4.6% of their taxable income. No sleep is going to be lost for those folks.


Now, about this new pay cut to fund BHP. Here's the interesting pickle I am in. If I do not support the pay cut of 2.5% I could be facing a pay cut of 100%. The 2.5% cut in pay is in addition to the higher premiums and co-pays in 2010 plus even higher premiums and co-pays in 2011.


The bottom line is that I won't have much of a say on whether I lose the 2.5% or my job. It is up to the folks in Olympia to figure that out.


One thing is sure, the cost to run processing for BHP is getting cheaper since we keep covering fewer and fewer members. Part of my job has been to focus on being a good steward of public money but I try to do that by keeping processing costs down not processing less members.


Today is the second day of December and that means there are 10 more days to wait out to see if we'll know the fate of BHP one way or the other. I can't help but think "why bother" if we keep covering fewer and fewer member. The Washington Health programs seems to be a flop too (you can't sell more expensive coverage to folks that can barely afford the lowest rate coverage).


More later...

Take a minute to visit Old iSkool and The Goal Farm too!
I am sticking with this hands-free data-entry device and still would like someone to volunteer to edit this blog. I'm doing the best I can but it's hard to catch my mistakes and all the times the software doesn't understand me.