While I'm not a fan of ObamaCare and would not consider this to be a move of a man with high integrity, I have to step back and admire the brilliance of this tactical political move.
For those that don't want to read the article, in a nutshell Obama is delaying the employee mandate for employers who have between 50 and 99 workers. Already, employers below 50 workers are exempt. But, the catch for those between 50 and 99 employees is they have to swear to the IRS that they've not made any cuts in order just to avoid the ObamaCare penalty.
At first, I was just angry at another dictator like decree that reverses part of a law that was the "law of the land" when Republicans were opposing it. But in the end, I couldn't help having some admiration for the brilliance.
There is no way the government can prove a company fired people to get below the 100 employee mandate unless someone in the company tells them. And if a company is around 100 employees, chances are it is run by one or two people who could easily make that decision without leaving a paper trail.
So how does this help Obama?
1. Consider a company between 50 and 99 employee who was thinking about cutting down to 49 employees to avoid the mandate. They can still cut down to 49 employees and tell the world. But they now don't have to. They can now keep up to 99 employees, pay no penalty, but come election time they won't have stories of making cuts to avoid ObamaCare.
2. Consider a company with 100 or more employees that is trying to avoid the penalty. They can cut to 99 employees, pay no penalty. But come election time they have to keep their mouth shut. If they admit they cut someone to avoid a penalty, they can be charged with perjury.
If a company with more than 100 employees drops below 50, they are free to tell the world. But chances are it is more than ObamaCare that causes that large of a employee reduction.
Essentially what Obama is doing is saying is that if you have to make cuts to avoid a penalty, we'll let you keep 100 instead of 50 as long as you keep your mouth shut.
I know a lot of people despise Obama, but you have to admit, this is a very shrewd political move. Come election time, Republicans can cite statistics, but they're not going to have any anecdotes about layoffs to use as campaign fodder even though it will almost certainly be happening.
Originally posted by whodey I would say that delaying any aspect of the ACA would be brilliant.
But repealing it would border on genius!!
You're assuming the goal is good policy. From that perspective, I would disagree that repealing ObamaCare would be genius. A person of very ordinary intelligence can see how bad ObamaCare is as health care policy.
I'm coming from the perspective of reducing the chances of facing backlash for poor policy. From this perspective, the latest maneuver is very smart.
Originally posted by techsouth You're assuming the goal is good policy. From that perspective, I would disagree that repealing ObamaCare would be genius. A person of very ordinary intelligence can see how bad ObamaCare is as health care policy.
I'm coming from the perspective of reducing the chances of facing backlash for poor policy. From this perspective, the latest maneuver is very smart.
I've got to say: well played, Obama, well played.
So tell us, do you champion the President single handedly changing a law all by his lonesome?
If so, he could conceivably change any laws out there.
Originally posted by techsouth You're assuming the goal is good policy. From that perspective, I would disagree that repealing ObamaCare would be genius. A person of very ordinary intelligence can see how bad ObamaCare is as health care policy.
I'm coming from the perspective of reducing the chances of facing backlash for poor policy. From this perspective, the latest maneuver is very smart.
I've got to say: well played, Obama, well played.
I think I agree with you. After using Obama Care as a hammer on the Republican House in the budget and debt ceiling fights (he wouldn't budge), on his own, at his time, he made many of the changes Republicans had asked for, and took credit for the ideas. A bit Clintonesque.
Originally posted by whodey So tell us, do you champion the President single handedly changing a law all by his lonesome?
If so, he could conceivably change any laws out there.
I would hope I've written enough on these forums for everyone to realize I'm not in favor of any of this.
Ultimately ObamaCare is a terrible law that if enforced will cause great hardship on many. Obama has become a kind of a soft totalitarian dictator by getting such a terrible law passed and then wielding the power to offer exemptions and waivers. Of course you want to make the president happy if he has the power to relieve a terrible legal burden on your business. This is not as bad as the kind of power Hitler had, but it is of the same essence. Speak out publicly against Obama, you just might not get that waiver you need and could lose your business as a result. Even the unions are requesting exemptions from ObamaCare. You can bet Obama will remember their support when he decides who gets exemptions and who doesn't.
You and I realize all this, but liberals are going to defend Obama even as things get much worse.
Originally posted by techsouth I would hope I've written enough on these forums for everyone to realize I'm not in favor of any of this.
Ultimately ObamaCare is a terrible law that if enforced will cause great hardship on many. Obama has become a kind of a soft totalitarian dictator by getting such a terrible law passed and then wielding the power to offer exemptions and waivers. ...[text shortened]... ou and I realize all this, but liberals are going to defend Obama even as things get much worse.
Originally posted by techsouth While I'm not a fan of ObamaCare and would not consider this to be a move of a man with high integrity, I have to step back and admire the brilliance of this tactical political move.
For those that don't want to read the article, in a nutshell ...[text shortened]... dotes about layoffs to use as campaign fodder even though it will almost certainly be happening.
Interesting post, and yes, it may be a smart political move, but lost in all this babble about Obamacare is the fact that millions of hard working Americans have no healthcare coverage, and The ACA will go a long way in addressing this need. It's too bad so many American's worship the almighty corporation above God, and have lost sight of the fact that many companies are sitting on a mountain of cash, and won't spend an extra penny of it to cover their employees (except for upper management...of course!) 😏
Originally posted by bill718 It's too bad so many American's worship the almighty corporation above God, 😏
Obama is the modern day Moses bringing the word of God to all. We must blindly follow Obama or there could be biblical floods, plagues or we might be forced to wander in the desert for 4 decades. Perhaps, global warming is really just Obama wrath's for those Americans who do not blindly follow the words of Obama.
Originally posted by quackquack Obama is the modern day Moses bringing the word of God to all. We must blindly follow Obama or there could be biblical floods, plagues or we might be forced to wander in the desert for 4 decades. Perhaps, global warming is really just Obama wrath's for those Americans who do not blindly follow the words of Obama.
Originally posted by bill718 Interesting post, and yes, it may be a smart political move, but lost in all this babble about Obamacare is the fact that millions of hard working Americans have no healthcare coverage, and The ACA will go a long way in addressing this need. It's too bad so many American's worship the almighty corporation above God, and have lost sight of the fact that many ...[text shortened]... pend an extra penny of it to cover their employees (except for upper management...of course!) 😏
What you like to ignore is the fact that Obamacare has made it so that millions of Americans who had health insurance can no longer afford it.
Originally posted by bill718 Interesting post, and yes, it may be a smart political move, but lost in all this babble about Obamacare is the fact that millions of hard working Americans have no healthcare coverage, and The ACA will go a long way in addressing this need. It's too bad so many American's worship the almighty corporation above God, and have lost sight of the fact that many ...[text shortened]... pend an extra penny of it to cover their employees (except for upper management...of course!) 😏
I wonder if after all is said and done, we have fewer or more uninsured. Around me, more people have lost insurance than have gained it.
You are in business. Do you have "a mountain of cash"? The truth is that most businesses are deep in debt, virtual debt zombies barely earning enough to pay their debt service. Look at the big merger with Comcast and Time/Warner. No cash involved, a multibillion $ acquisition for Comcast involving just stock and stock options. Almost every big business uses most of it's cash for payroll, and energy cost.
Originally posted by whodey So tell us, do you champion the President single handedly changing a law all by his lonesome?
If so, he could conceivably change any laws out there.
Obama has proven that he is a tyrant. I wish he'd get himself one of those fancy fake military uniforms with the shoulder boards and the medals, like his buddies Qaddafi and Noriega.
Obama Team Brilliant Political Maneuver
11 Feb '14 19:19
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