The Real Costs of Change

Four years of tax increases, then the "benefits" kick in.

Reform

"Rather than reducing costs, the healthcare plan appears to shift costs to employers and higher-income households." - Economists John Silvia and Mark Vitner of Wells Fargo Securities

"The most obvious quantifiable impact of the bill is an increase in taxes for upper income Americans, particularly on investment income. [the law] will expand demand [for healthcare] without much effort to rein in costs." - David Kelly, an economist and chief market strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds

Real Reform Vs Political Agendas

"Real reform doesn't require $569 billion in new tax increases on families and small businesses, slashing more than $400 billion from Medicare, the creation of hundreds of new federal programs and agencies and an all-powerful health care czar.

Real reform shouldn't force individuals and businesses to buy “government-approved” health care or require the IRS to hire more than 16,000 new agents just to enforce all the new mandates and taxes. Couldn't we use 16,000 more doctors and nurses instead?

The wrong path to reform is to raise the cost of health care on those who have it in order to give it to those who don't. Our focus, first and foremost, should be to lower health care costs so more people can afford it and fewer are uninsured.

A better solution is sitting in front of the president and can be voted on this weekend. It's H.R. 4038 — the step-by-step approach advocated by House Republicans. Built upon the advice of leaders of the Texas Medical Center who advocate retaining the best of America's current system while carefully addressing its complex shortfalls, H.R. 4038 is the only major reform bill the Congressional Budget Office confirms will actually lower health care premiums — by up to 10 percent." - Congressman Kevin Brady, 8th District of Texas

Yes, It's That Bad

If the actions of the Democrat leaders of Congress are such that they are criticized by Chris Matthews, then it's really bad.

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"We urge Democrats not to embark on such a fool's errand, especially on a bill that doesn't extend coverage to all Americans or rein in rising health care costs for those individuals and businesses already paying for insurance." - Denver Post Editorial Opinion

"The president's health plan won't solve a problem. It will be the start of bitter fights over funding and policy that will consume the nation for decades to come." - Wall Street Journal

This is where Obamacare is. Everyone knows it won’t work. As liberal Sen. Dick Durbin just admitted, “Anyone who would stand before you and say well, if you pass health care reform next year’s health care premiums are going down, I don’t think is telling the truth.” - Boston Herald

"We are on the verge of an overheated political meltdown over health care that will result in either a partisan, controversial law that polarizes Washington for years or nothing passing, which would spook Congress into another decade of inactivity." - Atlanta Journal Constitution

While the President's push toward the health care bill commands our government's focus, other issues continue to rise.

"Barack Obama said 3,341 words before he advocated health care reform during his State of the Union address. It was indicative of the White House pledge to pivot to jobs in 2010. As early as last Thanksgiving, the president declared, "I will not rest until businesses are investing again and businesses are hiring again and people have work again."

Nearly four months later, Obama continues to spend most of his waking hours attempting to pass a health care bill. No legislation has so engulfed Washington in decades.

What's intriguing today is the thunderclap unheard. It's the greatest jobs crisis in three-quarters of a century. All political hands are on deck for health care. But to most Americans, the storm is elsewhere." - David Paul Kuhn, Real Clear Politics

"Here’s how you know the massive amounts of debt compiled by the Bush administration, and even greater debt loads promised as part of Barack Obama’s agenda, is reaching crisis proportions: Even the Wall Street bond-rating agencies are now sounding the alarm bellsThe current warning shouldn’t be taken lightly, precisely because ratings agencies like Moody’s have been so late in the past. Calling attention to the country’s debt level must mean we are really heading for trouble." - Charlie Gasparino, Daily Beast