Obama's federal rules and regulations are costing average U.S. household $14,974 annually...

This is a backdoor tax increase by Obama.

Via The Washington Examiner:

Here's a sobering fact likely known to few Americans outside of the nation's capital: The federal government is the only government on earth that collects more than $1 trillion in taxes annually.

That's not unexpected since the U.S. also has the biggest single national economy in the world. It stands to reason the most productive economy would generate the most tax revenue.

But there is another way to look at that data point. Are there additional costs to Americans as a result of what the federal government does with its trillions in tax revenues?

Wayne Crews of the Competitive Enterprise Institute provides a definitive answer to that question today with publication of the latest edition of his annual compilation, "10,000 Commandments: An annual snapshot of the federal regulatory state."

Crews estimates the annual cost of compliance with the record number of new federal rules and regulations issued under President Obama at $1.863 trillion.

That works out to a $14,974 "hidden tax" every year for the average U.S. household. That's 23 percent of the $65,596 annual average household income in America.

Cost of ReidCare: $6,363.94 Per Actual Tax Payer

From Free Republic via Weasel Zippers:

Based on the number of taxes filed in 2008 and the number of people who actually pay taxes roughly 6 out of 10 who file or 60%

From Fox News: "To get all 58 Democrats and two independents on board, Reid, among other things, had to drop a government-run insurance option and a Medicare buy-in and had to increase taxes by $25 billion more than planned, bringing the total tax increases to $518 billion."

135,660,228 (based on people who filed taxes in 2008) X 60% = 81,396,137 who actually pay taxes

$518,000,000,000 (amount of Health Care total tax increase) divided 81,396,137(Americans who pay taxes) = $6,363.94 per actual tax payer.

Obama Redefines What a Tax Increase is

President Obama sputters as he tries to explain why forcing people to buy health insurance is not a tax increase. When Stephanopoulos reads Obama the dictionary definition of a tax increase, Obama sputters, "George, the fact that you looked up Merriam's Dictionary, the… definition of tax increase, indicates to me that you're stretching a little bit right now."



From the video:

STEPHANOPOULOS: That may be, but it's still a tax increase.

OBAMA: No. That's not true, George. The… ?for us to say that you've got to take a responsibility to get health insurance is absolutely not a tax increase. What it's saying is, is that we're not going to have other people carrying your burdens for you anymore than the fact that… right now everybody in America, just about, has to get auto insurance. Nobody considers that a tax increase. People say to themselves, that is a fair way to make sure that if you hit my car, that I'm not covering all the costs.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But it may be fair, it may be good public policy...

OBAMA: No, but… but, George, you… you can't just make up that language and decide that that's called a tax increase. Any...

STEPHANOPOULOS: Here's the...

OBAMA: What… what… if I… if I say that right now your premiums are going to be going up by 5 or 8 or 10 percent next year and you say… well, that's not a tax increase; but, on the other hand, if I say that I don't want to have to pay for you not carrying coverage even after I give you tax credits that make it affordable, then...

STEPHANOPOULOS: I… I don't think I'm making it up. Merriam Webster's Dictionary: Tax…"a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes."

OBAMA: George, the fact that you looked up Merriam's Dictionary, the… definition of tax increase, indicates to me that you're stretching a little bit right now. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone to the… dictionary to check on the definition. I mean what...

STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, no, but...

OBAMA: ...what you're saying is...

STEPHANOPOULOS: I wanted to check for myself. But your critics say it is a tax increase.

OBAMA: My critics say everything is a tax increase. My critics say that I'm taking over every sector of the economy. You know that.

Americans Want Tax Cuts, Not New Health Care Spending

A new Rasmussen poll has found that a majority of Americans would prefer middle class tax cuts to new government spending on health care. Meanwhile, the Democrats are struggling to fund their health care reform. Tax increases for the middle class are still on the table.

From Rasmussen:

Fifty-four percent (54%) of U.S. voters say tax cuts for the middle class are more important than new spending for health care reform, even as President Obama’s top economic advisers signal that tax hikes may be necessary.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, taken Monday and Tuesday nights, finds that 34% disagree and say new spending for health care reform is more important. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure.

It is important to note that this question asked about new government spending for health care reform rather than about the overall concept of health care reform itself.

The partisan and ideological divide on the question is sizable. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Democrats say new spending for health care reform is the priority. But 80% of Republicans and 62% of voters not affiliated with either party favor tax cuts for the middle class.

House Democrats propose mandatory insurance and a $1 trillion tax increase for successful Americans

House Democrats are preparing to unveil a health insurance overhaul that proposes mandatory insurance and a $1 trillion tax increase for successful Americans. Is this the change America voter for?

From the New York Times:

House Democrats are preparing on Tuesday afternoon to unveil a full draft of their sweeping health care legislation, including an income surtax on the country’s highest wage-earners to help pay the 10-year, roughly $1 trillion cost of the measure.

The House bill will include all the hallmarks of a revamped health care system that Democrats have been clamoring for, including a new government-run insurance plan that would compete with private insurers. The goal, of course, is to broadly expand health coverage to the more than 40 million Americans without insurance, while slowing the steep rise in cost of medical care and improving patient outcomes with more effective treatments.

The bill will prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, and will also require all Americans to obtain health insurance. But many of its key provisions, including the public insurance option, will take several years to kick in.