Obama-WaxmanCare and King Henry Waxman the Taxman

"All those taxes? Well we had to pass
the bill so that you could see what
was in the bill"

You need to know that your arguments fall on deaf ears in Santa Monica. This City has a large majority of registered democrats and we LOVE Henry Waxman. I can't imagine anyone better suited to represent me in congress than Henry Waxman. I actually feel blessed to have him as my representative! His "reign" has been underpinned by a large majority of very satisfied voters. He represents our views, he's effective and responsive. Since you brought up the imperial term "reign", I'll respond with an imperial slogan - "LONG LIVE HENRY WAXMAN!". Ellen Brennan Santa Monica

So, King Waxman the Taxman is showing his true colors for the first time. Over the past few days, the first few of many Obama-WaxmanCare taxes have come into effect.

The medical device surtax of 2.9% has become law, a charge which liberal Senator-elect Elizabeth Warren from liberal Massachusetts opposed. Now, every time a hospital wants to refurbish or replace medical devices, think stints, catheters, and the rest -- the hospital will have to pay more, and so will the patient. In Michigan, a purple state which is tilting slightly to the right, a number of medical device firms will either lay off workers or close down entirely.

A new 3.8% surtax on all capital gains and dividends, including homeowners, will now be levied. Want to invest in anything, you will pay a tax on it. Want to buy or sell any property, you will also pay a tax on it.

The bigger tax does not hit until January 2014, when businesses will either have to provide health insurance, or they will pay a hefty fine. Small businesses are giving up their healthcare plans altogether

Obamacare does not care for the young and still healthy in California, either:

1. Young health insurance recipients will pay higher premiums, even though the older demographics will use uo five times as much health care. Younger drivers pay more for the car insurance, but not because older people get into more accidents or take up more space on the road.

2. Because Obsama-WaxmanCare prohibits insurance companies from establishing annual limits, most universities will no longer offer low-cost health coverage for students since they cannot bear the cost of unending health care.

3. One unnoticed provision in the bill has nationalized the disbursement of student loan dollars. The federal government will print as much as it chooses to, followed by increase college costs, and more borrowing, which will only make a college education all the more unaffordable and unattainable.

4. The Medicaid expansion will crush already overburdened state budgets, which have no money left for education.

5. Young voters will be the diminished workforce of torrow, and they are going to be saddled with today's debt.

Speaking of national debt, Congress just passed a "Satan sandwich" fiscal cliff deal with will raise taxes on all who make more than $400k a year, followed by an extension of unemployment, a deferral of the sequester, and no spending cuts. The deal, hatched and patched in the midnight hour, will add four trillion dollars to the national debt, and the next generation will be paying for it.

When I contacted Congressman Waxman's office (January 3, 2013), the staffer acknowledged that Waxman voted for the fiscal cliff deal. According to the same staffer, Waxman did not approve the deal. He wanted the fiscal matters to be resolved, but he does not want the burden to fall on the middle class.

This noble talk flies in the face of reality, or assumes that his constituents have no knowledge, wisdom, or intelligence. During the previous decade, Congressman Waxman voted against every middle class and working class tax cut. He opposed tax credits for health savings accounts, and he voted against ending the marriage penalty and the death tax.

His signature law, Obama-WaxmanCare, is driving hospitals into bankruptcy while raising premiums and diminishing access. While one glowing website claims that more Americans have "access" to health coverage, the reality is far different. Just because there is more "access" does not mean anyone will get any more coverage. In fact, states must expand their Medicaid rolls, which will force current recipients to fight against the millions of newcomers for care from a wasteful and overburdened program. USNews and World Reports outlined how Obamacare kills job growth. A growing number if businesses are placing workers on part-time status to avoid the excessive healthcare costs associated with Obama-WaxmanCare.

While voters in 2012 may have chimed "Long Live Henry Waxman!", the fate of our health care and our state may not live as long as long as King Henry Waxman the Taxman remains in power. Then next time someone looks for a job, or uses their "access to health insurance" to get health care, they can thank Congressman Waxman for drafting a 2,400 page law which even he could not explain, which had to be passed so we could find all of these taxes in it, which is costing this country and its citizens dearly, and the worst is yet to come.