A Tempting Offer by Democratic Hopefuls

Much like events transpiring in Nebraska, I have a tendency to ignore events in the Democratic Party because more the half the time, I find myself more than slightly agitated as a result. With an upcoming election year, I cannot ignore or neglect these news reports, as tempting as it would be, but I find myself intrigued by some of the ideas I am hearing.

Hillary has released her plan for universal health care. Despite my Republican, or rather Libertarian tendencies, universal health care is tempting. My husband has to pay close to $200 per month for mediocre coverage that often leaves us hanging. I luck out that the company I work for has amazing health coverage for all employees but spouses are not covered. Hillary seems to think mandating coverage is the way to go and we’ll be able to pay for our coverage through income tax credits. Hillary, in my opinion, has lost touch with the needs and wants of the American people. We want health coverage, but as our debt prone nation is often found doing, a tax credit is often found spent on more items we cannot afford as we attempt yet again to keep up with every other family on the block. My tax credit for health insurance would most likely be spent of fixing my car, leaving me to worry about my health insurance bill another day.

Hillary’s proposed health care plan is tempting. We will all have health insurance. There will be a tax cut. It is almost enough to lure you into a false sense of security.

Barack Obama has realized his proposed tax cuts as part of his campaign for the democratic ticket. And I must confess – if Obama wins the democratic ticket, he will have my vote. And I have never voted for a democrat in my life.

Obama said at the Tax Policy Center that the current tax code is working for the wrong priorities. As someone who really feels the impact of each tax dollar taken out of her pay check, I am apt to agree. After all, more than half of my take home pay goes towards student loans. If the present tax code rewards wealth instead of work, how can those of us who only have work ever hope to get ahead?

He also has great plans to end income tax for senior citizens who make less than fifty thousand a year. Thank Goodness. I look at all the time that is spent trying to sort out my grandparents income tax each year, mind you for an elderly couple who haven’t worked in over twenty years, and I have this hope that finally someone understands that taxing people who receive Social Security isn’t the brightest idea.

What really won me over to Obama’s plan though was the idea of five minute filings.

"There's no reason the IRS can't send Americans pre-filled tax forms to verify," he said. "This means no more worry. No more wasted time. No more extra expenses for a tax preparer."

Wow. Imagine not needing to spend hours at the accountant. Imagine just verifying a document and mailing it back. Imagine the IRS doing something more to justify their agency’s existance.
I’ve been sucked in already but we still have over a year to see how all of this will play out.