for life and liberty

Obamacare’s ‘Cool Calculator: Work Disincentives Like Never Before

"Look at what happens once a single person who is 50 or older hits annual earnings of $45,961. At that point, what remains of those wonderful “tax credits” goes up in smoke. For a 50 year-old single person, dollar number 45,961 causes their annual exchange premium (i.e., 'tax') to increase from $4,366 to $5,390. That’s because what Kaiser calls Obamacare’s 'government tax credit subsidy' (they’re also having a hard time with the language) goes from $1,024 to zero. For a 64 year old, a 'tax credit subsidy' of $4,688 gets zeroed out. The marginal tax rate on dollar number 45,961 for that person is a whopping 468,800%." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObamacare’s ‘Cool Calculator: Work Disincentives Like Never Before

Obamacare hides switch of subsidies from young to old, says study

"A new analysis of Obamacare prices says the much-touted taxpayer subsidies for young people are smaller than promised. The missing subsidies will jack up costs for young, healthy people who are single and childless, which may deter many from joining the government-run network. This, in turn, would likely boost Obamacare’s costs to all taxpayers. The new data also shows that officials are choosing to steer the promised subsidies to older people, despite their relatively fewer expenses for children, student loans, careers and housing." Continue reading →

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One man’s ObamaCare nightmare

"Andy and Amy Mangione of Louisville, Ky. and their two boys are just the kind of people who should be helped by ObamaCare. But they recently got a nasty surprise in the mail. Insurance for the Mangiones and their two boys,which they bought on the individual market, was going to almost triple in 2014 --- from $333 a month to $965. The insurance carrier made it clear the increase was in order to be compliant with the new health care law. The President's new law, the Affordable Care Act, for the Mangiones will be anything but affordable because the law adds a new tax on every insurance policy and requires a list of additional benefits the Mangiones didn’t want to pay for." Continue reading →

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ObamaCare’s Bad Surprises Begin on October 1.

"You must have a plan by January 1, or else pay a tax to the government: 1% of your 2013 income, or $95, whichever is more. This tax will rise every year. There is a calculator to show what coverage will cost you. It shows if you are eligible for tax credits. People with low incomes will not qualify for tax credits. But they will have to pay the extra premiums. This is called 'helping the poor.' I'm on Medicare. You pay my premiums ($12,000 a year). My wife has Christian Health Care Ministries. She pays $1,000 a year. What about you? What about your children? They lose your coverage at age 26. Young people lose the subsidies at lower income than had been originally promoted." Continue reading →

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Annual Medicare Subsidy Per Enrolled Member, 2011: $12,000

"Few voters know what the average Medicare beneficiary receives each year. This rises every year. It was about $11,000 in 2008. In 2011, it was $12,000. Americans become eligible at age 65. Beginning in the year 2010, the baby boomers began to reach age 65. They were born in 1946, the year after World War II ended. The birth rate soared. It did not reverse until 1958. There is no question what is going to happen to Medicare. It is today the #1 government expense: 23%. This percentage will be over 50% before the boomers depart, unless Medicare is abandoned by younger voters in a great default." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAnnual Medicare Subsidy Per Enrolled Member, 2011: $12,000

Man tries to float from Mexico to U.S. on duffel bag filled with pot

"Border Patrol agents arrested a man who they said tried to float from Mexico to the U.S. on a duffel bag filled with marijuana. Agents said Monday the man was stopped about a mile north of the border near San Diego after they heard reports Sept. 19 of someone swimming late at night in the Pacific Ocean. The agents said the 55-year-old man was floating about 600 yards from shore. The man told agents he was from Mexico, and he was taken into custody. Agents said they found a little more than 52 pounds of pot inside the bag. The marijuana was worth more than $23,000, agents said." Continue reading →

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The Deadly Origins of the Next Disruptive Technology

"So what does the e-cig market look like? It’s certainly changed in the past year. In April 2012, one of the big cigarette companies threw its hat in the ring. This was Lorillard, maker of Newport and other cigarette brands. They spent $135 million on the purchase of blu e-cigarettes. They’ve seen a lot of success with the brand. Sales have grown from $8 million in in the second quarter of 2012 to $57 million in the second quarter 2013. This is a gain of more than 600%. Lorillard claims they hold around 40% of the total e-cig market share. With big players acquiring companies, it is clear to me that e-cigs are not a fad. They are the real deal. And as they say, a rising tide lifts all boats." Continue reading →

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Second California county joins push to form state of ‘Jefferson’

"A second county in rural northern California voted on Tuesday to explore the possibility of seceding and joining a new state. Modoc County’s board of supervisors voted 4-0 for the move, which was supported by the majority of the 40 attendees at the meeting, including a spokesperson for the Jefferson Declaration Committee, the group hoping to compel at least six counties in the area to sign on before asking state lawmakers for approval. If the state assembly approves Jefferson’s formation, it would then go to Congress for consideration. The board’s vote came 21 days after officials in neighboring Siskiyou County signaled their intention to break away in a 4-1 vote." Continue reading →

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McCain’s Moderates Join Al-Qaeda

"Now this week the final strategic pillar of McCain and the neocons has come crashing to the ground. Critical elements of the ever-shrinking 'moderate' Free Syrian Army have this week pledged their loyalty to the local al-Qaeda franchise in Syria, which happens to be on the US terror list. How can President Obama, McCain, Lindsay Graham, Samantha Power, John Kerry, and the rest of the neoconservatives and humanitarian interventionists continue to justify sending weapons of war to such people? How is it possible that a 'global war on terror' has morphed into a 'global effort to arm terrorists'? Does it not seem rather insane?" Continue reading →

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Gun registry ‘scheme’ among concerns over US signing of UN arms treaty

"The treaty would regulate the $70 billion global trade in conventional arms. The U.S. is the largest arms exporter in the world, and Kerry's signature was seen as a significant step in pushing it forward. Supporters say the treaty sends a bold global message advocating the first-ever moral standards on the cross-border trade linked to human rights violations around the world. But to some on U.S. soil, the treaty treads into dangerous territory and could step on the constitutional rights of Americans. They point in part to language, at the very beginning of the document, that includes 'small arms and light weapons' and worry this could cover firearms owned by Americans." Continue reading →

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