Comments on: Broken Tax Promises

By: Maurits Dolmans

Maurits Dolmans — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 08:31:18 +0000

I have to say I pay taxes in the US (a lot) without a vote, and I for one would be pleased if these taxes were used for healthcare, education, public infrastructure etc instead of waging war. As far as I am concerned, even if Obama thought the individual mandate could be seen as a tax (which I doubt, because you get individual health care in exchange), this completely pales in comparison with the WMD lies. Medicine heals. Weapons kill. And as to economical impact, this is what worries me, not Obamacare: http://read.bi/LlqGnS. Based on this, the best way to cut big Government is to start reducing military spending.

By: Jonathan Hutcheson (@jhutch)

Jonathan Hutcheson (@jhutch) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:35:43 +0000

I stand corrected re: the SG after looking back at the briefs and transcript, however it strikes me that was an argument rooted in semantics rather than policy to avoid having the Anti-Injunction Act bar consideration until the fines kicked in around 2015. So, in effect, using that label was crucial to getting the law decided upon this term by SCOTUS (by the slimmest of majorities).

By: Thom Lambert

Thom Lambert — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:35:08 +0000

Jonathan–The government did argue that the penalty was a tax, both in its brief and at oral argument. That was its third argument (after the Commerce Clause and Necessary and Proper Clause arguments). Before the act was passed, though, the Obama administration and congressional Democrats insisted that the penalty was NOT a tax. Avoiding that label was crucial to getting the law enacted (by the slimmest of majorities).

By: Jonathan Hutcheson (@jhutch)

Jonathan Hutcheson (@jhutch) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:38:16 +0000

Thom: Not sure what your point is on this one. SCOTUS construed it as a tax and the SG didn’t actually argue that line of reasoning… so… you are saying Obama planned this as a tax the entire time knowing the Court would rule the way they did and thus broke his promise not to raise taxes on those making less than 250k a year? Please clarify as this feels a bit strained.

By: northfork investor

northfork investor — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:04:02 +0000

thanks for initiating said spinning, he said sarcastically. I for one will read opinion and the dissent before I spin (or at least scotusblog). But i gotz a day job. Good to have scholarly blog sites doing the same thing.