Cut Taxes to Make the Health Care Access Crisis Worse

Well, well. Now we see what compassionate conservatism looks like in a second term. The Washington Post's Jonathan Weisman and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum report on the Bush Administration's latest irresponsible tax cut plans:

Instead the administration plans to push major amendments that would shield interest, dividends and capitals gains from taxation, expand tax breaks for business investment and take other steps intended to simplify the system and encourage economic growth, according to several people who are advising the White House or are familiar with the deliberations.

The changes are meant to be revenue-neutral. To pay for them, the administration is considering eliminating the deduction of state and local taxes on federal income tax returns and scrapping the business tax deduction for employer-provided health insurance, the advisers said. (emphasis added)

At a time when the number of people without health insurance is a growing crisis, the Bush Administration proposes taking away the major incentive businesses have to provide health insurance in order to pay for a internet, dividends, and capital gains tax cut.

I suppose these Republicans will argue that taking steps to ensure our families have health insurance to protect them from the financial ruin one illness can bring is not a moral value.

But this plan really highlights just how morally bankrupt their policies can be after an election.

(Thanks to mmmm, brains for pointing this out.)