Luxury Tax. Time to revisit the notion?

[Opusnone]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxury_tax

The "luxury" tax was repealed in the Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1993 (http://www.answers.com/topic/revenue-reconciliation-act-of-1993) under specious circumstances and earmarks for other tax code changes, but it could provide a new, steady source of income to fund:

1. National healthcare
2. Social Security
3. Energy independence
4. Education
5. Security

[nam78_two]

1. k&r/nt

[SoCalDem]

2. When I first started working at my aunt's store we had that tax

it was for anything with fur (:grr: )
all jewelry


and I think it was on some imported stuff too

as I recall, it was only 10%

[applegrove]

3. To fund health care in Canada we have the GST.

on things like haircuts and shopping for fashions. Think of all those teens in the mall with Mom & Dad's money. They pay 6 dollars for health care on each one hundred they spend on junk. If you don't shop for "stuff" you don't pay GST. The poor get GST refund twice a year. I wish books were not taxed. But really - better to all pay a tax together and have health care together. It keeps your country together. IMHO

[Opusnone]

5. Now what to do with the insurance companies and HMO's?

Those are the REAL obstacles to nationalized medicine in the US.

[Greyhound]

6. They are the single largest cause of most of our problems today.

Health-care, technologically retarded motor vehicles, lawyers, financial industry, environmental destruction, after-effects of natural disasters, diminishing personal liberty, diminishing employment, the list seems endless, and it all comes back to the insurance industry if you look deep enough.

[Cleita]

8. They are the real problem we don't have NHC.

It was the health industry who is financing Arnold Schwarzenneger in California. This is why he struck down the universal health care bill in California that passed both the Senate and Assembly here, a benefit that the majority of Californians want.

I do have an idea though. I think the states should put out health insurance in competition with the insurance and HMO industry. They should make it cover everything and everyone for half of what the insurance industry can sell it for. It could be offered to all those businesses, unions and individuals who buy insurance now from the for profit health insurance providers.

When selling health insurance and health plans is no longer profitable to the privatized health care industry, they will get out of the business.

[Bluebear]

4. Great topic to discuss after the election

:)

[Greyhound]

7. Isn't that the same problem we've faced before?

After the election. We can address that issue after the election. We will clean up that mess after the election. We will address that injustice after the election.

Then what happens after the election? Time to start getting ready for the next election...