Maybe Al Franken is right. The comedian turned liberal lawmaker raised some eyebrows when he joined conservative Republicans in opposing taxes on medical device manufacturers to pay for healthcare reform. It turns out that an AP poll finds that most Americans also have a different idea on how to raise funds. They agree with Franken on device taxes. Instead, they want to tax the rich (what a novel idea). Here’s what AP says:
“Lawmakers also are looking at levying new taxes on insurance companies, drug companies and medical device makers. But the only approach that got majority support in the AP poll was a tax on upper-income Americans. The House bill would impose a 5.4 percent income tax surcharge on individuals making more than $500,000 a year and households making more than $1 million.”
Today’s guest op-ed on this topic in the NYT is explained in more depth at the fivethirtyeight.com site. See it at http://www.stat.columbia.edu/~cook/movabletype/archives/2009/11/senators_and_he.html
They have very nice graphic displays, for those who like such things.
One important find: The people in this country who have universal coverage are those on Medicare. And those people do the “I got mine, now shut the door” routine. And they vote.
A second important find: legislators are likely to go with NOT what their constituents say they want, but with the level of support they gave to Obama in the last election (big margins FOR vigorous reform in AR and LA, but with Obama barely getting 40% there….. hmmmm.