Since its inception, the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) has been the topic of hot dispute. In order to save space, I will refer to conservatives as C and liberals as L.
C – This bill has become too expensive.
L – You hate poor people.
C – Costs were underestimated and have tripled.
L – You hate poor people.
C – Additional regulations will reduce our workforce.
L – You are racist.
C – Workers will have to work less than 30 hours/week.
L – You are racist.
C – Regulations will force insurers out of the picture.
L – You want to shut down the government.
C – The size of the bill is too massive and complicated.
L – You want to shut down the government.
C – The president lied when he said you could keep your insurance plan.
L – You hate the president because you are racist.
C – Healthcare decisions will be made by the IRS.
L – You want to shut down the government.
C – Why do we need the bill worded in 180 languages?
L – You want to shut down the government, you racist.
C – Insurance prices are rising because the bill forces insurers to comply with ridiculous demands.
L – You are against women’s rights and poor people.
C – Information you supply when you apply may be used for identity theft; there is no guarantee.
L – You hate the president because you are racist.
C – When you apply on line, the website does not work.
L – Give it time, you racist.
C – Government programs are rife with fraud.
L – You hate poor people.
C- Implementation of the bill is not fair, there are exclusions for certain groups.
L – You want to shut down the government.
C – Seniors over 70 with catastrophic illnesses will be given only palliative care.
L – You hate women.
I think you get the idea, any objection to the burdensome implementation of Obamacare is met not with rational explanations, but with irrational accusations. And the taxpayers are forced to pay the price. Will the penalty they incur be extracted from their 1040? We will see.
I once heard a comedienne whose routine included a reference to people who are nasty. She said that when they want to scare you they say, “F— you”. Her opinion was that that was not really a scary thing to say and if they really wanted to intimidate you they should say, “Audit you!”. It was funny at the time, but I would be careful about asking too many questions when you sign up. Since the IRS will be administering the program, the response is likely to be “Audit you!”.