About the author
Ross Schriftman is a health insurance agent and broker based in Horsham, Pa. He can be reached at [email protected]
Yesterday was July 4th. For the first time in my life, I did not feel like celebrating. I went to work.
I feel less free after last week’s decision by the Supreme Court to uphold Obamacare and Chief Justice Roberts’ opinion that it is constitutional to force Americans to buy a product and if we don’t, to pay a tax. It does not matter that the product that we are compelled to buy is one that I sell for a living.
We have lost part of our independence. The government compels us to act whether we want to or not. The decision has opened the floodgates for legislation to tax inactivity of any kind for the benefit of society. What are the possibilities?
Could the government require annual physicals and periodic colonoscopies and mammograms to improve health in our nation and if we don’t we must pay a tax? Yes.
Could a government agency require health clubs to report the names of people who attend weekly workouts so that it can be determine who doesn’t comply and impose a tax on those who do not exercise? This sounds farfetched. However, under Obamacare the insurance companies are required to report to the government information about the insurance coverage we each have and the government will then determine whether that coverage is good enough and if not we pay a tax. If they don’t receive this form from an insurance company the IRS collects a tax.
This is the law and the whole point of the constitutional challenge.
Realizing that Social Security is in financial trouble, could the government in its desire to create more future workers tax couples who decide not to have children? Yes.
Could Americans who refuse to volunteer in their communities be penalized with a tax? Sure can.
Could the government require us to vote or pay a tax? Yes, it can. This proposal is already under serious consideration. Australia already imposes such a fine on its citizens.
Finally, why not pass a law compelling Supreme Court justices to run a mile every morning or pay a tax? After all, they need to maintain good health so that they can make unreasonable decisions that force us to comply with all the wonderful things Congress will be making us do.
Well, at least we still have our right of free speech under the First Amendment of our Constitution.
Disturbingly, some want to even take that away which was demonstrated when regulators and certain members of Congress started an investigation into insurance companies and insurance agents who were contacting their clients urging opposition to Obamacare when it was being debated in Congress. They were quickly reminded that we have every right as citizens to speak out on matters of public importance.
Even more important, we insurance agents and brokers need to let our clients know how we feel certain legislation will affect their insurance coverage.
I hope the day never comes when I can no longer express my views. At that point all is lost. What we can still do and do so voluntarily is vote. I urge careful consideration as to the direction our nation is going in relationship to what our founding principles are and make our voices heard loud and clear.
