NOW he wants us to pay income tax on our employer-provided medical benefits. Smooth move, Dubya.

The proposal will include:

-- A standard deduction for health insurance

-- singles with health insurance will not pay income or payroll taxes on the first $7,500

-- Families with health insurance will not pay income or payroll taxes on the first $15,500

-- Health insurance should be considered taxable income, including those who currently have health insurance through their employment

The result, says Bush, will be that 80% of people with health cover will pay less tax.

So, before I retired, I had insurance that, when I converted to COBRA and had to pay it myself, cost me about $750/month. (And that was five years ago, so we know it's gone up.) That means that the folks I was working with would now be paying income tax on another $1500/year with no increase of any kind in any benefits.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=61278

And let us not forget that Bush has promised to veto the bill that would require Medicare Part D providers to negotiate the best price for meds, much as the VA does. If it's good enough for the Veterans, why isn't it good enough for everyone else?

We Vets have somewhat mouthier lobbyists.