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WMC Supports Sick Tax

WMC should be ashamed of itself.

It won a major victory Friday. Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state’s largest business lobby and a group that typically opposes taxes by any name, announced its support for this one.

WMC is now supporting the

Sick Tax

hospital “assessment” being pushed by Doyle and the Democrats.  While it is true that the larger hospitals will see a net increase in revenue if this passes, there are also some other truths:

1) Smaller hospitals that don’t have a lot of Medicaid patients will see a net decrease in revenue.
2) The tax will be passed through to the patients, resulting in larger medical bills. 
3) The additional revenue that hospitals receive will not be passed through to the patients.
4) The higher cost of health care will cause insurance companies to increase their premiums.
5) The higher cost of health insurance premiums will affect almost every business in Wisconsin. 
6) Democrats in Wisconsin will use the higher cost of health care to argue for a government take-over of the industry.

WMC is supporting a tax that will screw the majority of businesses and citizens in Wisconsin for the benefit of a couple of large hospitals.  It’s a pathetic display of shortsightedness.

Posted by Owen at 0836 hrs
Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

1. It’s nice that the paper has finally caught up with this story.

   Speaker Huebsch promises that it won’t happen, so hopefully he can keep his folks in line.

   Posted by BadgerBlogger on March 15, 2008 at 0914 hrs
   
   
   

2. Aurora has lots of control over WMC.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 15, 2008 at 0928 hrs
   
   
   

3. “It’s a pathetic display of shortsightedness.”

   Well, it is that but what it really is is a pathetic display of stupidity.

   The leading “business development” group for the region supports higher taxes.  Just great.

   Posted by The Asian Badger on March 15, 2008 at 1143 hrs
   
   
   

4. Are you surprised by this?  WMC is supporting a proposal that benefits its members.  Why should they be ashamed of that?  They’re just being as self-serving as they always are.  That’s why interest groups exist.

   WMC doesn’t care who pays for health care as long as the costs aren’t being shifted onto their members.  Patients?  Fine.  Taxpayers?  Fine.  Just not their members.

   I’m not defending WMC.  I think they’re wrong about lots of things.  I’m only saying that their course of action was utterly predictable, especially after the WHA decided to support the assessment.

   Posted by Recess Supervisor on March 15, 2008 at 1840 hrs
   
   
   

5. This is the spinelines WMC (and MMAC) who are run by second rate leaders and blindly follow whatever their hospital members tell them to do.

   Of all the chambers I have been a part of WMC is by far the weakest.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on March 16, 2008 at 2305 hrs
   
   
   

6. Under the blockquote you wrote: WMC is not supporting the Sick Tax hospital “assessment”

   did you mean now instead of not?

   Posted by Matt on March 17, 2008 at 0818 hrs
   
   
   

7. I sure did.  I fixed it.  Thanks!

   Posted by Owen on March 17, 2008 at 0833 hrs
   
   
   

8. There is an interesting new web site that is tracking Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce.  Check out <www,wmcwatch.org> for another perspective and for information about WMC.  Remember - Follow the money.

   There is growing realization that WMC is often not acting in the best interests of most Wisconsin businesses - let alone most Wisconsin citizens.

   Posted by clyde on March 17, 2008 at 1116 hrs
   
   
   

9. Oops.  I made a typo in the web site address I gave for WMC Watch in the previous comment.  Used a comma instead of period.  The correct address is <www.wmcwatch.org>.

   Posted by clyde on March 17, 2008 at 1121 hrs
   
   
   

10. Great blog I hope we can work to build a better health care system as we are in a major crisis and health insurance is a major aspect to many.

    Posted by blue cross on April 03, 2008 at 0013 hrs
    
    
    

11. Nice Post! Government should think over this issue. See health insurance is the requirement for everyone. If health insurance companies offer some less premium insurance then normal people can also afford health insurance.

    Posted by Natural Insomnia Cure on April 17, 2008 at 0533 hrs
    
    
    

12. Congratulation!
    Government should pay more attention to the health of the community instead of focusing on things that give no real value to the people.
    Healthy people will result in a prosperous country.

    Posted by Healthy guy on May 08, 2008 at 0738 hrs
    
    
    

13. Despite the support of business groups, not to mention the health care systems themselves, the new coalition knows the tax will not be an easy sell.

    Posted by Arizona Web Design on May 16, 2008 at 0226 hrs
    
    
    

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