Daniel Garza: A Tax by Any Other Name…

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 28: David Walls-Kaufman yells outside the U.S. Supreme Court on June 28, 2012 in Washington, DC. The Court found the Affordable Healthcare Act to be constitutional and did not strike down any part of it. (Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images) (2012 Getty Images)

So there you have it. The president’s Affordable Care Act survived thanks to a majority of Supreme Court Justices who called it what it is – a tax – imposed on the American public by this administration and a previously complicit Congress.

In what seemed like a disclaimer by the justices who are unable under the U.S. Constitution to stop Congress from raising taxes and saddling us all with a debt-busting healthcare law that is unaffordable, unsustainable, and managed by unaccountable bureaucrats, Chief Justice Roberts stated, “We do not consider whether the act embodies sound policies. That judgment is entrusted to the nation’s elected leaders.”

While those in the progressive-minded arena have hailed the decision as a victory, the verdict has actually placed full accountability for the largest tax hike in recorded history squarely on the shoulders of President Barack Obama. Never mind that the president himself repeatedly asserted that it was not a tax – instead disguising it as a “mandate.” In an exchange with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos the president stated, “For us to say that you've got to take a responsibility to get health insurance is absolutely not a tax increase."  Now, the president will have to defend raising taxes on all Americans, which he pledged not to do.

The individual mandate is a tax which will be calculated based on a percentage of adjusted gross income or a fixed amount, whichever is larger. Starting in 2014, it will be collected on your 1040 form just like your other taxes. For Americans failing to obtain coverage, the incremental tax penalties or “shared responsibility payment” would amount to about $2,085 in higher taxes per year.

By upholding this law, the Supremes have ratcheted up uncertainty in the private sector and cut deeper at the morale of Americans already weakened by the devastating effects of an economy in crisis.  According to a study, the measure is set to increase government spending by $1.15 trillion and will add as much as $530 billion to federal deficits over the next 10 years. When it’s all said and done, our future generations will be inheriting an insurmountable national debt.

Moreover, Americans must now check their healthcare choices at the door and allow Washington to take even more of our hard-earned money if we don’t accept what a 15-member board of unelected healthcare bureaucrats has to offer. That is un-American. Healthcare is a very personal matter and should not be forced upon us. If the government is allowed to require you to carry insurance, what else could it require you to do when it comes to your personal health?

And there is more that is wrong with the president’s plan. According to experts about 36 percent of the U.S. population that remains uninsured will qualify for Medicaid, but won’t enroll- while others that don’t qualify for government assistance will still be unable to afford coverage. This especially affects our Hispanic community

We must do better. Lets work to replace this bureaucrat-driven plan paid by cash-strapped Americans, with a patient-centered, market based approach. Repealing the Affordable Care Act would be a great start.