In his op-ed on December 9, 2014 in the Laconia Daily Sun (laconiadailysun.com) E. Scott Cracraft says one correct and important thing, “a “right” ends where the rights of others begin”. Nevertheless, most of the rest of his op-ed, e.g., the stuff about snake handlers, attempts to convince readers that it is OK for Obamacare to violate employer Religious rights by forcing employers to pay for abortion inducing drugs. Fortunately the Supreme Court did not agree.
Obamacare doesn’t require employers to provide health insurance except under certain conditions. And, employers meeting those conditions can choose to pay a fine/tax instead. The fine, however, significantly increases the cost of lower wage employees which encourages automation and/or job consolidation to eliminate jobs, e.g., McDonalds is investigating self-service kiosks to eliminate jobs.
Many businesses cannot absorb the large increase in health insurance cost caused by Obamacare even by raising the prices of their goods or services, so they are forced to take actions that hurt workers (thus Obamacare actually rewards businesses that take steps that hurt workers). To avoid Obamacare requirements some businesses are cutting to fewer than fifty full-time jobs or hiring workers who Obamacare exempts from the insurance requirement, i.e., illegal aliens. (This is particularly devastating to American workers who can’t find decent jobs, and to our economy because small businesses have historically been the source of most American job growth (many large businesses consolidate and cut jobs).) Or businesses can cut employee pay, benefits, or pay increases to cover the cost of the fines/taxes or the increased health insurance costs.
Obamacare (and other Obama policies) have devastated many middle-income Americans. Just during Obama’s six years in office the number of poor Americans has increased by about fifty percent and the median income has declined by about 8 percent ($4000). And, since most impact from Obamacare was postponed until after last November’s election, much more harm is coming to middle-income Americans and to our national economy.
The truth is that Obamacare was never intended to help the American people; many simpler, cheaper, and less damaging options to address our healthcare problems were rejected. Obamacare was created as another step along the path towards total government control (single payer) of our health care system.
For decades, big government proponents have been expanding government control over our healthcare, each intrusion creating new problems which are then cited as justification for more government control. (As President Reagan said, “Government is the problem.”) Total control of our healthcare system provides politicians enormous control over our lives (Bloomberg’s attempt to control beverage sizes reveals a tiny bit of the level of control they want).
In their pursuit of total control of our health care, politicians and their dupes demonize anyone presenting an obstacle. And so they demonize Hobby Lobby, a family owned corporation which provides good pay and benefits, exemplifies its Christian beliefs by closing on Sundays and comparatively early on other days so employees can be with their families, and objects to funding abortions. Hobby Lobby provided health insurance to its employees that covered birth control, but not drugs causing abortions.
Unwilling to violate its religious beliefs and pay for abortion causing drugs, Hobby Lobby could comply with Obamacare by cutting full-time jobs, cutting pay or benefits to recoup the cost of the fine/tax and make employees buy their own health insurance.
Hobby Lobby sued so it could do what it felt was right (but not obligated to do), by providing good health insurance but not abortificants, for its employees and still honor its religious beliefs. No people or business should be forced to hurt others or give up its firmly held religious beliefs; fortunately the Supreme Court agreed.
The United States Constitution was created to protect people’s natural (or God given) rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Everyone can enjoy these rights up to the point where they impact other peoples’ enjoyment of their rights.
Progressives often try to confuse people by lumping politician given (legislated) “rights”, e.g., social security or welfare or healthcare, with natural, constitutionally protected, rights. You can be sure that politician given “rights” will vanish when they no longer benefit the politicians.
Politician provided “rights” which forcefully transfer wealth, e.g., employers must provide health insurance, violate Cracraft’s assertion, that one person’s (employee’s) rights must not infringe on another person’s (employer’s) rights.
Although it violates some peoples’ rights, politicians do buy a lot of votes by transferring wealth. But. many people object when rights are violated and balk at providing all the funds the politicians want to buy votes. So our immoral politicians borrow money to be repaid by the earnings (lives) of unborn Americans who can’t object.
If you agree that big government threatens our liberties, that stealing from the unborn is immoral, and that job killing policies like Obamacare must be ended, then join the only people fighting for our liberties, balanced budgets, and pro-growth job creating policies, join a TEA Party!
