Conservatives Call for Defeat of "Fair Share for Health Care Act"

Proposal is an Eight Billion Tax on New York Businesses

The New York State Conservative Party sent the following letter to every State Senator and each Member of the Assembly calling for the defeat of the proposed “Fair Share for Health Care Act”.

Dear Legislator:

As you know, this week begins the final days of the 2006 Legislative Session. The time of year that poorly thought out bills are routinely passed in order to pacify the special interest of those who believe government must provide every need to every person from cradle to grave.

We are extremely concerned that you may believe that Senate Bill 7090–Spano/Assembly Bill 10583-Gottfried, may be one of the bills that you would want to pass as it is packaged and purported to help those without health care benefits.  However, it is, based on cost analysis, an $8 billion tax increase on the companies already struggling to provide jobs to those very same people.

Every report generated about the cost of doing business in New York State indicates that businesses are over-taxed and over-regulated.  The rest of the Nation is expanding at unprecedented rates, while upstate New York is sadly lagging significantly behind.  Many politicians have promised to bring jobs to New York, yet not one has provided the atmosphere that makes New York business friendly.  To make matters even worse, you may consider passing another $8 billion tax on business.

The New York State Conservative Party is opposed to legislators voting for proposals that dictate to businesses what benefits they have to provide to their employees and what this bill is doing…forcing businesses to pay what government is providing.  What is outrageous is that the support memo issued by the sponsors state that “the assessment will initially (emphasis added) be $3.00 per hour per covered employee.”  And that “revenue from the assessment shall be deposited in the fair share for health care fund and shall be used to expand (emphasis added) the state’s public health care programs”. 

New York has instituted various health care programs for those who truly need it.  This proposal, if passed will certainly add to the further loss of business in New York State and that will lead to the further decline of New York’s standard of living.  Horace Greeley’s “Go West, young man” will once again be the motto of the era.

New York’s glory days can be recaptured by believing that government’s role is not one of a Nanny State.  Your role, as an elected leader, is to reinforce the ideals that encourage the entrepreneurial spirit of individuals, not the belief that government provides for all our needs.  Every country and society that believes it is government’s role has failed. 

To pass this proposal is the greatest disservice you can do to your constituents.  Because we believe this so strongly, this bill, and any similar bill, will be double-rated by the Conservative Party.  The “Fair Share for health care act” is socialism and our country and state did not become the greatest in the world by following socialistic ideas.

Very truly yours,

 

Michael R. Long

State Chairman

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