Source: Center for American Progress

The Republican party keeps calling Obamacare “the largest tax increase in the history of the world.”  AHHHHHHH – the sky is falling!  Everyone run for cover and vote Republican.

So – see if you can follow this logic …

Obamacare allows for A LOT of exemptions to prevent you from being eligible to pay a penalty (or tax) if you fail to purchase health insurance.  The vast majority of people who can afford it already have it.  Those who can’t afford it – will get it free or subsidized (you know SOCIALISM) … and after all of that – the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office believes that only 1.2% of Americans will end up paying the penalty.  True story.  (source)

Now Republicans would like Americans to believe that American’s taxes are about to go up.  They use misleading language and … they just flatly lie about the facts that are at hand in this debate.  I don’t like liars.  We know that Obamacare isn’t even the largest tax hike in the last 20 years (source).  Reagan, Bush Sr. and Clinton all passed higher tax increases than President Obama.  Fun fact.

But while the Republican party talks about the 1.2% of Americans who are going to be hit with a penalty … they have made it abundantly clear that all of the tax credits and tax cuts and tax subsidies for middle class Americans do NOT qualify as tax cuts.  Let’s just spell out that logic:

Tax penalty on 1.2% of Americans = Largest Tax Increase in the History of the World

Tax subsidies and cuts for a very large, untold amount of Americans = not a tax cut

Are you following me?

But as the infographic shows … the average American who uses these insurance exchanges to purchase health insurance will receive on average a $5,210 annual tax credit towards their health insurance costs.  But – that particular tax credit should NOT be considered a tax cut for middle class Americans according to the GOP.

And Romney’s plan had the same penalty; he says – he increased fees.  He says he did not raise taxes.  He calls it a penalty even though he’s called it a tax historically as well.  But under his plan which is identical … the actual model Romney used … Romney says his plan was not a tax increase but President Obama’s plan is.  Makes perfect sense.

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