Barack Obama appears to be wrong again.  He said $634 billion would be needed for a down payment on his health-care proposal, but it looks like that number is way off.  Senator Orrin Hatch believes the amount needed will be closer to $1.5 trillion.  Just in case you think this is just an exaggeration from a republican who opposes the plan, Representative Charles Rangel also believes the number will top $1 trillion. 

     So, how will we come up with $1 trillion dollars?  A combination of cuts and taxes, with a focus on raising revenue.  It looks like $400 billion will be cut from Medicare and Medicaid, along with $600 billion in tax increases.  One option under consideration is to end the income tax exclusion for employer-paid health  insurance.  There will also be restrictions on deductions for the "wealthy,"  and probably lots of other ways to soak people who actually pay for their own health insurance.

     The whole scheme bothers me.  The government is going to require individuals to have health insurance, and penalize employers who don't provide insurance.  Then, it will essentially raise taxes on those who purchase their own insurance in order to subsidize people who may not want it in the first place.  Higher taxes, more government, and intrusion in our lives.  It's the Obama way.