Posted on May 15, 2006, and tagged as
As if Democrats need another reason to push universal health insurance, enterprising New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine found one: Tax the sick. Not as a novel incentive to stay healthy, but to help close a state budget gap.
His $47 per day hospital bed fee is only one of a bunch of new taxes he proposed to fill a $4.5 billion budget hole. He also wants to boost the sales, booze, and cigarette taxes and tax utility water. You flush, you pay.
As if Democrats need another reason to push universal health insurance, enterprising New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine found one: Tax the sick. Not as a novel incentive to stay healthy, but to help close a state budget gap.
His $47 per day hospital bed fee is only one of a bunch of new taxes he proposed to fill a $4.5 billion budget hole. He also wants to boost the sales, booze, and cigarette taxes and tax utility water. You flush, you pay.
The new taxes aren't being received well. Mr. Corzine's approval rating is 35% after five months in the job, and 90% of voters hate his budget, according polls from Gannett and Quinnipiac. Mindful of the rout they suffered in 1991 after Jim Florio pushed a sales-tax increase, majority Democrats in the state legislature are rebelling.
Former Acting Governor Dick Codey, now back in his job as senate president, is the surest sign that the governor is in trouble. Mr. Corzine's chief rival is taking the lead away from the governor on last year's biggest campaign issue by planning a special legislative session on property taxes.
Should New Jerseyans fall ill and have to pay a sick tax, they may get some unexpected relief. Mr. Corzine supports a medical marijuana bill now working through the legislature. Funny, pot isn't taxed.
-- Christian Knoebel