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Forum Index > News > A fast food tax to help NJ hospitals? Corzine open to idea > Post a New Reply
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by sammeedog
on Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:12 am |
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Found this on my local app.com and other websites as well. Wasn't sure where to put it, but how many times have we said cig. tax is just the beginning and how we can't wait for the fatass nonsmokers to get snagged. If this were really to go thru, I'll laugh my ass off at every one of those F'ng hypocrites.
WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - Can a Big Mac tax save New Jersey hospitals?
New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine said Tuesday he's open to using a "sin tax" to provide annual funding for struggling hospitals.
His comments came after Amy Mansue, of Children's Specialized Hospital, suggested a fast food tax during a meeting between Corzine and more than 100 hospital leaders on his proposed cuts in state hospital and health care aid.
Corzine called it "a constructive suggestion."
"We would be happy to examine that and debate that with the Legislature," Corzine said.
Still, he expressed concern about imposing new taxes during an economic downturn.
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick proposed a 2 percent tax on sales at fast-food establishments in 2005, but the plan didn't make it into law.
The idea came as hospitals warned Corzine his plans to slice aid would bring closed hospitals, lost jobs, eliminated services and longer waits for medical care.
The governor insisted he had little choice.
"I don't like it any more than you do, but I think it is absolutely essential that we get our fiscal house in order," Corzine said at the New Jersey Hospital Association headquarters.
Corzine proposed a 14 percent cut in state aid for hospitals, along with other health care cuts, in his $33 billion budget plan.
They're part of $2.7 billion in proposed cuts to try to fix state finances plagued by deficits and high debt and taxes.
But the New Jersey Hospital Association noted 22 New Jersey hospitals have closed since 1992, including six in the last 18 months with two more planned.
Of the 76 remaining hospitals, half lost money last year, it said.
Much of the cut would come from money provided by the state to help treat the state's 1.5 million uninsured residents.
"That's like asking all restaurants to feed the poor and not paying them anything," said Betsy Ryan, the association's chief operating officer.
She said each hospital closing, on average, will mean 1,700 lost jobs.
"And whole communities across the state will lose the services of their local hospitals," Ryan said.
Rich Miller, president of Virtua Health in Voorhees, said the cut "cripples every single facility in this state." He said his hospital would lose $1 million even though it spends $118 million annually to treat uninsured residents.
"We look at seven-digit cuts and we try to figure out how many of our employees will have to be let go and what services will have to axed," he said.
Corzine has also proposed cutting state funding for graduate medical education, cancer research, adult day care health services and nursing homes.
"We are going to have one heck of a crisis on our hands," said John Lloyd, the president of Meridian Health System, which runs hospitals in Monmouth and Ocean counties.
Ryan gave Corzine more than 4,000 letters from hospital workers and citizens protesting the cuts. The group also plans a Statehouse rally on Wednesday.
But Corzine noted the state often funded hospital aid with money meant to pay unemployment benefits, a move he has refused to continue as that fund dwindled.
"We have been living in an intensive care unit for a long time financially and we ignored it," Corzine said. |
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sammeedog
Newbie
Joined: Mar 03, 2006
Posts: 22
Location: New Jersey
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by Darkseid
on Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:11 pm |
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| If any state can be the first to push this crap through, it's the one owned by the mafia wing of the cRAT party. |
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Darkseid
Smoking Lobby Sponsor
Joined: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 1326
Location: Peoples Republik of oHEILo
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by Lynda F
on Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:16 pm |
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I can't wait to hear the cries about how "discriminatory" and "unfair" this tax will be....  |
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Lynda F
Enthusiastic Smoker
Joined: May 02, 2007
Posts: 332
Location: Phoenix, AZ
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by smallbird
on Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:53 pm |
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There was an article in the Wall Street Journal (today I think) about how non-profit hospitals have billions of dollars in reserve, and now they're trying to charge people up-front if they know those people's insurance won't cover the treatment required. Something like University endowments that aren't being used to assist people who need financial assistance.
Take away the not for profit status of all these entities and there would be plenty of money available without additional taxes. (Oh and this probably includes ASH and CTFK).
Just a thought.  |
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smallbird
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Joined: Jan 03, 2007
Posts: 238
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