i know this because i'm the one writing the checks
i'm just saying that between all the fist-pumping and back-slapping you should all maybe consider that some of this -will- affect certain people adversely, and maybe everyone who sees what's coming for them and is a little upset by it isn't a racist or even very political otherwise
let me break it down for you monetarily
i made 24260 last year, down about 5k from 2008
out of that amount around 7000 was legit expense, bringing my net to 17260
between state and fed i owed 3200, leaving me with 14060 for the year, around 1172 a month to pay rent/utilities/eat/etc. - 293 a week
midway through last year when i saw how it was heading i made a conscious decision - i can either save for taxes and live like a dog, or i can eat, so i chose to eat
i joke about living like a fallout 3 scavenger, but that was certainly the case last year - everything i bought i sold something else to get, and between that and selling off things to make up for the taxes i'm just about out of things to sell
it's already trending the same way this year, so i can figure on a roughly equivalent income this year, and when the slowdown halts around here it'll probably stabilize around the 25k mark (basing this on having made less every year since 1998)
when the mandatory health bill kicks in, i won't be eligible for any business tax breaks because i am a self-employed sole proprietor (i am not eligible for a lot of assistances because of this), so i did some research and based on my income:
Beginning in 2014, you will receive tax credits to help afford insurance premiums in the new exchanges as well as assistance with deductibles and co-payments. According to your income and family size, the tax credits will ensure you do not spend more than $1528.38 to $1952.93 on premiums. Your maximum out-of-pocket costs for deductibles and co-payments would be capped at 27% of the total cost.
going with the lower amount, that would then leave me with roughly 12532, around 1044 a month (give or take a few bucks either way) or 262.50 a week
so i'm gonna have to make another choice that year, to either pay the 1500 i definitely know i can't afford, or not pay it and take the 700-800 penalty i can't afford but have to anyway, and all the helpful links and wonderful graphs and statistics in the world explaining to me how this is really the greatest thing ever needs of the many etc. isn't going to change any of that
i normally stay out of the political threads, as far as the social/civil stuff goes i am with you all on most of it
but when i see a lot of things written here lately, and when it jumps out of the politics thread and into other areas, i just think to myself "Man, these people just really don't give a shit how this is gonna fuckhammer people like me, if i even try to comment and state my side of it i'm just gonna be jumped on as some sort of teabagger or labeled as selfish or whatever"
so give me a witty one-liner, tell me with a straight face that i am not going to end up extra fucked, and i'll be sure and chuckle over it while i'm grocery shopping at the dollar store this weekend
