Morning Dose Of Reality: Backroom Deals With Special Interests

Change you can believe in? The most transparent, open government ever?

Balderdash!

President Barack Obama, Democrat House and Senate leaders and Big Labor officials huddled together behind closed doors over the past two days to broker a sweetheart deal for unions in order to get their support to pass government-run health care.

So what concessions did Big Labor get?

Senate Bill Passed On Christmas Eve 2009:

“Under The Bill Passed Last Month By The Senate, The Federal Government Would Have Imposed A 40 Percent Tax On The Value Of Employer-Sponsored Health Coverage Exceeding $8,500 A Year For An Individual And $23,000 For A Family.”  (Robert Pear and Steven Greenhouse, “Accord Reached On Insurance Tax For Costly Plans,” The New York Times, 1/14/10)

“The Tax Would Have Taken Effect In 2013.”  (Robert Pear and Steven Greenhouse, “Accord Reached On Insurance Tax For Costly Plans,” The New York Times, 1/14/10)

Now After Backroom, Closed Door Negotiations:

“White House Officials, Democratic Congressional Leaders And Labor Unions Said Thursday That They Had Agreed To An Increase In Those Thresholds To $8,900 For An Individual And $24,000 For A Family.”  (Robert Pear and Steven Greenhouse, “Accord Reached On Insurance Tax For Costly Plans,” The New York Times, 1/14/10)

“Moreover, They Said, Starting In 2015, The Cost Of Separate Coverage For Dental And Vision Care Would Be Excluded From The Calculations.”  (Robert Pear and Steven Greenhouse, “Accord Reached On Insurance Tax For Costly Plans,” The New York Times, 1/14/10)

“In Addition, They Said, Health Plans Covering State And Local Government Employees And Collectively Bargained Health Plans Would Be Exempt From The Tax Until 2018.”  (Robert Pear and Steven Greenhouse, “Accord Reached On Insurance Tax For Costly Plans,” The New York Times, 1/14/10)

This is a stunning give-away to Big Labor. Think about it. Unions, which represent only 7.5% of the private sector labor force, dictate to the Democrat controlled Congress and White House what health care reform is going to look like.

Why does Big Labor hold so much sway? It’s all about money, money and more money. Big Labor has contributed $630 million to Democrat coffers since the 1990 election cycle. That doesn’t include the hundreds of millions Big Labor has spent electioneering and get-out-the-vote operations.

Seems to me the this is the very definition of payback to special interests.