It’s a Penalty … It’s a Tax … No, It’s SUPERMANDATE!
17th December 2010
Megan McArdle kicks over a rock.
So the latest talking point I’m seeing is that the individual mandate is no big deal–just a tax dodge like we’ve always had. The government is raising taxes, and then giving a deduction of equal size to those who buy health insurance. Why the fuss?
Well, for starters, this is not what they wrote in the law. They called it a penalty. Now they’re worried that maybe their Commerce Clause powers aren’t quite as great as they thought, suddenly it’s a tax.