EDITORIAL: Obama's $59 billion giveaway to unions - Washington Times

EDITORIAL: Obama's $59 billion giveaway to unions - Washington Times: "Democrats didn't learn their lesson from the public outrage over vote buying. Sen. Ben Nelson, Nebraska Democrat, and Sen. Mary Landrieu, Louisiana Democrat, are still reeling from fallout over the hundreds of millions their states will get for a deal to buy their votes for the government health care takeover. If $400 million for those two senators generates so much anger, public outcry over a $59 billion special deal President Obama cut with unions on Thursday should be deafening.

Repeatedly throughout his presidential campaign, Mr. Obama promised that health care negotiations would be carried on C-SPAN precisely to prevent these types of special-interest favors. There is no logical public policy justification for why union workers should be exempt from paying the 40 percent tax on individual health insurance plans that cost $8,900 or more until 2018 when everyone else with the same insurance must pay the tax. Non-unionized American workers, who pay higher insurance simply because of existing health problems - or because they live in high-cost places such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or Miami - are not going to be so fortunate."