LOCAL TV STATION PICKS UP “HIDDEN TAX” STORY …
Rare “good news” from legacy media land …
At least one mainstream media outlet in South Carolina has picked up on our big exclusive this week about a hidden tax that’s depriving South Carolinians of tens of millions of dollars each year.
Reporter Tara Petitt of WACH TV 57 (Fox – Columbia, S.C.) covered the story this week, calling the secret insurance levy a “tax that is hiding in plain sight.”
“If you have health insurance, life insurance, home insurance, car insurance, property insurance or any form of insurance you pay on an annual basis, you have been paying (the tax) for years,” Petitt reported. “It’s applied to your premium in the state of South Carolina.”
Indeed … to the tune of $1.6 billion (or $1.7 billion, according to Petitt) over the last fifteen years.
We won’t quibble over the precise amount … only to say it’s a lot of money for people not to know is being taken from them.
Petitt’s report didn’t mention the fact we broke this story, but that’s fine … we don’t care as long as the news is getting out (ahem).
The hidden tax was exposed at a city of Columbia, S.C. council meeting by Cameron Runyan, a councilman who is running for reelection in November.
Runyan told Petitt the tax was “absolutely immoral.”
“People of this state have no idea that they’re even paying it,” he said of the levy, which assesses a two percent premium on property and casualty insurance policies and a 0.75 percent premium on life and health policies.
Proceeds of the tax go to municipal governments – with their lobbying organization, the Municipal Association of South Carolina (MASC) – taking a cut ranging from one to four percent.
A similar tax is being levied at the county level, too … run through the S.C. Department of Insurance (SCDOI).
42 comments
How much has the Gore Tax cost us? Calculate that, or STFU…
You don’t mind when a liberal bends you over and rapes you…
Obama has imposed (in effect) a Strangle-coal and a Solar Panel tax of trillions. He has turned FT jobs into PT and raised taxes, all while dropping the ball on national defense, so he can put 50 million on food stamps, and double insurance premiums, for no-good insurance…
And you sit there w/ your Head Up his Ass, continually telling us we’re in a recovery.
That’s odd, because of the 5 million unfilled job openings in America – they’re all full tiem jobs. I have a full time job. All my friends have full time jobs. You’re once again either misinformed or a liar. Only you know the true answer to that.
I don’t know a single person whose FT job turned into a PT job. Not one.
Not friends with many folks in the service sector are you?
Yes, I am actually.
I can answer that. No, not many friends at Wal Mart. Heck, not sure I even know where the local Wal Mart is. Home Depot gets enough.
Talk to the good folks at Home Depot (if you can find one) you’ll discover they’ve been cut back.
Don’t doubt it. Wally World and Home Depot prefer their employees get public assistance.
Many companies are cutting back and laying off this fall, and it’s not necessarily because of ACA in and of itself. It’s because of earnings in general, which is obviously not just about costs but also revenues, market share etc.
I have experienced reduction in my part time hours at my jobs due to the 25 hour limit under Obama care. There has been recent improvement however, but I’m still under a 25 hour limit at each job. There was a large increase in the use of PT.
Their jobs weren’t turned in to PT, but instead they were layed off and got other jobs that were PT.
There has been steady improvements. You can see the reduction in PT by the smaller gap between U-3 and U-6 unemployment rates.
Interesting. Again, just not something I’ve seen personally.
I actually prefer part time jobs, but Obamacare has made that more difficult for me.
Given that, I would think that if the claims are true that so many FT jobs are being turned into PT jobs, that would be a good thing for you.
I used to work 30+ hours at one job and it varied seasonally, but I can’t work more than 25 hours now. My other job cut back too, but is now close to 25 hours. There are still periods in which I don’t get the number of hours I want just because of the 25 hour limit. Been offered full time jobs, but not in my prefered job.
Thanks for the insight.
what 25 hour limit?
Employers have to provide health insurance only to those who work 25+ hours. So to avoid it they cut hours.
Try 30. Or 130 per month for 120 days of the year. The new law only affected 1% of U.S. businesses and those with 50-99 employees don’t have to implement until 2016
My employer and may others invoke “safe harbor” provisions in their employment policies. They go beyond the requirements of the law.
They fear being out of compliance. Many provisions of Obamacare have that effect.
Thanks the the info on safe harbor, which I learned involves averaging number of hours during a Look-back period. Employer determines how long look-back period is, within prescribed limits. Overall, I’d add that any animosity you might have about your employer-provided insurance should be directed at your employer, not the law. Having the law cover all employees was not something that was going to pass in Congress. Too much lobbying pressure
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2013/09/obamacares_part-timer_conseque.html
Mason has about 200 part-time employees, said Assistant City Manager Jennifer Heft. It is limiting them to 25 hours a week, a level lower than the 30-hour Obamacare threshold, so as to build in flexibility for part-time firefighters who might wind up working a few hours more, Heft said.
GrandTango is just a jealous unemployed welfare mooch.
Actually (not that you give a damn about reality, GT) Will consistently says we are NOT in a recovery, and that the gubMINT and mediacrats saying we are in one is just BS spin. All smoke and mirrors. But don’t let that get in the way of your usual delusional nonsense.
He says we didn’t go to the moon too. He said there was a movie that proves it. He says NASA mooned America and that he wrote a book by that name. Yeah, that’s the ticket
Is Cameron Runyan okay with raising property taxes to eliminate the insurance tax? What specifically is he willing to cut to eliminate it? Is he in favor of Columbia eliminating it even when the other cities and towns don’t?
How about cutting spending and then refocusing the money we do spend?
As long as he gives specifics I am cool with that. Just bitchin’ about it for cheap political points doesn’t solve anything.
Also, Runyon is the incumbent, he should know about this tax already. Why is he making an issue of it now? Because he is losing perhaps?
What would you like to cut and what would it add up to?
He raises business license on utility companies and they just
pass it on to their customers. But he is not against that.
I’m sure you’ve given up on the MSM ever giving you (or even The Nerve) credit for breaking any story at all, Will. It’s just not gonna happen.
The big question: what will be done about it? My guess — nothing.
Cover your eyes Rocky
State employment for September was published on October 20. South Carolina had 2nd, 3rd or 4th best national performance in yearly and monthly job creation and drops in the unemployment rate. Don’t expect to read about it here or in the MSM.
Here is the Dept. of Labor release. It’s long but use “find” to get South Carolina data.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.htm
South Carolina now employs more people than ever. It’s unemployment rate is the lowest since early 2008 falling 1.1% since May. I found out myself that our unemployment rate at 5.7% is the same as on Dec. 2007, which is the official beginning of the Great Recession.
More info at the news link at the right of this Web page;
http://dew.sc.gov/default.asp
Great to know things are improving, as if we couldn’t see that at the Malls.
I also can also see inappropriately dressed teenage girls at the mall, but like positive news for Haley, we should avoid talking about it.
I hate Malls. And I avoid looking at teenage girls. Now soccer mommies – that’s another story.
You need to take a second look at another soccer mom. Haley…
But South Carolina malls looking better than the rest of the country’s malls is not something you see.
I detect COWARDLY behavior on the part of commenters. There is lively discussion then I post indisputable facts that they don’t like and suddenly no one has anything to say.
Where are you Buzzman ?
Welcome to this blog. That’s the way it rolls. No interest in facts. Just rant and little boys trying to get attention with the little boy in charge trying to make money off the rants
WACH has become a news station of note. I am glad they reported on this story.
Private groups should not be in charge of tax dollars.
The Legislative Audit Council should audit this program. At once.