Opinion Blog "guest" columns

The scare quotes in the headline reference the irony of labeling any of you guys "guests," when most of you have been around these parts much longer than I. We'll work on a better name for this experiment as it progresses, but for now I have the good news that we have very tentative approval to begin the columns next week.

To recap, the basic intent is to give our commenters the ability to lead the discussion on The Opinion Blog in a slightly more prominent and creative way than is possible right now. I'm imagining a concept similar to a weekly op-ed columnist in a dead-tree edition of a newspaper, but because we represent the new media, we can be much freer in form: no word limits or minimums, no set topic (unless you choose to develop one), the freedom to insert actual images and links, and if you can't do it one week there's not going to be a big hole on a page that anyone has to scramble to fill. It's a blog-within-a-blog, or maybe a column-within-a-blog, but either way it's an opportunity for the widely divergent opinions that you guys hold to drive the discourse even more than you do now.

Being that we're still under the aegis of The Sun News, however, we've got to stick to some of the strictures of Traditional Journalism. First and foremost, anyone that we give this space to must use their real name, and secondly there's a certain level of decorum that we want to maintain in these posts, even if we're sometimes looser in our comments to one another. I think what that means is that in the sense that these posts are intended as conversation starters, we probably want to craft them that way, as standalone items (which most would be anyway), rather than mere responses to the previous day's open forums, for example. This would probably happen 99 percent of the time anyway - and I certainly don't mean we wouldn't reference one another's comments, just that we wouldn't directly address one another in the post, if that makes sense.

(Denney forcefully and eloquently explained some of the legalities at play in this post, if you're interested.) 

If you're interested, email me at rmorris (at) thesunnews.com with an idea of which day(s) you might be interested in, or which days absolutely won't work for you (Sunny and Ron - I've got both your notes already). I'll let you guys know a tentative schedule by the end of the weekend, and if anyone wants to sit it out at first and join later, that's fine too. As mentioned above, this is an experiment, a different way of conducting a conversation we all genuinely enjoy, and I'm sure we'll continue to modify it moving forward.

Comments

[Patrick]

Press Releases
PELOSI: Buy a $15,000 Policy or Go to Jail
JCT Confirms Failure to Comply with Democrats’ Mandate Can Lead to 5 Years in Jail
Friday, November 06, 2009

Today, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp (R-MI) released a letter from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) confirming that the failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the Pelosi health care bill (H.R. 3962, as amended) could land people in jail. The JCT letter makes clear that Americans who do not maintain “acceptable health insurance coverage” and who choose not to pay the bill’s new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income), are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.

In response to the JCT letter, Camp said: “This is the ultimate example of the Democrats’ command-and-control style of governing – buy what we tell you or go to jail. It is outrageous and it should be stopped immediately.”

Key excerpts from the JCT letter appear below:

.

[Patrick]

Key excerpts from the JCT letter appear below:

“H.R. 3962 provides that an individual (or a husband and wife in the case of a joint return) who does not, at any time during the taxable year, maintain acceptable health insurance coverage for himself or herself and each of his or her qualifying children is subject to an additional tax.” [page 1]

- - - - - - - - - -

“If the government determines that the taxpayer’s unpaid tax liability results from willful behavior, the following penalties could apply…” [page 2]

- - - - - - - - - -

“Criminal penalties

Prosecution is authorized under the Code for a variety of offenses. Depending on the level of the noncompliance, the following penalties could apply to an individual:

• Section 7203 – misdemeanor willful failure to pay is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year.

• Section 7201 – felony willful evasion is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years.” [page 3]

When confronted with this same issue during its consideration of a similar individual mandate tax, the Senate Finance Committee worked on a bipartisan basis to include language in its bill that shielded Americans from civil and criminal penalties. The Pelosi bill, however, contains no similar language protecting American citizens from civil and criminal tax penalties that could include a $250,000 fine and five years in jail.

“The Senate Finance Committee had the good sense to eliminate the extreme penalty of incarceration. Speaker Pelosi’s decision to leave in the jail time provision is a threat to every family who cannot afford the $15,000 premium her plan creates. Fortunately, Republicans have an alternative that will lower health insurance costs without raising taxes or cutting Medicare,” said Camp.

According to the Congressional Budget Office the lowest cost family non-group plan under the Speaker’s bill would cost $15,000 in 2016.

####

[jim sefter]

Maybe as a guest columnist, we ought to invite Nancy Pelosi to explain to us how wonderful the House Health Care Plan will be. Robert, are you going to extend an invitation ?
geez.
Has this Country gone completely nuts?

[Sunny Fry]

Patrick, you should do a guest column. You're obviously not stupid, and you've got some passion, but your posts are often so enigmatic that they're nearly impossible to even respond to. I'd enjoy reading something that you sat down and crafted, though I know it's daunting to consider being sort of exposed in that way to all the darts.

I'd love to see stuff from Tom, too, and Philip, and Daniel, and Robert, and Jim -- and frankly, KaCee and Prefab, though I know there's that weirdness about real names. I'm wondering if there couldn't be a kind of ad-hoc guest slot, where maybe someone might get lit up about something and put something together, even if they didn't commit to a day. Tom writes in this easy, conversationalist sort of mode that's purely fun to read, and has really interesting insights into the lots of things; Daniel's passionate but not heavy-handed; Philip's crackerjack smart and just a different perspective; Jim's just sweet, and has a lifetime of experience to lend him credence -- who'd I miss?

Oh, Joe! That maniac biker who's got a strong Libertarian streak, too, with his bleeding heart/biker/wet-tee-shirt-loving schizophrenice personna. Yep, that would be fun, fun, fun.

(can you tell I love good conversation?)

[jim sefter]

Joe, be careful as to how you respond!!

[Patrick]

Sunny, that really needed to be said.... that I'm not stupid. Thanks.

Sunny, if you didn't understand the piece about the Ethics Complaint at the CoC and what I described, I can't help you. If you couldn't take humor or understand from Robert's first Town Hall meeting, then I can't help you. I don't write in Chinese, but I apparently spoke chinese when I was married. If you are too haughty to ask for clarity, then don't call me obscure or the like.

Please point out a post that you can't respond to. Heck, if I wanted input on a particular post I'd ask for it.

I guess you understood that crap from Phillip about whatever it was. I don't necc. write columns, but if someone says something that I agree with I'll post it.

And don't patronize me, Sunny. It is not neccesary. You might inquire once in a blue moon as to what I am saying, before rathering the wait on your next opport. to call me not able to be understaood.

Any questions?

[Tom Davis]

Patrick,
You are a nut.
Tom

[Bruester]

Patrick, what the hell are you talking about?

Sunny, didn't mention my name and I'm not upset about it. I'm holding three fingers up. Read between the lines.

[Patrick]

Tom what are you saying? I can't understand it. Someone help me, please. I grew up in China and can't understand english.

To Whom It May Concern: Read between the lines.

[Sunny Fry]

"Any questions?"

Yes.

Why did you read "so enigmatic that they're nearly impossible to respond to" as "impossible to understand" (though they're sometimes that, too)?

Why are you apparently ready to be antagonized?

Why would you take anything I wrote as an insult and patronizing?

And who is Bruester?

For the answers to these and other questions, tune in tomorrow with our marvelous formerly investigative reporter Robert to discover a variety of editorial opinions...

[Patrick]

Tom, you called me that last year between Christmas and New Year's.

I have good news for you, Tom. You are not criminally insane. And I will dignify a recent comment of yours - I like bananas.

[Tom Davis]

Patrick, in route to Florence was in need of temp labor so trolled 8th N. and snagged himself a 'needy soul' - in need of $50 bucks, which Patrick was prepared to pay (assuming his 'client' paid 'ole Patrick what was due him pursuant to previous agreement).

Patrick, having missed his own 'back in 15' opportunity the previous evening, but unconcerned, given the nature of his companion was completely startled when his side-kick looked over in the cab and asked - "Did you #@$%?"

Patrick, recovering quickly replied "NO! I didn't #@$?!!!"

After 5-miles of silence the rider asked, "Well, if you didn't #@$? did you &^*%?" Patrick (completely indignent) responded: "NO! I didn't &^*%!"

Total silence.

After completeing the move (very successfully!!!) while in-route home Patrick asked his helper if he'd like a brewsky (which of course, he said "Yes" to).

While stopped to refuel Patrick opted for the restroom, which a moment later was enterd by his laborer, finding Patrick up to his keister in #@$%.

The helper shouted "You told me you didn't #@$%!!!" To which Patrick replied "Hey, fella ... I thought you meant today."

Back in 15 (don't mess with Sunny while I'm gone).

[Sunny Fry]

Careful, Tom.

I don't have 10 million dollars...

[Tom Davis]

Nor do I ... but we can 'buy' Prefab, I'm sure of that.

[jim sefter]

Now I know what Bob Dylan meant when he said he was "stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues again".

[Patrick]

I wish you all would write something I could respond to. You all are so enigmatic. I can't understand english, see. And maybe you all are stupid.

Oh, did you get that call from Gov. Spitzer, Sunny? He said something about money. I know, you couldn't understand that comment either.

[Patrick]

I know Sunny, you understand nothing I said and everything Tom just wrote. Last year you enjoyed the tripe recipes too. I don't believe anything you say, and I have believed for some time now that your kindness is self serving poison.

How do you know Richard's car when it passes you by on Socastee Blvd?

And Jim kiss my axx.

[jim sefter]

Don't show your axx.

[jim sefter]

Good bye, good luck, and may the good lord take a likin' to ya. I think Roy Rogers or Tom Mix used to say that. The store is closed to rude people.

[Paul Curry]

Can I have the Atlantic Beach beat?

[Robert Morris]

Patrick, please settle down a little. Yeah, your posts are rife with internal references and private jokes that are sometimes hard to parse, as are comments from others as well (though it seems you take a little more delight in it). That's not a slam, or even a slight, it's just an observation offered in good faith from your fellow conversationalists. And despite your posts' occasional opacity (or perhaps in part because of it), some of us genuinely do enjoy them.

Tonight however crossed the line from "lively debate" into downright rude, and I was up late and one of your last posts frankly irritated me so much that I deleted it. (I'll note that, contrary to your recent allegations, this is only the second time I've "censored" anything of yours, the first being an accusation against a former client of yours many months ago that I considered potentially defamatory and anyway really out of place on an Opinion Blog). Of course, I realize that in the long run you are capable of posting anything you want, but my snap decision was that particular post was offensive enough that it was better left unpublished.

Anyway, if you truly believe that all of us secretly harbor ill will toward you and that any direct address to you is actually poorly-disguised condescension, I suppose there's nothing I can say to convince you to lay down arms. I don't think that's the case. So, for the sake of allowing all of us to continue a conversation that I gather you've enjoyed for a couple of years now, please consider my sincere request to tone it down a little.

[Robert Morris]

And Paul, honestly, yours is a tempting suggestion. Let me think about it in the daytime.

[Joe]

And I'm the schizophrenic one???

I'm in sunny Miami folks, enjoying some real southern hospitality. The folks at the Loews Hotel here trip over each other trying to make visitors feel welcome. As I was eating dinner on Lincoln Road last night, I imagined how great it would be if the MB bored walk could become this some day. Then reality struck. I peered into a swimsuit shop, and quickly realized that many of the items in the window could not legally be worn on our beaches. Fortunately, that is not the case here! Then, I looked at some of the colorful people who make South Beach what it is, and realized that they would likely be banned from MB if they showed up in large numbers. Interestingly, despite the abundance of "unsavory" characters, there still seem some families enjoying themselves. Not many, as we are in the school year, but the beaches, restaurants, and shops all seem packed (although they say business is down due to the recession). Anyhow, my research will continue tonight with a visit to Mango's Tropical Cafe to investigate the Latin version of Shag Dancing.

Sunny, I am shocked and offended by your flippant and totally inaccurate characterization of me (except the wet t-shirt part, to which I would have to plead guilty as charged). Have a great weekend folks, and remember, Just because people are different, it doesn't mean you have to tolerate them.

[KaCee]

"Sunny, didn't mention my name and I'm not upset about it."

It could be far worse, Bruester. Sunny placed my name next to the Righteous-end-of-a-Yanqui-Bound-Horse.

The humiliation is so great that I may never recover.

[Bob Williams1]

"Can I have the Atlantic Beach beat?"

Yes, you can! But, PS will step on your toes! He's more invested in the AB scene than the corruption ongoing in MB. After all, there's a couple hundred dollars in tax savings at stake. AB will cut the tax base even more if they're absorbed into the empire.