ObamaCare or Jail?!? - UPDATE 3-OCT-2009

Yes, you read that right. ::sigh:: Here's a link to the article: http://www.620wtmj.com/shows/charliesykes/62185347.html

And here's a link to the story that started it all: http://www.politico.com/livepulse/0909/Ensign_receives_handwritten_confirmation_.html?showall#

" Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor and could face up to a year in jail or a $25,000 penalty, Barthold wrote on JCT letterhead. He signed it "Sincerely, Thomas A. Barthold." "

The "violators" are the people who don't sign up for ObamaCare.

UPDATE:

According to this New York Times blog http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/debating-done-now-comes-a-budget-work-up-before-voting-on-the-baucus-bill/

there has been a relaxing of the penalties for failing to buy ObamaCare:

" My colleagues, Robert Pear and Jackie Calmes, who followed the committee proceedings through the wee hours of the morning, report some of the crucial changes that were made to the bill in the final session, including an easing of penalties the new law would require for people who fail to obtain health insurance. " (Link is theirs and is left intact.)

By following that link (above) we end up here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/health/policy/03health.html?_r=1&hp

which states: " Before it finished work at 2:15 a.m. Friday, the committee voted to reduce penalties on people who go without insurance. The maximum penalty for a family was cut to $800, from $1,900, and it would be phased in gradually from 2014 to 2017. "

OK...so, it reduces the penalty from $1,900 for a family down to $800. But it still says nothing about prison time, so it's a guess if you still go to jail for failing to buy ObamaCare.

The MSM, oddly enough, didn't really report on the JAIL provision, except for Fox News. The WTMJ story started with this line: " Undoubtedly, this would be dismissed as more right-wing fear-mongering, except that it has been confirmed in writing. " (This was a link that led back to the Politico article. The link was removed.)

But that's what the Dems wanted. Don't buy ObamaCare, go to jail. No update on the jail provision, however.

Is this the 'change' you wanted?