By Jim Kouri CPP | January 13, 2011
A news story that doesn’t receive the coverage it deserves is the so-called ObamaCare waivers that will be handed out to “friends” of the President and supporters of his health care power-grab, according to a public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption.
President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law does not specify which companies or labor unions should receive waivers for its requirements and under what circumstances. Critics of how Heath and Human Services Department has chosen to handle these waiver requests highlight the haphazard nature of the approval process and the fact that companies able to secure these coveted Obamacare exemptions are given an unfair competitive advantage over their rivals.
For example in New York City, the powerful United Federation of Teachers was granted a one-year waiver from compliance with the new health care reform law. “Of course, it should be noted that the UFT, a group that represents tens of thousands of teachers and education professionals, was gung-ho over getting Obama elected and ObamaCare passed. Now they want an exemption while the rest of us get soaked,” said political strategist Mike Baker.
According to BigGovernment.com’s Warner Todd Huston:
“There was no press releases or flowery Obama announcements of these waivers issued to the press. The HHS buried the waiver announcement six layers deep on its web page and posted them when they imagined no one would notice. It’s a typical Friday evening document dump so common when an administration wants to avoid the prying eyes of the people. So much for the most transparent administration in history, eh?”
“One thing is sure about these waivers. Obama rewarded his union pals quite well. Some 15 unions and union healthcare or financial fund and insurance providers fill the list of companies and groups that will not have to operate under Obamacare’s destructive rules,”said Warner.
Huston reported that these organizations were rewarded with waivers, all of whom worked hard to get ObamaCare passed.
- The Service Employees Benefit Fund
- United Food and Commercial Workers Allied Trade Health & Welfare Trust Fund
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union No. 195
- Asbestos Workers Local 53 Welfare Fund
- Employees Security Funds
- Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 123 Welfare Fund
- United Food and Commercial Workers Local 227
- United Food and Commercial Workers Maximus Local 455
- Service Employees International Union Local 25
- United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1262
- Musicians Health Fund Local 802
- Hospitality Benefit Fund Local 17
- Transport Workers Union
- United Federation of Teachers Welfare Fund
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (AFL-CIO)
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