$2,000 per employee insurance exchange tax will hurt AZ's economy

If Arizona sets up an ObamaCare/PPACA insurance exchange, the federal  government will be enabled to impose on Arizona businesses a $2,000 per employee  tax on employees who get federal subsidies through the exchange. That will hurt  Arizona’s economy, and keep unemployment at dangerously high levels. To learn  more about the dangers of setting up an Arizona ObamaCare insurance exchange,  watch this video from  WesternFreePress.com of AFP-Arizona’s September 5 debate on the AZ ObamaCare  insurance exchange.More Sept 5 exchange-related interviews are posted here.The question we asked before the debate was, “Will anyone defend the AZ  ObamaCare insurance exchange?” Another important question was, “Can  anyone defend the AZ ObamaCare insurance exchange?” So far, the answer to both  questions is NO.The Arizona chapter of Americans for Prosperity held a  debate on the Arizona ObamaCare insurance exchange on Wednesday, September 5  from 1:00 to 2:30 pm at the Goldwater  Institute.Arguing against the exchange were two of the nation’s foremost health care  policy experts: Glendale physician and health care freedom advocate Dr.  Eric Novack and Cato  Institute health care policy analyst Michael  Cannon.Arguing in favor of the exchange was… AFP-Arizona director Tom Jenney,  wearing horns (literally) and serving as a devil’s advocate. We could not find  anyone who was willing to publicly defend the exchange (or even provide  testimony as an ostensibly neutral policy expert) — even after reaching out for  three weeks to the Brewer Administration and the state’s health insurance  lobbyists, and even after offering them equal time, an equal share of the  audience, and the appointment of a pro-exchange co-moderator for the debate.  Despite the fact that there are literally dozens of registered lobbyists in this  state who do work for the state’s health insurers and providers… (Go to the last  page of this  document for a list of the health care lobbyists and experts we  contacted in our effort to find someone to defend the Arizona exchange.)So, if none of the state’s insurance lobbyists is willing to publicly defend  the exchange, does that mean they’re going to give up and stop lobbying Gov.  Brewer and the Legislature to adopt the exchange? Unfortunately, no.On August 31, the Coalition for an Arizona State Exchange delivered a letter  to Gov. Brewer, asking her to continue supporting the exchange. Many of the  signatories on the letter are local Chambers of Commerce. (We wonder if member  businesses know that their Chambers are selling them out to the insurance  companies and effectively asking Gov. Brewer to impose a tax of $2,000 per  worker on employers to benefit insurers…) AFP-Arizona has sent an invitation  to Glenn Hamer of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and the other 31 signatories  to the letter, to find out if any of them is willing and able to publicly defend  the exchange. We are scheduling a rematch in January or February — and  will give the insurance and provider lobbyists months (months!) to find someone  to defend the exchange.We also reached out to Democratic candidates Richard Carmona, Ann Kirkpatrick  and Kyrsten Sinema, who have all expressed support for ObamaCare (which they  call the “Affordable Care Act”). No luck.For more about the exchange, be sure to read AFP-Arizona’s op-ed on the  ObamaCare insurance exchange from the August 22 edition of the Arizona  Republic.