More leverage for these moochers! Pass the smelling salts!
Today's big partisan battle was over
interpretation of that CBO report on the ACA. Conservatives are screaming that Obamacare kills 2.5 million jobs. Liberals are pointing to the text and saying that no, dumbasses, it says 2.5 million people will decide to work less.
"The estimated reduction [in CBO's projections of hours worked] stems almost entirely from a net decline in the amount of labor that workers choose to supply rather than a net drop in businesses demand for labor. [...]"
You see, they'll have a choice. Choice is good! But not for conservatives, who hate choice.
I quit my job with great insurance to focus full-time on Daily Kos when my wife was four-months pregnant. I don't do that, this site might not exist. It was a risk I was willing to take, but shouldn't have had to. If the ACA existed back in 2002, this wouldn't have been a, er, controversial decision in my household.
So people can retire early if they wish, or scale back on that second job, or spend more time at home with the kids, or tell that asshole boss to go fuck himself, or stop putting up with subpar job conditions. Indeed, the CBO clearly states that most of the impact will take place at the lower-wage end of the spectrum.
The act will not impact the number of jobs, it will impact the number of people who take those jobs. That, in turn, will increase hiring pressures on businesses. And those Big Box retailers will find it harder and harder to exploit their workers as they gain newfound freedom to strike out for greener pastures.
Business owners hate Obamacare. Obamacare strengthens workers' hands in bargaining. This is not a coincidence.
http://t.co/...
— @jbarro
And that pretty much sums it up. But conservatives aren't letting go of their hysteria. And given that the GOP's entire 2014 playbook is Obamacare, expect that "2.5 million jobs" thing to feature on every Republican ad this year. But their reaction suggests more than poor reading comprehension. It really does point to how they see Americans.
Remember, for Republicans, there are business owners ("makers") and then there's everyone else ("takers" or "moochers"). The CBO released a report that states that the balance of power between business and employees will be reshuffled a little bit. It states that businesses will no longer be able to use access to health care as leverage to exploit workers. It notes that employees will be able to -- and WILL -- leave those crappy jobs as a result of their newfound health security.
For conservatives, that is inherently offensive. Government has given those takers and moochers more underserved power, rather than continue allowing businesses to exploit their workers at will. They don't want an empowered workforce, they want an enslaved one.
That Obamacare changes that balance of power is a good thing, but only if you value people over corporations.