The Congressional Budget Office released their bi-annual non-partisan financial report this week that covered many, many aspects of the national budget. Republican sources immediately pounced on the part of the report that suggested that due to the change in health care/insurance brought on by The Affordable Health Care Act, a.k.a. ObamaCare, that a portion of the work force may opt to work less. The report did not say that jobs would be lost. It did not say that unemployment would rise or that benefits would be required for those that made this change. It simply implied that workers had a choice they did not have before.
I don't even think most Republicans believe this is a negative prediction but zero sum politics demands that any information be cast as a negative outcome brought on by the opposing side. Anyone that read beyond the sensationalist headlines could easily see this as "grasping at straws". Jon Stewart, with his wit and resources, juxtaposed clips of Republican speakers previously railing about family values and then recently decrying this report that suggests workers could choose to spend more time with their families, or other non-work activities. Again, there is no mention in the report of jobs lost. In fact, it could be surmised that if full time workers opted for part time work that would create jobs, albeit part-time jobs. I wonder if some unemployed persons might like to have a part-time job with affordable health care?
Good points here! Sounds, once again, like we are focusing on how to tear the other side down (negative face) rather than the whole issue. So sad.
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