Obamacare: Obey, Pay, or Maybe Go to Jail

Unbelievable. According to the JCT (Joint Committee on Taxation) HR 3962 contains language that states American citizens who do not maintain "acceptable health insurance coverage" (presumably determined by the politically appointed Health Benefits Advisory Council) and who choose not to pay the bill’s new individual mandate tax can be fined and jailed. Cute, huh?

From the JCT letter stamped Nov. 5-- that's right yesterday (h/t http://biggovernment.com/2009/11/06/committee-confirms-comply-with-pelosi-care-or-go-to-jail/#more-26766):

"H.R. 3962 provides that an individual (or a husband and wife in the case of a joint return) who does not, at any time during the taxable year, maintain acceptable health insurance coverage for himself or herself and each of his or her qualifying children is subject to an additional tax.

[...]

"If the government determines that the taxpayer’s unpaid tax liability results from willful behavior, the following penalties could apply…"

Various Civil Penalties follow in the letter (20% of underpayment penalty, 75% if fraud, etc.) then comes the criminal penalties:

"Criminal penalties

"Prosecution is authorized under the Code for a variety of offenses. Depending on the level of the noncompliance, the following penalties could apply to an individual:

"• Section 7203 – misdemeanor willful failure to pay is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year.

"• Section 7201 – felony willful evasion is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years."

So Americans have to buy government approved health care plans, or be fined and possibly go to jail. And this piece of legislation is supposed to provide health "choices," huh?