Laws That Do the Opposite

The Wal-Mart law is the new fad in Donk-led states. Digger has this:

A Democratic lawmaker is aiming to force Maryland's small businesses to pay a minimum level of employee health benefits, expanding the so-called "Wal-Mart tax" to nearly every business in the state.

The bill by Delegate James W. Hubbard, Prince George's Democrat, would require businesses with fewer than 10,000 employees to spend 4.5 percent of payroll on employee health care or pay an equivalent amount to the state's Medicaid program. Nonprofit businesses with fewer than 10,000 employees would have to spend 3 percent or give the money to Medicaid.

As regular readers of this site know, I own a small business. To compete with the big companies, I have to offer better benefits--namely pick up most or all of an employees health insurance. I also want to provide my employees with the best insurance so that a devastating illness doesn't wipe them out. I know, a caring Republican, I'll get kicked out of the party for that.

If this law passes in Maryland, it will eventually pass in Corzine-led New Jersey. At which point I will do as the law says as pay 3% of my payroll toward health insurance.

As a hypothetical, let's say my payroll is $13,000 every two weeks for a total of $338.000 anually. Let's further say that I pay $3,000 in health insurance costs every month totaling $36,000. I pick up all of the cost for my employees.

Now let's suppose that I follow what the law says and put 3% into health insurance and charge my employees the rest. That would actually save me $25,000+ in insurance annually.

In summation, by forcing me to pay a set percentage, I will actually go from 100% coverage down to the government mandated amount.

Once again the government shows that stupid legislation will only hurt the employee. All because they want nothing more than to put the screws to Wal-Mart at the behest of their union benefactors. Unions who are "for the employee".

Sad, really.