Hang on to Your Wallets!

It's almost a cliche to say, "If the Democrat wins, hang onto your wallet." But Presidential contender John Edwards demonstrates why it's a pretty accurate sentiment. Here are the nuts and bolts of his plan for univeral healthcare coverage:

When you file your income taxes, you will be required to submit a letter from an insurance provider confirming coverage for yourself and your dependents.

If you do not submit proof of coverage, the Internal Revenue Service will notify a new regional or state-based health-care agency.

The regional agency will then evaluate whether you are eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, S-CHIP.

If you are not eligible for existing public programs, the regional-health care agency will enroll you into the lowest cost health-care plan available.

You will have access to health benefits, but will also be responsible for making monthly payments with the help of a tax credit. The exact size of your obligation will vary according to your income.

If you do not meet your monthly financial obligation, the federal government will garnish your wages for purposes of collecting "back premiums with interest and collection costs."

Yeah, that sounds like a plan that will attract a lot of voters. It also gives more power to the IRS, which is a surefire winner, creates 50 new beaurocracies, and creates a burden on employers to help the government garnish your wages. I wonder if Edwards works at it a little more if he can't make his plan even more heavy-handed.