The human tragedy of ObamaCare is enormous.

[Marcus Aurelius]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gracemarieturner/2014/02/06/the-human-tragedy-of-obamacares-job-losses/

The CBO says that the lure of ObamaCare subsidies will discourage enough people from working such that the economy will see a loss of 2.3 million “full-time-equivalent workers” by 2021, compared to CBO’s previous estimate of 800,000. And the CBO predicts that 2.5 million equivalent workers will be lost by 2024.

CBO director Douglas Elmendorf in congressional testimony on Wednesday acknowledged, under questioning from House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., that “The act creates a disincentive for people to work.”

This cuts through the White House’s attempt to say that Republicans are mischaracterizing the CBO findings. Elmendorf clearly acknowledged that fewer people will work because of the law’s subsidies.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney argued that the subsidies allow people to “pursue their dreams” without the terrible burden of working at jobs they may despise and that “…individuals will be empowered to make choices about their own lives and livelihoods, like retiring on time rather than working into their elderly years…”

But in what alternative liberal universe can we pay people not to work and expect the economy to thrive? Carney’s argument means that other people who still ARE working will be paying the bills so these newly “empowered” individuals will be able to enjoy free or nearly-free health insurance.

There are a number of good articles that shed important light on what’s happening. A few you won’t want to miss:

Byron York, Washington Examiner: “Obamacare will reduce incomes of most AmericansRyan Ellis, Americans for Tax Reform: How Many Jobs Might Obamacare Cost Your State?
Avik Roy, Forbes: White House: It’s a Good Thing That Obamacare Will Drive 2.5 Million Americans Out of the Workforce
Chris Cillizza, The Washington Post: The Worst Headline for Democrats This Year