We support the goal: a healthy Manatee County. We do NOT support the plan! Sign this petition to tell the Manatee County Commissioners to rescind Health Care Sales Tax Ordinance 13-07 on Tuesday, April 9th OR place on the first Regular Election (Primary) August 2014 Ballot. 1. We are paying more taxes and reducing Medicare for senior citizens to pay for "Obamacare" which promises access to basic health care for all Americans. Therefore, this sales tax increase for indigent care is not necessary and is double taxation. 2. This will raise the sales tax to 7 % which will make it difficult to obtain the other tax revenues needed to fund things like schools or roads. 3. Businesses in Manatee County are already overtaxed and struggling to stay viable. Increasing the county sales tax again will hurt these small businesses, and put a number of them in real financial danger. 4. Additionally, this increase in the sales tax will make Manatee County less economically competitive with surrounding counties. 5. The Federal Government under "Obamacare" is paying for an additional 1 million or more new Medicaid recipients. They will be enrolled in Medicaid or get free private health insurance policies under the Arkansas plan. This will mean that close to 25% of Floridians will be on Medicaid or government-paid health insurance. We simply can not afford to pay more on top of this. 6. Most importantly, this ill-conceived plan qualified a family of four up to $46,000 a year income for indigent health care. That is the median income of Manatee. Simply put, half of Manatee County will be paying for the health care of the other half.