I heard the best joke yesterday.

Q: What do you call a $1 trillion increase in taxes?

A: Interesting, creative, and fun.

If you are Senator Baucus, you’re most likely gripping your sides in laugher. If you are an American taxpayer, you’re probably horrified. Rightfully so. In a seemingly never ending stream of scary quotations from the Obama administration and Democratic leadership, Baucus described the list of possible taxes as “interesting, they’re creative; some are kind of fun.” Senator Baucus, there is nothing “fun” about higher taxes. Higher taxes disincentivize workers, decrease productivity and destroy American jobs.

Freedom fighters at Americans for Tax Reform have endeavored to show Americans why higher taxes for expanded government health care are no laughing matter. Tim Andrews found that with the House’s 5.4 percent surtax on the top income bracket, marginal tax rates would increase above either communist China or Cuba. John Kartch found that, despite President Obama’s promise, the Democrat House bill directly increases taxes on Americans making less than $250,000 a year in at least three different ways.

As if seizing money from Americans’ wallets wasn’t enough, Democrats seem set on raising the cost of health care by taxing the insurance industry for a portion of the $1 trillion health care plan. Obama promised Americans they can keep their health care plan if they like what they have, but increasing the cost of non-government health care plans is nothing short of an attempt to drive the private market out of the health care sector. Congressmen can propose taxes on the health care industry because they don’t have to worry about whether or not their families will receive the necessary health care. When a health conflict arises for any Congressman’s family, no one doubts that a politician’s family will receive the necessary health care. The Americans who pay the higher costs of health care aren’t found on the Hill.

Politicians can laugh all they want about “fun” tax ideas. It’s Americans who are crying.