President Obama and former Governor Mitt Romney won’t be the only people in the spotlight at tonight’s presidential debate in Hempstead, NY. About 100 undecided voters from Nassau County on Long Island will have an opportunity to ask Obama and Romney questions in the town-hall format.
These voters were selected by the Gallup Organization because they are uncommitted to Obama or Romney. No one knows what questions will be asked or who will be among the select few chosen by moderator Candy Crowley, a CNN political correspondent.
But we do know a few things about the residents of Nassau County. Many reside in New York’s 4th congressional district. Taxpayers in that district will be subject to an eye-popping $4,492 tax increase on Jan. 1, 2013, as a result of Taxmageddon.
Taxmageddon is the one-year $494 billion tax increase that will kick next year unless Congress acts. It hits residents of Nassau County particularly hard. The total increase for the district is nearly $1.6 billion.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, Nassau County residents are also facing the impact of Medicare fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage payment reductions. These were enacted as part of Obamacare and will add up to nearly $3.2 billion over the next 10 years, according to a study by Robert A. Book and Michael Ramlet.
Will one of the voters ask about this tonight?
You’ll have to tune in to find out. Heritage will be streaming the debate live at 9 p.m. ET and offering instant analysis from experts on The Foundry.
