Ryan plan attacks middle class
Mitt Romney has picked an extreme, radical V.P. running mate. If you haven’t heard of Paul Ryan and his budget, you better check it out.
The Paul Ryan budget proposes the elimination of Medicare as we know it. It will no longer be a fee for service, at a negotiated low rate. Contrary to what R&R are saying, the $700 billion in cuts to Medicare were for “non-essential.” These are administrative cuts that affects insurance and drug companies, not plan recipients.
The Ryan Plan has always had the same cuts, but it pays for the tax cuts (partially) of the very wealthy. It would be rolling the dice to change Medicare to a voucher/coupon plan.
Social Security would be privatized. That’s what we need to do, turn over the fund to Wall Street. It would cost $2 trillion to move the plan to the private sector. Ryan does not address this cost.
“Simplification” of the tax code means that the mortgage interest, property tax credits are eliminated, costing middle class families $2,000 in additional taxes. At the same time, capital gains taxes would be eliminated and the tax rate for the wealthy cut from 35 percent to 25 percent. Mitt Romney would pay no taxes.
Medicaid and food stamps would be decimated. Fifty percent of nursing home costs are borne by Medicaid. I guess we throw the elderly out on the street.
As far as education is concerned, this budget cuts Pell Grants, destroying any hope for a college education for thousands. Mitt Romney’s answer is to “ask your parents for help.”
The icing on the cake is that this plan would cost $4 trillion to $5 trillion over 10 years because it favors the very wealthy, corporations, and the military.
Joann Avery, Poland
Comments
Sure, because in the hands of government, things run so much better than they do in the hands of the private sector. We already know Obama cut $750 billion from Medicare already to pay for ObamaCare. Why shed any light on something that has already happened?
You want to know who is screwing the seniors? The Obama supporters better take a good look in the mirror.
I love how we throw around words like 'Wall Street", "very wealthy", and "corporations" to illustrate a very populist viewpoint. Because that is all the Obama Campaign has left, to make this campaign about "us versus them", "rich versus poor".
Take the populist and race bating campaigning back to Chicago where it belongs, we do things differently here.
Cong. Paul Ryan's plan to fix Medicare will not affect those 55 years of age or older. Medicare as we currently know it will be bankrupt by 2030. Maybe we should twiddle our thumbs like out timmie ryan and hope that iMedicare fixes itself.
The United States (as we know and love it) will collapse due to the tremedous economic burden of its debt and deficits. At least Paul is addressing the problem.
s/ A Catholic against Obama
Those administrative cuts are cuts in reimbursements, which will affect services to patients.
Just because someone proposes a plan does not automatically mean that the plan would be implemented. Start with a plan, then through compromise determine the best course of action to take. At least Ryan has OFFERED SOMETHING, which is something that Obama has not done. He even dismissed the findings of his own Debt Commission. He wants to kick the can down the road, and Joann fully supports that strategy.
Social Security and Medicare, while noble in principle, are not sustainable under the current system. Within 20 years, they will consume every dollar tax revenue taken in. That will leave nothing for defense, infrastructure, law enforcement, jails, etc. All one need do is to look at the failed systems in Europe to see the end result. I give Ryan credit for taking on a serious challenge.
Walter, I give Ryan credit for bringing the subject up and putting forth a plan but he fails because he doesn't address the costs of healthcare. Giving people a voucher that doesn't cover their care because prices rise isn't a solution.
The cost of healthcare must level off or be reduced for any plan to be viable.
When did "college costs" become a constitutional "right". Our parents helped us through college or we worked to pay for it. This "nanny state" philosophy was NOT the DEMOCRAT platform of JFK. "Ask NOT what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country". JFK would be a Republican today !
Medicare MUST be changed or there will be NO Medicare for our generation. DEMS will just ignore the future to win the current election - HOW SAD!
As for Social Security, I want an "OPTION" to privatize. I do NOT want the gov't to "spend my social security now" so that when I need it is INSOLVENT. Again, more gov't dependency is what DEMS want. America was NOT founded on DEPENDENCY!
As for food stamps, etc. When 47% of Americans pay NO federal income tax, it is time for the 53% to say "NO MORE" - although OBAMA just gutted the 1996 Welfare Reform Act (bipartisan under Clinton) so that Welfare recipients do NOT have to work to get welfare). Obama promotes Gov't dependency