I'm waiting for the news media and
the cable TV talking heads to honestly dig in to the so-called federal budget
proposals that have been floated by the Republicans and the Democrats—both
plans are crazy.
The Democrats in the Senate are
cooking up a doozy of a "budget" that has no reference to scaling
back or modifying social safety net programs like Social Security and Medicare.
We all know that there isn't enough money on the surface of the planet to pay
all of the currently authorized benefits to all of the 75 million Baby Boomers
who are entering retirement and everyone else who's coming after them. We have to
sensibly reduce these future benefits and raise taxes now to help pay for what remains.
The Republicans in the House have the
Ryan (Rep. Paul Ryan) Plan, another one of his more or less transparent whack-a-doodle
"budgets" that adamantly cuts government benefits for the poor and disadvantaged,
and "simplifies" tax rates to give a roughly $400,000 tax cut to our fellow
citizens who earn more than $1,000,000 a year. Wrong. The very wealthy need to pay
a larger share of the cost of the government goods and services that we all want.
I know, you know, everyone knows these
plans are just the first slap-down on the negotiating table. We need more insistent,
disdainful media analysis that says so.
Neither plan has the slightest chance
of getting full congressional approval.
These plans are nothing but raw meat,
they're entertainment for the respective political "bases."
I'm not enjoying the spectacle so far.
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