"Andrew Sullivan Schools Maher and Spitzer on Paul Ryan and Budget. Very surprising."
From
Only Waxing
I disagree with Andrew Sullivan on one point. Paul Ryan doesn’t take on Social Security, or even Medicare in his budget plan. He just says we should do those things and tries to force senior citizens on private health insurance, with his voucher program. Republicans are supposed to believe in freedom of choice when it comes to economic policy, but Paul Ryan would take Medicare away from seniors.
What Representative Paul Ryan (Chairman of the Budget Committee) tried to do in the last Congress and so far in this Congress, was an attempt at least on paper to balance the Federal budget. But by only concentrating on around 15-20% of the Federal budget. And most of those cuts coming from non-Social Security and Medicare social-insurance programs.
If you saw Bill Maher in this video someone who I normally disagree with layout, Chairman Ryan’s attempts to balance the budget by going after the small appetizers or side dishes.
Imagine a meal consisting of steak, mashed potatoes and lets say a caesar salad (good meal, right) instead of targeting the meat of the meal or even the potatoes, the stuff that fills people up in the meal, normally, what Chairman Ryan goes after a couple of leafs in the meal. “Big meal with too much food, we are going to take away a couple of leafs and call it fat reduction, instead of deficit reduction.”
The meat and potatoes in the United States Government’s budget is defense, Social Security, Medicare and to a certain extent Medicaid. And then there are a bunch of public assistance programs of around 30 billion-dollars or so that aids workers who do not make enough money, or are unemployed. Which is why I believe Paul Ryan and his followers are as interested in deficit reduction, as the typical career politician (lets say House or Senate) is interested in raising taxes or cutting Social Security during an election year when they are up for reelection, or getting a real job and earning their money. In other words: not at all.
If House Republicans were serious about deficit reduction, then they would write and pass a plan that solves the problem by going at the meat of the Federal budget. And not just picking away at salad leaves in it. Chairman Ryan is right I believe about the seriousness of the debt and deficit, but is not ready to solve the problems.
If I’m starving and its late at night and I haven’t had anything to eat all day, I don’t snack on a couple of crackers thinking my hunger will go away. I make myself a meal or buy one. The same thing with deficit reduction, that if you are serious about the budget you go where the meat is. Or in this case the money and you cut back in areas where you can afford to save money. That will help you solve the problem.
