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Judi Lynn

(160,217 posts)
Sun Mar 3, 2013, 02:57 AM Mar 2013

Jonathan Alter: Why Democrats must get smarter on entitlements

Jonathan Alter: Why Democrats must get smarter on entitlements
By Jonathan Alter
twincities.com
Posted: 03/02/2013 12:01:00 AM CST
March 2, 2013 8:8 PM GMTUpdated: 03/02/2013 02:08:18 PM CST


In a season of depressing budget news, the worst may have been that a majority of U.S. House Democrats signed a letter urging President Barack Obama to oppose any benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other entitlements. That's the last thing we need.

To hold the line on harmful cuts to discretionary spending, Obama and the Democrats must educate the public about the necessity of entitlement reform. Otherwise, the poor and needy -- largely spared by the automatic reductions under sequestration -- will get hit much harder down the road.

Liberals are right to reject Republican proposals that would slash social-welfare programs even as they refuse to consider closing tax loopholes for the wealthy. And I agree that the sequestration will cut into the bone of important government functions and investments in the future.

That makes two more reasons to start talking seriously about how we will pay for the insanely expensive retirement of the baby boomers.

More:
http://www.twincities.com/opinion/ci_22698866/jonathan-alter-why-democrats-must-get-smarter-entitlements

13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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RoccoR5955

(12,471 posts)
2. What a line of hokum.
Sun Mar 3, 2013, 03:10 AM
Mar 2013

The way that you fix the paid insurance plan called Social Security is to raise the cap. No ifs ands or buts!
If we raise the cap to 250,000, up from the current 110,000, the fund would be viable for more than 100 years.

And they are not entitlements, they are paid for benefits, that never were to be part of the general budget.
Social Security should not be touched by any budget other than its own.

The entitlements that MUST be cut, are the entitlements that oil companies, defense contractors, and privately run prisons get.

 

John2

(2,730 posts)
9. Yeah,
Sun Mar 3, 2013, 10:10 AM
Mar 2013

they must think all Americans are dumb and not as educated as they are. I know a sham when I see it. Alter makes the claim that he is a baby boomer and also makes the claim everyone else is making, people will be supporting the baby boomer generation. He projects this claim in 20 years.

I'm here to say I'm a second generation baby boomer and eligible to retire in not 20 years but 10. At the earliest less than ten. I'm at the back end of the baby boom generation also. The baby boom generation has been paying for previous and current generations. Now when many of them become eligible, certain people want to give them the shaft. They did not create this current Debt or Deficit. Their funds were raided to pay for other expenditures including generous tax cuts for the top and ill advised Wars, including weapons build up under the false pretenses of national security. This includes nation building that also benefits wealthy corporations. It is very easy for a Congress bought and payed for by the wealthy to hand out bribes to others protecting this empire. Then put the Bill on those they raided the funds from.

The American people and especially the Baby Boom generation need to hold those responsible for the Debt accountable for that Debt. The best solution is to make Congress live up to their responsibilities and make them repay every cent they stole from Social Security. Some of the enormous profits earned by those who benefited should be forfeited over the next Decade by eliminating all those loopholes and closing all those bases throughout the World to support their Empire. Why do we still maintain large Armies in Germany and Japan?

 

Marr

(20,317 posts)
4. Ooh- another member of the investor class who thinks the plebes aren't poor enough yet.
Sun Mar 3, 2013, 03:51 AM
Mar 2013

How surprising.

Cut military spending for enforcing Exxon's will abroad. Cut bank bailouts. Cut tax loopholes for the wealthy. Cut a hundred other massively expensive hand-outs that go to the investor class.

patrice

(47,992 posts)
7. Re Means-testing: Do wealthy receive SSI? LOTS of advertising on TV to qualify anyone for SSI
Sun Mar 3, 2013, 04:01 AM
Mar 2013

in my neck of the woods, for a price I'm sure.

kenny blankenship

(15,689 posts)
8. "Jonathan Alter is a Bloomberg View columnist..."
Sun Mar 3, 2013, 04:04 AM
Mar 2013

Uh-huh. And it shows. Hey Johnny boy - how's the view out of Michael Bloomberg's asshole? Well upholstered in there, is it? Nice and comfy?

Fucking scumbag.

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