Sept 2nd, 2011
The war of words between Florida's duplicitous freshman Republican Senator and MSNBC's resident ranter is heating up
Showing posts with label medicare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medicare. Show all posts
Friday, September 2, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Ready To Rumble?
August 3rd, 2011
Steve Benen continues to look towards the so-called "special committee."
"Given the events of the last couple of weeks, Dems are arguably even more inclined to play hardball, since Republicans were so irresponsible during the debt-ceiling fight. It’s not as if the GOP created an atmosphere of goodwill and cooperation. And with Republicans already taking an antagonistic attitude about the next round of talks that haven’t even started, Democrats would be fools not to approach the next phase with confrontation in mind."
Steve Benen continues to look towards the so-called "special committee."
"Given the events of the last couple of weeks, Dems are arguably even more inclined to play hardball, since Republicans were so irresponsible during the debt-ceiling fight. It’s not as if the GOP created an atmosphere of goodwill and cooperation. And with Republicans already taking an antagonistic attitude about the next round of talks that haven’t even started, Democrats would be fools not to approach the next phase with confrontation in mind."
Thursday, July 28, 2011
A BIG Shift
July 28th, 2011
Robert Greenstein of the CBPP notes a very radical departure in both the Boehner debt bill and the absurd "Cut, Cap and Balance."
"For 26 years, all budget legislation that would trigger across-the-board cuts if Congress fails to meet a fiscal target has exempted the basic low-income (or “means-tested”) entitlement programs from those cuts. The Gramm-Rudman-Hollings laws of 1985 and 1990, the deficit reduction agreement of 1990, and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 — all bipartisan pieces of legislation — included that exemption. So did last year’s “pay-as-you-go” law, which requires Congress to offset the cost of new tax cuts or increases in entitlement programs so they don’t increase the deficit. Congress has never enacted a law with an across-the-board cut mechanism that subjects core assistance for the poor to these cuts.
But in the last few weeks, House Republicans have advanced two major pieces of legislation that would do just that. Both the “Cut, Cap, and Balance Act,” which the House passed last week, and the new Boehner debt-ceiling proposal drop all of the low-income exemptions that have been part of every previous across-the-board cut mechanism since 1985.
And, in an exercise in political cynicism, both of these bills add an exemption — for payments to Medicare providers – that was not part of the previous laws. This enables the bill’s authors to claim they are protecting Medicare, even as they subject those living below the poverty line to the risk of automatic cuts that would push them even deeper into poverty. (To be sure, these two measures do not protect Medicare — or Social Security — from being cut by Congress to meet the extremely austere budget targets the bills erect; they only protect those programs from being cut automatically if the targets are not adhered to.)"
Robert Greenstein of the CBPP notes a very radical departure in both the Boehner debt bill and the absurd "Cut, Cap and Balance."
"For 26 years, all budget legislation that would trigger across-the-board cuts if Congress fails to meet a fiscal target has exempted the basic low-income (or “means-tested”) entitlement programs from those cuts. The Gramm-Rudman-Hollings laws of 1985 and 1990, the deficit reduction agreement of 1990, and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 — all bipartisan pieces of legislation — included that exemption. So did last year’s “pay-as-you-go” law, which requires Congress to offset the cost of new tax cuts or increases in entitlement programs so they don’t increase the deficit. Congress has never enacted a law with an across-the-board cut mechanism that subjects core assistance for the poor to these cuts.
But in the last few weeks, House Republicans have advanced two major pieces of legislation that would do just that. Both the “Cut, Cap, and Balance Act,” which the House passed last week, and the new Boehner debt-ceiling proposal drop all of the low-income exemptions that have been part of every previous across-the-board cut mechanism since 1985.
And, in an exercise in political cynicism, both of these bills add an exemption — for payments to Medicare providers – that was not part of the previous laws. This enables the bill’s authors to claim they are protecting Medicare, even as they subject those living below the poverty line to the risk of automatic cuts that would push them even deeper into poverty. (To be sure, these two measures do not protect Medicare — or Social Security — from being cut by Congress to meet the extremely austere budget targets the bills erect; they only protect those programs from being cut automatically if the targets are not adhered to.)"
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
We're DOOMED... Again... No, Really
June 1st, 2011
I missed this a few weeks back. Thanks to one of my readers for bringing it to my attention. Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune has done us all a tremendous service. As we enter the next round of granny-bashing and hand wringing over the supposed looming doom that faces Medicare, it's worth noting that this is the same nonsense we have been hearing for decades from the Mises-spouting, "Austrian School" fanatics and Randian nitwits now dominating the discussion. Zorn has gone back and gathered some of the dire pronouncements from earlier days:
"Chicago Tribune July 2, 1969: The Medicare hospital trust fund faces bankruptcy by 1976 and taxes must either be raised or benefits reduced the senate finance committee was told today.
"Chicago Tribune July 2, 1969: The Medicare hospital trust fund faces bankruptcy by 1976 and taxes must either be raised or benefits reduced the senate finance committee was told today.
One More Time...
June 1st, 2011
The more the establishment Right doubles down on The Ryan Plan, the more I will continue to point out it's ridiculousness, it's corruption and it's plutocratic cruelty...
(via)
The more the establishment Right doubles down on The Ryan Plan, the more I will continue to point out it's ridiculousness, it's corruption and it's plutocratic cruelty...
(via)
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| Chart by Jarrod Barretto. Sources: CBPP, CBO |
Friday, May 20, 2011
At The Precipice
May 20th, 2011
Hat tip to The Dish for this. Sully finds it detestable and gave it one of his "Moore Award" nominations. I think it is simply a little gallows humor mixed with the truth.
Hat tip to The Dish for this. Sully finds it detestable and gave it one of his "Moore Award" nominations. I think it is simply a little gallows humor mixed with the truth.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Total Lack Of Surprise
May 4th, 2011
Hats off to Johnathan Cohn for his piece at The New Republic. The opener is pure money:
"The cuts in the Affordable Care Act hit the providers and producers of health care more than the consumers, at least directly, and include changes to the delivery of medical care that will, with any luck, make it possible for people to get better, more efficient health care even as it costs less. The Republican budget actually includes most of these same cuts for the first ten years, but then puts almost the entire onus for cost-cutting on individual beneficiaries via the vouchers.
Do Rubio and his colleagues care that they are completely distorting reality? Do they even realize it? Your guess is as good as mine. And quite possibly theirs."
Hats off to Johnathan Cohn for his piece at The New Republic. The opener is pure money:
"It’s becoming pretty clear how Republicans plan to defend their budget. They’re going to lie about it."
The breakdown:
"The cuts in the Affordable Care Act hit the providers and producers of health care more than the consumers, at least directly, and include changes to the delivery of medical care that will, with any luck, make it possible for people to get better, more efficient health care even as it costs less. The Republican budget actually includes most of these same cuts for the first ten years, but then puts almost the entire onus for cost-cutting on individual beneficiaries via the vouchers.
Do Rubio and his colleagues care that they are completely distorting reality? Do they even realize it? Your guess is as good as mine. And quite possibly theirs."
Read the whole thing HERE
Broken Promises Indeed
May 4th, 2011
I generally don't post outright DCCC videos here. This is a worthy exception. Enjoy this round up of liars. Blatant fear mongering prior to the 2010 ballot followed by lockstep approval of Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-WI) Path To Poverty. I endorse their petition.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Paul Ryan's Recipe For Misery
April 4th, 2011
As we await the full release of Rep Paul Ryan's (R-WI) "budget" proposals enough has leaked out to know that it's more of the same serve-the-rich nonsense that has been inflicted upon ordinary Americans for years. It just takes those policies and puts them into overdrive.
From TPM:
"Ryan's plan will also propose tax reforms that lower corporate and upper-income tax rates, while eliminating certain loopholes. The details of that part of his plan are unclear, but if they adhere to his Roadmap for America's Future, the GOP budget will propose to overhaul the tax code in a way that reduces the burden on the wealthy and increases it on the poor and middle classes."
As we await the full release of Rep Paul Ryan's (R-WI) "budget" proposals enough has leaked out to know that it's more of the same serve-the-rich nonsense that has been inflicted upon ordinary Americans for years. It just takes those policies and puts them into overdrive.
From TPM:
"Ryan's plan will also propose tax reforms that lower corporate and upper-income tax rates, while eliminating certain loopholes. The details of that part of his plan are unclear, but if they adhere to his Roadmap for America's Future, the GOP budget will propose to overhaul the tax code in a way that reduces the burden on the wealthy and increases it on the poor and middle classes."
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
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