A draft proposal by the deficit commission suggests curbing Social Security benefits and raising the retirement age.The co-chairmen of the panel appointed by President Obama to cut the U.S. deficit recommend raising the retirement age to 68. It is currently 67 years for retirees to receive full benefits. The panel leaders also propose reducing the annual cost-of-living increases in Social Security. I have been waiting to hear from the Republican leaders and some of the newly elected Republicans on what Obama's debt commission has come up with. I know I wouldn't hear a word from the Democrats. But for the new conservative Republicans to say next to nothing on these finding is appalling. The Republicans better not fall back into the same rut that made most Republicans leave the party. The Republican Party was saved by the conservative Tea Party movement and we have expectations of them. If the Republican Party doesn't step it up and act like the conservatives they promised to be then we will have no problem kicking that party out of Washington just like they did to the Whig Party. I know I have low expectations of Obama and the Democratic Party but their reaction to these findings will give you a hint why. All I know is that SSI and Medicare are in a crash course to nowhere and the Democrats would rather have future Americans pay for it and never see it then make it a more realistic entitlement like it started out to be. We know the Democrats wont do anything about this failed entitlement, they've said so much. But the Republicans playing hid and seek is no different. The Republican Party better start taking on these tough issues now or they will be cast as being no different then Democrats. Washington can't keep hiding from these out of control entitlements. And playing politics with them wont work either. If the Democrats try and play games with SSI then the Republican Party needs to remind the American people of what party is cutting a half trillion $'s from Medicare.
Did you read it? Or just listen to Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and/or any of the other people that normally do your thinking for you?
ReplyDeleteI'm okay with the findings.
i don't find the three rates of 8, 14 and 23 to be that onerous to anyone and establishing a corporate rate of 26 instead of 35 would seem okay too.
increasing the Gas tax and having it dedicated to transportation alone would be a decent idea. I drive more than most and am willing to pay alittle more in order to see our infrastructure maintained without using debt or income tax dollars.
Reducing AG subsidies again would be good. The current subsidies are given incositently and generally don't take care of the family farmer instead helping corporate farms.
But thats just me. I can compromise.
Joe"the union parrat" is questioning me on where I get info. Is that going to be your argument for everything Joe? I haven't heard anyone cover the lack of a responce by the Republicans. My point is I want to hear what their opinions are on this debt commission and they lay mute. I agree that we need to change something in SSI or it will be gone in less then 20 years. Retirement isn't a right. If you can afford to retire then do it. But it isn't a right of all Americans. I would like to see more of our seasoned retirees come backi to work and help us get businesses back on track. They have lived through this and are of great benifit to the American economy. Joe what do the unions tell you to think about this debt commission findings?
ReplyDeleteBottom line DEBT will have to be paid for or all other issues are moot! If we Target certain citizens to pay off entire debt that to me is the wrong way to go. We as citizens have through OUR neglect allowed most of OUR debt to occurr by not keeping our eyes on the politicans. We are ALL going to have to sacrifice from the richest to the poorest to bring OUR economy back. The days of 40% or so not paying is or should be over. We cannot afford that luxury anymore. There are of Coarse those that will need to be assisted but please lets get out of the Mentality that all is OWED to us by Government. Unless we lose that Mentality we are Doomed to fail. Some think all being poor is the way to go versus Middle Class being put to work by JOB providers. We can Tax Job creators all we want but bottom line NO Jobs, No Economy, No Entitlements and Most importantly No Nation. Just my opinion!
ReplyDelete"increasing the Gas tax and having it dedicated to transportation alone would be a decent idea."
ReplyDeleteTry living on Chicago (and many other metro areas), where we are double dipped with not only high gas tax, but tolls to boot.
There are un-necessary work being done on some of these roads, just to employ union laborers. And that we taxpayers are getting fed up with this.
So you didn't read it did you?
ReplyDeleteYes, that will always be our argument when you get your info second hand.
I see that you resort to name calling when you have no rebuttal, something you've railed at others about. Nice hypocrisy.
I read the report before i posted and i offered my own opinions in that post. We know you hadn't at the time your post went up.
Mark,
ReplyDeleteTry living in a state like Michigan with little public transportation and having to drive 10,00 to 30,000 a year over any number of bridges as they become more structurally deficient each year. The 15 cents the commission is proposing wouldn't break you.
As for unnecessary work 25 percent of all US bridges are either structurally deficient and/or functionally obsolete. Thats 150,000 bridges that need work at around 63.3 billion dollars.
But don't take my word for it. Try AASCE.
http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/fact-sheet/bridges
But they are just trying to keep Union workers happy. lol...
Question Where has all the money collected from Gasoline Tax gone? Bet part of it was used for other under funded programs. Just seems the tax money collected should be enough for road/bridge work construction or repair. Was not there several Billion dollar projects for transportation in several cities. Would realy like to see break down on where all that money went and was spent on.
ReplyDeleteI am fully aware of infrastructure issue in this country. I travel 94 (in MI) a lot and know a majority of the bridges are now complete.
ReplyDeleteWe here in IL are being doubled dipped by federal and state tax/gal on top of tolls. Work that has been done a one particular highway here (re-surfacing) was NOT necessary. The funds where used from the stimulus. One waste of our taxes.
M-5 in Oakland country was resurfaced a few years back... It was not needed. I traveled it everyday back then.
There are a lot of work being done that is NOT necessary.
You wanting to pay more, thats up to you, Joe. However don't drag my wallet along for the ride.
Yes Joe I read it. And the post is about the Republican Party being mute on it. Did you not read that?
ReplyDeleteMark, what is a majority of bridges? So if 70 or 80 percent of our bridges are complete then its okay? What percentage of bridges needing repairs is acceptable?
ReplyDeleteI mean to your untrained and anecdotal eye what percentage is done? A recent GAO study says 1 in 4 require repairs.
I can also understand and commiserate with you on the overall tax issue. I'm not excited about it. Unfortunately we need to increase our care of our transportation infrastructure before it hinders our economy and possibly gets dangerous.
But unlike you i understand that you have to pay for these repairs and that we can't borrow our way through this. Thats leaves finding a source of revenue.
Al, your right the transportation trust fund has been raided and used to backfill the general fund just like the Social security fund. Both parties did that. Repeatedly.
ReplyDeleteWhat is being suggested is a slight tax increase that would fund only the transportation trust funds and take care of backlogged projects and repairs. This would eliminate debt by removing the constant flow of emergency funding coming from debt to cover revenue taken and used elsewhere, which is how the congress under both parties has operated.
Joe Thought that Stimulus bill meant shovel jobs which I wrongly assumed were for constrution also meaning roads/bridges. If that had been spent better, although I totally disagreed with it maybe jobs would have been created, but this regime for what ever reason let most of the Stimulus lay around. Beleive its still there and I do not know what the purpose for that is.
ReplyDeleteI beleive we just have a regime that had social agenda of change and citizens be damned !