conservative budget solution

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Kindi
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conservative budget solution

Postby Kindi » Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:48 pm

"When it comes to America’s long-term deficit problems, conservatives tend to prefer spending cuts to anything else as a way to provide a fix.

* 56% - cut spending across the board
* 27% - cut spending from all government budgets except the military
* 10% - pass a balanced budget amendment
* 3% - cut taxes
* 3% - fix Social Security and Medicare so they don’t pay out more than they take in

That was pretty revealing. Social Security and Medicare will drive our long-term structural deficits and crush our economy along the way. But even though the issue is getting some play in the media, it doesn’t seem to be getting through to the grassroots."

http://conhomeusa.typepad.com/survey/20 ... t-wha.html

and paul ryan didn't mention social security or medicare in his response to state of the union address
Corth
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Re: conservative budget solution

Postby Corth » Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:01 pm

The survey wasn't written very well. Instead of some sort of ranking mechanism the respondents had to choose one answer. Not surprising that a group of 800+ self-identified conservatives would seize upon the "Cut spending across the board", which is the broadest answer and presumably includes cuts to SS and Medicare. The second broadest answer, "Cut spending from all government budgets except millitary" is also second highest i nthe survey. Answering with the very narrow "fix Social Security and Medicare" implicitly leaves out all other spending cuts and is therefore low on the list. I think, however, that if each answer was ranked (answers being something along the lines of strong support, some support, little support, strongly object), that fixing social security and medicare would be a lot higher, relatively speaking.
Having said all that, the situation has been handled, so this thread is pretty much at an end. -Kossuth

Goddamned slippery mage.
Kindi
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Re: conservative budget solution

Postby Kindi » Fri Feb 11, 2011 4:02 pm

do you think house republicans will attempt to cut social security or medicare? or that republican base would accept it if/when they did?
Corth
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Re: conservative budget solution

Postby Corth » Fri Feb 11, 2011 6:25 pm

I'm not too knowledgable about Medicare. With respect to Social Security I think it's clear that as presently structured it is not sustainable. That means some combination of benefit cuts, higher retirement age, and tax increases in the future. I don't think there is any political appetite for abolishing it altogether or raising taxes substantially. My expectation is that benefits will fail to keep up with inflation over time, along with a higher retirement age.
Having said all that, the situation has been handled, so this thread is pretty much at an end. -Kossuth



Goddamned slippery mage.
kiryan
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Re: conservative budget solution

Postby kiryan » Fri Feb 11, 2011 7:39 pm

I'm not sure I would support abolition of medicare/medicaid and social security. at least not quickly. It would just be too disruptive to society. I would favor a 50 year plan that abolishes it. One that goes from paying for 100% to paying 0%.
Corth
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Re: conservative budget solution

Postby Corth » Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:24 am

Can't speak for Medicare but Social Security is going nowhere. The best we can hope for SS is for it to basically wither away due to inflation.
Having said all that, the situation has been handled, so this thread is pretty much at an end. -Kossuth



Goddamned slippery mage.

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