Rep. Dan Lungren Points to Paul Ryan's Roadmap as a Way to 'Save' Entitlements
On C-SPAN's Washington, Rep. Dan Lungren touts his cohort Rep. Paul Ryan's web site, A Roadmap for America's Future as where to look for the Republican's plan to balance the budget. Lungren claims that the site lays out a way to "save" entitlement programs such as Social Security. Of course by "save" he means privatize.
A Roadmap for America's Future
Here's what it says about Social Security under the "Roadmap Plan 2.0"
- Preserves the existing Social Security program for those 55 or older.
- Offers workers under 55 the option of investing over one third of their current Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts, similar to the Thrift Savings Plan available to Federal employees. Includes a property right so they can pass on these assets to their heirs, and a guarantee that individuals will not lose a dollar they contribute to their accounts, even after inflation.
- Makes the program permanently solvent – according to the Congressional Budget Office [CBO] – by combining a more realistic measure of growth in Social Security’s initial benefits, with an eventual modernization of the retirement age.
And here's their plan for Medicare/Medicaid:
- It preserves the existing Medicare program for those currently enrolled or becoming eligible in the next 10 years (those 55 and older today) - So Americans can receive the benefits they planned for throughout their working lives. For those currently under 55 – as they become Medicare-eligible – it creates a Medicare payment, initially averaging $11,000, to be used to purchase a Medicare certified plan. The payment is adjusted to reflect medical inflation, and pegged to income, with low-income individuals receiving greater support. The plan also provides risk adjustment, so those with greater medical needs receive a higher payment.
- The proposal also fully funds Medical Savings Accounts [MSAs] for low-income beneficiaries, while continuing to allow all beneficiaries, regardless of income, to set up tax-free MSAs.
- Based on consultation with the Office of the Actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and using Congressional Budget Office [CBO] these reforms will make Medicare permanently solvent
- Modernizes Medicaid and strengthens the health care safety net by reforming high-risk pools, giving States maximum flexibility to tailor Medicaid programs to the specific needs of their populations. Allows Medicaid recipients to take part in the same variety of options and high-quality care available to everyone through the tax credit option.
I guess they all assume that seniors are willing to throw their grandchildren under the bus to keep their existing benefits rather than pay back the Social Security trust fund that's been borrowed from. We've just got to keep those tax cuts for the rich don't you know. Lungren finished off the segment pretending his party hasn't already made sure that the next generation of Americans isn't going to do worse than their parents. Sorry pal, too late.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W19wr5rXVHk
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
"seniors are willing to throw their grandchildren under the bus to keep their existing benefits"
that pretty much defines baby boomers
he meant republicans are willing to throw their grandchildren under the bus.
The baby boomers have been running the show for quite some time. In gov and in corporate america. And they drove us all over the cliff.
If I hear one more millionaire sneer "entitlements" when talking about social security or medicare while they act as if THEY are entitled to a bigger piece of the pie while paying LESS in taxes and FICA - my head might explode.
UGH!
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
I'm sure there has to be some privatized related success story. Maybe I'm ignorant, so help me out. When has privatization had a better result than a public program it replaced.
"had a better result"
For the corporatist it means profit so it is always a better result.
For the rest of us, we end up with less of what we need for more $$$ so it always SUX!
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
determining whether or not privatization produced a better result depends on whether or not you profit from said privatization. and, sadly, those that control the power levers are generally the ones profiting from neoliberal reforms--either by direct profit, or campaign contributions from those that benefit from privatization. so, from their eye slits, they see "better results"
You mean Dan Lungren does something other than hate gay people??!
As in the inflation these Reptilian jerks caused with their spending and their wars and inflating the money supply having reduced the value of all those dollars that were originally vouchsafed to the SS 'lockbox' before and after they got their hands on the buttons and levers of power.
The value of our money had already been steadily declining. Now it's in free-fall. That 11K he's talking about is actually worth even less than it was just 2 years ago. And the way things are going, it will buy even less in the future.
Thieving swine
Is such a scumbag, and a spoiled brat. Arrogant. Needs to be punched. I worked around him in Sacramento and I live in his district, which is solidly Republican. I despise him more than just about any politician. If only...
I'm sure that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, as representatives of their minority parties, will engage in the same methods of effective leadership that their counterparts have exhibited to prevent legislation so damaging to the American people.
But then again...likely not so much.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
you please go out and broadcast this because I don't have confidence the dems will.
Oh - they're on they're break. Too busy trying to save their as - err, seats.
But I'm absentee voting and encouraging everyone else to vote, too.
Seriously, could you go out and broadcast this?
To seal the deal on his election, Harry Reid is going to take a bipartisan approach.
He's taking out ads where he's shooting a Mexican while eating a kitten and reading the Bible.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
before:
What happens when someone decided to go private on Soc Sec, and by the time he needs it, his investment is worthless or near worthless?
Do we kick him into the gutter or send him to some charity?
If you need funds to pay for essentials, you have a revenue problem
If you need funds to pay for frivolity, you have a spending problem
It was his responsiblity to protect his investments. So, basically...he's fucked, Just like everyone who's 401Ks, houses, and equity investments went into the shitter last year.
Oh...but we bailed out the banks...so it's all good.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
the predatory loan sharks start to circle.
'can't afford your meds? need a new hip? want to hit the buffet in a new (or gently used) hoveraround? all because your retirement investments tanked? well, stop on by MAXXX CASH (TM) and leave with cash, Cash, CASH!!! simply use the deed to your house, your grandchildren's college fund, family heirlooms, your wedding band, and that cash under your mattress as collateral and leave with cash, Cash, CASH!!'
The movie begins as Wall Street Scamscateer Gordon Gekko played by Michael Douglas gets out of prison after 8 years. Years later he's shilling his book "Is Greed Good?" to an auditorium full of 20-somethings. He's like a combination of a Michael Milken - Lloyd Blankfein figure -- but he's got hair. He starts off his lecture by saying, "You're all pretty much fucked." There's silence -- and then he refers to his audience as the NINJA generation, i.e., No Income. No Job. No Assets. "You've got a lot to look forward to," he jokes -- getting blank stares in return. Is this just the ranting of an old guy disillusioned with life -- or is there actually some truth to his assessment?
Look at point 2 and 3 of the SS plan. They are talking about turning it from Social Security, ie insurance, to retirement investment, with "ownership rights". Great, so if you die before the money runs out, your kids get it. But if you outlive the cash, enjoy grinding poverty! Even better than that is the euphamism "modernization" when describing the increase in the eligibility age. So people with working class jobs, good news! You get to work till you die (since people in lower income brackets and with more physically demanding and dangerous jobs tend to die sooner), but that sliver of your ever-dwindling income that the government forced you to invest in the stock market will now pass on to you increasingly destitute progeny!
1. If Social Security had been privatized when Bush wanted to the Recession would be a Depression.
2. If the young stop paying into it, Social Security will fold. Since this is what Republican/Teabaggers want, we should not be surprised.
3. We already have Private accounta for those who can afford it. There is no reason to destroy a system that is working.
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
They don't want to destroy it, they just want to "
privatize"steal it.Because everyone knows its better if we privatize it and skim 30% of the top and give it to billionaires for being....., well....., billionaires.
Speaking of "Steal," has anybody heard from Michael lately? Shouldn't he be busy in this election season of the great
republicancorporate fascist comeback?If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
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