Dems Propose $400 Billion in Medicare Cuts
By Sam Stein for Huffington Post –
Democrats on the congressional super committee have produced a “presentation” that would include a roughly equal mix of spending cuts and revenue increases to achieve an estimated $2.5 trillion to $3 trillion in deficit reduction.
The early reviews among progressives is that the outlines, as introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on behalf of a number of Democrats on the Committee, contain a mix of good and bad policy. The good is the reliance on revenues and the decision to include between $200 billion and $300 billion in new economic stimulus in the presentation. The bad is that the plan calls for around $400 billion in Medicare cuts, half of which would be drawn from reducing benefits to recipients. The confusion stems from the party’s willingness to shoot far above the $1.5 trillion target that the super committee is supposed to aim for.
Sources tell The Huffington Post that the party has also staked out another position that the base will likely applaud. The presentation produced by Baucus and other Democrats does not call for a raising of the Medicare eligibility age. The idea of increasing that age from 65 to 67 had been a controversial component of talks that President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner had held in late August when negotiating legislation to raise the nation’s debt ceiling.
Though the shift would have been done in increments over many years, health policy analysts noted that it would have disproportionately hurt blue collar workers — who can’t afford to spend additional time in their late years in the work force — without saving much money: Medicare spending is far heavier during life’s later years.
When the president submitted his own proposal to the super committee, he scrapped the idea of raising Medicare’s eligibility age. Congressional Democrats have followed suit.
with “friends” like this, who needs the republicans??
I PAID IN ALL MY LIFE TO HAVE MY BENIFITS DISTROYED. IN TEARS AND NO THE DEATH PANELS ARE BEING PUT IN PLACE.
$400,000,000.00 could be raised very easily. Simply take the cap off income that has to contribute to social security and then make it income eligible at the top end. People with incomes and assets exceeding a million dollars don’t need to be in social security. Then transfer all congressional pensions into the social security trust fund and finally take congressional salaries and put withholding on them for social security. If they would be affected by what happens (i.e. “skin in the game”), then maybe they’ll think twice before proposing cuts.
This is exactly what Mr. Warren Buffett said. Personally I think we need to get the people out of Congress with term limits and hold them accountable. How much are we going to allow to be taken away from us before we stand up to the powerful people who are living off our money. They need be in the same “boat” with us. It is like people in government are some how above us, and we are paying for them to be there. They are no longer interested in serving the people of our country.
Many folks have given up voting – don’t you do that.
You are so right
Support the Kids Occupying Wall Street Send them a donation ( Occupywallstreet.org ) They may be the only hope we have. The Political system is totally corrupted by money.
Exccept for Bernie Sanders I-VT.
Brilliant great idea, love it. No chance we would get it
They can propose all they want seniors are a big voting block, and we do vote. This is just something to placate the right.
True, seniors are a big voting block, except that the AARP has only recently spoken up against the cuts proposed by the stupid committee. Isn’t that right? I’m concerned that many seniors have not gotten the information they need thanks to the AARP dragging their feet.
Today – nothing on their home website – aarp.com, but it does include a poll asking when was the last time you dressed up for halloween.
June 2011 – http://my.firedoglake.com/dmarans/2011/06/20/why-aarps-support-for-social-security-cuts-matters/
2009 – http://reichert.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=145952
Except it will happen. And, we’re screwed before we can even vote on it. The Super Committee has no oversight or input from us. Propose, Congress votes. Fail to meet the deadline & there is a dreadful automatic decision which is onerous, inhumane & ignorant of economic & human costs.
We (seniors) need to be on the steps of the Capitol with the 99% until something is done about this. I will call my Congressman’s office tomorrow and be sure to vote Independent in the future.
please do not give up your Primary vote!
This focus on cutting back services is unspeakably short-sighted. There may well be places in Medicare and Medicaid and other social services where the system is not working as well as it might, but that requires examination, not wholesale cuts.
My parents lived through the Depression, The New Deal and World War II (and much beyond); I saw our nation continue to improve in many ways yet decline to offer much in the way of socially necessary programs. Now, I despair (my 98-year-old mother does, too), seeing what our nation has come to: cuts that harm only those who can ill afford it; cutbacks in services that we have every reason to have expected to continue at the same time that tax cuts for the rich not only are not being restored, but others to give them even more are being proposed; mean-spirited, economically unsound policies growing like kudzu. I am disheartened and appalled.
This has to stop before our nation, formerly one of which I could be proud, becomes a watchword for the world.
The taxes must be raised on the wealthy and the TRUST FUND paid Back. Let Congress Cut all their benefits; then we can talk. Corporate Lobbyist are controlling congress; it is too corrupt. The Middle Class whom are fewer by the day, often work heavy labor jobs that create health problems AND CANNOT WORK LONGER. Tax the Wealthy, and do the humane thing. This is WRONG! Quit Taxpayer Subsidies to Medicare ADVANTAGE PROGRAMS! The Insurance companies are guaranteed a 14% PROFIT! I would love to own a business where the government guaranteed me a 14% PROFIT!
FIX the HEALTH CARE SYSTEM! Let’s go to a Single Payer Health System, eliminate the insurance companies and Drug Companies. Or at least control costs. A Veterans Type system would cut Medicare Costs. Do these corrupt politicians realize as a retired couple we spend $700 a month with Medicare and our supplemental insurance premiums. We cannot afford state of the art drug costs. You should all be ashamed of Medicare Cuts!
I’ve left a couple of messages for the Supercommitte Blue Dog Demfinks. It seems like every week, we get another example of congressional stupidity.
Occupy is here to stay… and they keep doing things that will make sure it stays for a VERY long time.
Surely they have lost their fffffing minds. As someone noted earlier…with friends like these who needs enemies (republicans).
They are representing only their greedy owners. Social Security withholding should be on ALL income. That would solve the SS & medicare problem overnight.
THERE IS NOWAY SENIOR CITIZENS CAN AFFORD ANY CUTS IN MEDICARE OR SOCIAL SECURITY,WE CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY RENT AND INSURANCE NOW AND THE PRICE ON CAT FOOD IS NOT GOING DOWN,PLEASE NO CUTS IN MEDICARE OR SOCIAL SECURITY
Cruel!
I can’t imagine any cuts to Medicare. My Medicare Advantage program is going up in cost, but I am covered for all of the health care I have needed including cancer surgery and treatment in the last year. Why not raise taxes on the very wealthy to bring the economy back into balance and save the programs necessary for the very sick, the elderly and the children? It seems to simple and yet doesn’t even seem to be on the table for discussion. I pay my fair share and it’s difficult.
I grew up in the Great Depression and we got out of it with government programs that provided help and assistance for many unemployed people. The Medicare has been a big boost but health care problems in this country will never be solved until there is Medicare for EVERYONE, an inexpensive and necessary program to insure everyone. Health care and the like should not be a business but a service and a hope for all Americans. I can’t believe that the Democrats are even suggesting cuts in one of the only health programs that really works.
They need integrative care instead of paying loads to drug companies and doctors who represent them. In hospitals as a patient, we should have the ability to choose and not be sent home sick.
The Democratic Party left labor and social justice in the dust a long time ago. Now they are just republican lite. I hope everyone is making note of these actions (or inactions) by the Democrats and will start looking at voting Green. I was once a Democrat and they lost me back in 2006 when they took impeachment off the table. They no longer get my money or my vote. And now, my representative and both senators voted to pass 3 new free trade bills. Sayonara Democrats. I’ll be voting Green in the upcoming 2012 election. http://www.jillstein.org
Stop the wars, and Tax the Rich!!!
That will save us enough money to take care of everything.
If this level of budget-lowering legislation passes the Congress and Senate, just write a prescription for everyone over the age of 65:
Ambien (zolpidem) 10 mg., Sig: take tabs 90 on an empty stomach with a full bottle of vodka, prn, #90, Refills: 0. (Caution: have funeral plans in place and operational prior to consuming medication, as side effects are fatal.)
More than one way to significantly lower health care costs by decreasing the average life span. And, the generic form of Ambien is really cheap. Euthanasia will then be “legal”.
Sooner or later everyone will realize we do not have a two party system we have a two corporation system and really those are the only masters they answer to in the long run. Dems putting Medicare, cutting PELL Grants, and other low-income programs show they are no better than their Republican counterparts. It is a sad day when everyone begins to realize that the little symbol next to the name really doesn’t matter – as long as you have lobbyists pumping money into the system they’re ALWAYS going to ultimately win. Anyone who thinks the “Healthcare Reform” doesn’t benefit insurance companies is out of their mind – Medicare Plan D boosted them quite nicely after its passage and they began to rake in triple digit profits. What a sad, pathetic system we have.
taxation without representation brought about the first american revolution, and looks like its about to bring about the second american revolution. the military is apart of the 99 % and they are seeing whats going on. who the 1% gonna get to protect them
Not the Democrats I knew in FDR’s time!
Attact the fraud and waste in Medicare! Acommplish creating jobs (Inspectors) while cutting costs.
Time to allow the “bush” tax cuts to expire as was originally intended.
Reduce our over-the-top Pentegon budget to an honest and truly necessary amount. Too much waste and no one is gutsy enough to call them on it!
If in your power, stop the lining of legislators pockets with bribe money and have them concentrate on the job they were elected to do.
Get the general picture?
Not the Democrats I knew in FDR’s time!
Attack the fraud and waste in Medicare! Acommplish creating jobs (Inspectors) while cutting costs.
Time to allow the “bush” tax cuts to expire as was originally intended.
Reduce our over-the-top Pentegon budget to an honest and truly necessary amount. Too much waste and no one is gutsy enough to call them on it!
If in your power, stop the lining of legislators pockets with bribe money and have them concentrate on the job they were elected to do.
Get the general picture?
No surprise that Max Baucus is leading this aasault on Medicare.
Isn’t he the one that insisted on keeping Single Payer out of the 2009 health care reform discussion?
Yet he’s also the one who ultimately cut a deal with Obamacare legislation to give Medicare to all those who had been harmed by asbestos in Libby, Montana.
He wouldn’t allow a single payer plan to be discussed for the country, but he managed to cook one up for the people of Libby at a cost of $300 million over the next 10 years.
Home / News / News
Baucus tailors health reform provision for asbestos-stricken Libby
StoryDiscussionBaucus tailors health reform provision for asbestos-stricken Libby
By MICHAEL JAMISON of the Missoulian missoulian.com | Posted: Thursday, April 1, 2010 6:15 am | 1 Comment
Font Size:Default font sizeLarger font size
.
MICHAEL JAMISON/Missoulian U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, left, met with Libby residents Wednesday to break ground on an expanded asbestos health care clinic. Among those attending were Jim Higgins of AARP and Democratic state House candidate Eileen Carney. Photo by MICHAEL JAMISON/Missoulian …LIBBY – If the nation’s new health care bill has a hometown, it must be Libby, Mont., and if it has a face, it must be the face of Red Busby.
Last year, Busby lost his wife to cancer, despite years of treatment that “left me with a mountain of bills.”
Her cancer, he said, was considered a pre-existing condition, and so the insurance companies wouldn’t touch her with a 10-foot policy.
Busby himself is diagnosed with serious asbestos disease, and “it’s getting harder to take a breath and get the oxygen I need.”
He’s on a fixed income now, unable to work, and after basic expenses lives on less than $200 per month. Much of Busby’s health care is paid for by W.R. Grace and Co. – the mining outfit that left this town riddled with asbestos – “but I have fears that they will discontinue my coverage when they have gotten out of bankruptcy.”
“Thank goodness,” Busby said, “for Max Baucus.”
Baucus is Montana’s ranking Democrat, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and in many ways architect of America’s new health care plan. It’s no accident that the bill carries special provisions for Busby, and for many more of his Libby neighbors.
In fact, buried deep in the health care package is a clause that, in Baucus’ words, promises Libby’s asbestos victims “benefits greater than those received by the 9/11 victims.”
Forget Obamacare. This is Libbycare, and it’s as good as it gets.
Baucus visited with Busby and others in Libby on Wednesday, breaking ground on a $1 million expansion to the local asbestos disease clinic and explaining the sort of health care this town can now expect. It is, said local health advocate Gayla Benefield, “a culmination of so many years of work,” a legacy, she hopes, upon which this town’s future can be built.
***
The work can be traced back, perhaps, to a Baucus visit 30 years ago when he was first running for federal office. He toured the W.R. Grace vermiculite mill, and met the buses full of workers coming off the hill.
“It was just a dust bin,” Baucus recalled. “Those guys were absolutely caked in the dust.”
And so when he learned later that the dust was contaminated with asbestos – and that workers had tracked it all over town, to homes and schools and everywhere in between – “well,” Baucus said, “it made immediate sense.”
Word of the pollution – of the hundreds dead and dying – came in 1999, and within a year Baucus found himself sitting in Benefield’s living room. It was, she remembered, the first time such a large group of Libby asbestos victims had gathered in one place.
They huddled in small groups, comparing oxygen tanks and treatments, discussing family members already gone.
“It was horrific,” Benefield said, “that in the 20th century something like this could happen.”
Baucus called that afternoon a turning point, one of those very few times in life when you look around and say, “This is it. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
A decade later, Baucus succeeded in securing a public health emergency declaration for Libby. It was the first and last time such a declaration was made in this country, and it now serves as the basis of the town’s new health care benefits.
***
Hiding in the national legislation is a provision – authored by Baucus – that allows for expanded health care benefits, but only for towns where health emergencies have been declared. For now, that means Libby.
The measure does three things – it allows for health screenings, it expands Medicare coverage and it spans the financial gaps Medicare doesn’t plug.
The initial emergency declaration came with some money for screening, and about $6 million already has arrived. But the new health care bill provides even more, ensuring that future generations can receive asbestos assessments.
If they test positive, the new health bill then expands Medicare to all affected, regardless of age. The third provision
Read more: http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_e65017ce-3d3d-11df-a517-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1cOdapUW1
I have written emails to the White House, the Obama campaign, the Democratic Senators on the super committee, the Democratic Party, and every progressive talk show host on WCPT (Chicago’s progressive talk) complaining long and loud about the Democratic super committee proposal. Obama and those in his party and administration are taking progressives’ votes for granted, and the President is doing terrible things (like approving the Keystone XL pipeline, relaxing the clean air regulations, and pursuing cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security). Well, I’m thinking Green! The Democratic Party is not listening to the protests in every American city, and that is not good!
Why hasn’t Goldman Sachs returned the $10 Billion in Tarp with interest by this time. They had the money long enough. Now, pay it back. The same goes for all of the other banks: We want our money back with interest now…and not later. Call for the divestment of the for-profit healthcare insurance industry. By the way, in certain regions of the country, it’s somewhat easy to identify the industry’s CEOs and upper management. If you see a new AMG Mercedes with a Virginia Beach license plate, it’s a healthcare insurance executive. Just lift your foot off the brake….
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Give us back our tax dollars. Why should the people of this former great nation pay taxes, if you steal our money and withhold our services (for which we paid). Give us back our tax dollars. We will withhold our tax dollars unless the bankers, the oil industry, and the military industrial complex returns all of our tax dollars. Many of us will leave and renounce our citizenship. Enough of us leave — you won’t ever again have the taxes and the suckers from which to enrich yourselves. You will become the pariahs of the world, because we will make sure you cannot leave the U.S. You forced us out, so we are going to make sure you stay in the U.S. — far, far away from the expatriates and other innocent, moral, ethical people of the world. We should turn the U.S. into one big prison for Wall Street bankers, healthcare insurance CEOs, and those in the oil/military industrial complex. While we are convalescing abroad, we can invest in the stock market for the for-profit prison penal corporate entities. Put them all in prison to make the rest of us rich by investing in the for-profit penal system now erect in the U.S. One could easily put 100,000 Wall Street bankers in prison, then a few thousand of those healthcare folk, another few hundred thousand of those military guys, plus a few notorious brokers….
Hey, let’s throw all of the bankers, corporate CEOs, promoters of the for-profit healthcare insurance industry, military industrialists, etc., in prison to allow the rest of us to become rich by investing in the for-profit penal system here in the U.S. Throw all of them in prison, and then, we can invest in these miscreants. It’s only fair to seize all of their assets and throw them in prison. We get our tax dollars back, plus we get a turn at investing in the for-profit penal system.
I AM GOING WRITE AND CALL BOTH OF MY SENATORS AND MY CONGRESSMAN TO PROTEST THESE CUTBACKS; THEY WILL TRULY HURT A LOT OF PEOPLE; I ALSO THINK ANY DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN WHO VOTES FOR THESE CUTS WILL BE REMEMBERED ANY DEFEATED IN VERY NEXT ELECTION.
Forget about democrat or republican ( no, I will not “capitalize” these “terms”). Once the corporations decide upon the cost-effective utility of euthanasia, watch out. We cannot think it cannot happen here for one needs only to look at the kind of social change that, at one time in the not so distant past, allowed Germany to turn into a monster.
I have an elderly woman friend from Germany who said to me how much this country reminds her of Germany in the early 1930’s.
It became crystal-clear to me at the end of the health-care ‘reform’ fiasco (when the Democratic leaders of the strong majorities in both houses of Congress – with help from Obama – squashed putting the public option back into the reconciliation package, where it would have taken only 50 votes in the Senate, plus Joe Biden’s tie-breaker, to pass it) that the ONLY was we’ll get the national Democratic party to shape up is to make that the only option other than getting destroyed. At that point (just before the bogus bill passed) I pledged to vote Republican for all national offices until such time at a robust public option became law (hardly the only beef I have with the party, but a very specific and quantifiable one), and I followed through on that pledge last year and will continue to.
I suggest that with friends like them no only do we not need enemies, but we not FEAR enemies, since they only take us in the wrong direction a bit more quickly than our alleged friends do. Better a short-term Republican national government which would force Democrats to shape up than a continuing slide down the slope we’ve been on since at least 2004, in my opinion.
(apologies for the typox above)
I would of course give my vote to any legitimate progressive had I had the option to – even a Democrat if they had credentials comparable to Elizabeth Warren’s (given how completely they caved in at the end of the health-care reform fiasco, I don’t consider existing members of the CPC to qualify as such, though I might give Kucinich one more chance if I lived in his district). Other than that, I’ll continue voting Republican (for national offices), even though my vote last year was the first such Republican vote I ever cast since reaching voting age in 1968.
I don’t understand why the people of Montana, who must be strugling as much as the rest of U.S. working folks would keep a man such as Max Baucas in office.He is obviously completly out of touch with the working class.
When I saw Max Baucus was heading up this “Super Committee” it brought back memories of the Healthcare Roundtable where he wouldn’t let Healthcare Now and Physicians for Nation Health Program participate at the table. In fact, he had them arrested. Had their voices been heard, we would have had a chance for expanded medicare.
I knew nothing good would come from this Super Committee
The Super Committee is really a Eugenics Squad which has been tasked with depopulating the country starting with seniors and low-income earners.
Medicare is expensive and there’s not much there. For those who can’t afford a supplemental plan, it’s more or less a rip-off unless you are dirt poor and can get into Medicaid.
Medicaid is being cut also – look at Cal Med. Yet, one of the keystones of Obamacare is the expansion of Medicaid a/k/a using this plan as the dumping ground for a vast number of uninsured.
You can’t possibly believe that this stuff wasn’t in the planning all along. The goal of the G20 in Toronto was to cut the population of the world in half by 2015 from what I read. And if I read or understood wrongly, doesn’t matter. It’s obvious from what has been going on with no jobs, no creation of jobs, jobs continuing to be sent overseas and all the rest.
Obama and Democrats appear to be on target with the grand plan and are really no different than Republicans except that Republicans are up front about hating the working class and poor.
Join the Occupy movement and if you can’t be there, help the protestors by donating food, sleeping bags and warm clothes. They are not leaving in spite of police repression which appears to be tacitly approved of by Obama.
How about Congress start paying their way and stop burdening the American people with their health care benefits and pensions. Then lets see how much is left over for the Entitlements we are Entitlted to.
I think it would be awesome to make them get the insurance most of us are offered by our employers. That might actually motivate them to see just how much of a joke health insurance has become. We’re paying 200% more and being stuck with deductibles, co-pays, AND co-insurance all at once. I have been in the workforce only the last 15 years but even I can see the huge difference in my insurance plan coverage in the 90s and the one I had this last year.. there is no comparison on what a sham this for-profit system has become.
Looks to me like Washington (left AND right) have declared WAR ON THE PEOPLE. They have grown too great in POWER and no longer answer to US. We no longer have ANY viable party to vote for, as they all bow to their corporate paymasters. We are officially a Third World Country. They sold us out to the highest bidder.
Neither party represents the people. They support he machine in place to make the rich richer and lie to the rest of us to get our vote. The best use of your vote just might be to support an independent candidate and move out both parties.
Just make the Gov’t PAY BACK THE 2.5 TRILLION DOLLARS BUSH BORROWED FOR THE WAR
Why are we taking money from the elderly? If the congressional super committee wants to cut the debt, why don’t they take the money from the rich instead of the elderly? Wake up congressional super committee, for there are many many multi-millionaires and billionaires in this country, and they can easily afford to pay higher taxes. What kind of a country is this that takes from the poor and elderly to pay off debts, and lets the rich just get richer? It is not the elderly who should be expected to pay down the debt for the rest of the Americans !!!!
Why don’t the self-proclaimed patriots on Capitol Hill take pay cuts?
I no longer support Democrats after what they did with health care basing it on the failed MA plan which has harmed so many and clearly is not working. MA nationals like John Kerry, Mike Capuano, and useless, grumpy John Olver and all the others knew about the failure in their state and, thus, the flaws in the national terror but they looked the other way.
I voted for Scott Brown b/c too many in MA were being harmed and we didn’t want our fellow Americans to be living under this model b/c it is regressive and, furthermore, doesn’t provide affordable access to care with uniform benefits for all. Other Dems in this state voted for him also. His win was a referendum on health care. We wanted Obamacare quashed. But Pelosi rammed it through with reconcilation and here we are today, looking at what the details of this law which mandates that we buy the broken products under threat of an IRS-enforced tax penalty.
What kind of a country treats its citizens this way? What kind of country penalizes its elderly population by increasing their premiums by 10 percent for each year they can’t afford to buy into Part B (and 1 percent for Part D). What kind of a country tasks a committee in the people’s house to cut food, heat, health care and whatever else for the most vulnerable citizens?
If I could afford to move out, I would.
I will vote for Jill Stein for president and support any other Green that I can if I bother to vote.
BUSH BORROWED 2.5 TRILLION DOLLARS FROM THE SOCIAL SECURITY FUND, PAY IT BACK AND PROSECUTE BUSH
What is this with the committee of twelve? Has this committe replaced congress? This vile and comletely illegal act calls itself the super committee. The constitution is now toilet paper and we have leaders who should be tried for treason
Baucus has taken more money from the health care industry than any other senator. He helped to deep-six Obama’s health care plan.
These guys are just like our leaders on Wall Street…idiots. Incompetence and corruption rules the day as usual. Bush and the Republicans put a poison pill into Bush’s medicare drug plan which was to force us (Medicare) to pay FULL wholesale price for every unit of pharma bought. That is ridiculous. With the size of Medicare we shouldn’t even be paying retail, we should be negotiating for a vastly reduced price on all of our drugs that’s how the markets works and there is not a SINGLE health plan or business anywhere that is doing the “Bush-Republican” plan because they would go bankrupt in addition to being labeled the worse businessmen ever. Of course Bush was essentially known by that title before he was elected. By fixing this poison pill legislative problem alone we would solve a monumental waste of money in medicare. But then again the drug companies who are giving massive amounts of money to the Republicans wont let the Republicans do that will they?
The Republicans and Bush also put Poison pill legislation into the Post Office which is why they are failing and that should also be corrected.
It is hilarious to me that the Republicans constantly claim how they, the “businessmen” need to step in and clean up the government when they clearly are horrible businessmen, but then again look at the banks, the media and Wall Street. They are horrible at business too. Then again so are the Democrats.
It’s time to throw all of these bums out, Congressmen, Senators, Judges and it’s time to stop buying products and services fro the fortune 500 companies since they are just as corrupt and inept as our governmental leaders.
The “super-committee” has 13 members (Obama chose it to hide his own culpability). You Democrats should either demand that your party nominate someone else or leave the party and join us progressives.
Like I’ve been saying all along the two party system is a joke and a constitutional ammendment to create conditions for the development of a multi-party system is apparently necessary since the Powers That Be have controlled and eliminated the possibility for a very long time. John Anderson in 1979, Jesse Jackson in 1988, and Ross Perot all attempted to oppose the two party system and failed because of outrageous State Laws that prevented them from entry on all State Ballots. The time for change is now! The Dems and Repubs are the same. They do not represent me, my children, or granddaughter. The system is broke either scrap it or fix it!!!@!!
This is simply disgraceful! I would like to see a list of those so called progressive democrats who passed this garbage so I can vote against them come election time.
What a bunch of bull. Cutting Medicare is ridiculous. Perhaps taking a look at military spending, unnecessary trips to space (I mean stupid trips), and cracking down on unscrupulous doctors would be better choices. Also, cutting benefits for government employees who have top notch insurance would be a good idea. They can pay for their own insurance. Join the rest of us who are broke. The class-oriented nature of our society must be stopped. I say take insurance from the wealthy for awhile–esp. those in Congress.
Rather then totally depending on the Medicare in there future years, people even need to go for the life insurance policies where they could save some money for themselves for there future need !