Poll shows Americans oppose entitlement cuts to deal with debt problem

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

Valid question on the need, very valid.

And i haven't been on the forum much so all I really had to go on was the post I read that i quoted in the link so I didn't know your previously stated position.

now that I know it I have no issue with that position at all, I share it.

 

[AmericanFirst]

Here is the US budget for this year.

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy12/pdf/BUDGET-2012-BUD.pdf

Total expected spending: $3.8 trillion.
Total expected tax revenue: $2.2 trillion.

Deficit: $1.6 trillion.

If the government cannot issue any more debt, and we're not going to raise taxes, then the deficit must be eliminated by drastic spending cuts.

Interest payments are expected to be $200 billion. Those must be met, unless we are planning to default. Thus, we can only spend $2 trillion. Here are the line items of the budget.

Social security, $800 billion.
Medicare and medicaid, $800 billion.
Defense, $800 billion
Interest, $200 billion. (Can't cut that though.)
Everything else, $1.2 trillion.

As you can see, social security, medicare and medicaid, and defense account for $2.4 trillion in spending. That means if we eliminate "everything else," and I mean everything, we have to cut $400 billion from those three. What do you cut? Social security? Medicare and medicaid? Defense?

And remember, we don't have any government employees any more, because we fired them all, since they were part of "everything else," so no one will actually be collecting and disbursing any revenues from the government any more.



BTW, if we go cold turkey and are forced to match expenditures with revenues, i.e. not raise the debt ceiling, the government will stop spending $1.6 trillion a year, or about $130 billion a month, which accounts for 11.3% of GDP. IOW, GDP will start falling by about 1% a month. As a comparison, the economy fell by 3.1% top to bottom during this most recent recession. So forcing the government to balance its budget by not raising the debt ceiling would contract the economy in one quarter what it did during the entire recession.

Lets start by scrapping the stupid obamacare law.

 

[Toro]

Obamacare is $0 in this budget.

 

[rightwinger]

I don't have the time today to do the research but there is one area that the voters will love.

Cut the compensation and benefits of congress, they are clearly overpaid and not doing their job. Next step is to fire them next election.

$170,000 a year is not breaking our budget

 

[Cuyo]

Obamacare is $0 in this budget.

And Social Security is a net positive. But . Don't spoil their fun.

 

[Political Junky]

Poll shows Americans oppose entitlement cuts to deal with debt problem - The Washington Post

<excerpts>
The Post-ABC poll finds that 78 percent oppose cutting spending on Medicare as a way to chip away at the debt. On Medicaid — the government insurance program for the poor — 69 percent disapprove of cuts.

In his speech last week, the president renewed his call to raise tax rates on family income over $250,000, and he appears to hold the high ground politically, according to the poll. At this point, 72 percent support raising taxes along those lines, with 54 percent strongly backing this approach. The proposal enjoys the support of majorities of Democrats (91 percent), independents (68 percent) and Republicans (54 percent). Only among people with annual incomes greater than $100,000 does less than a majority “strongly support” such tax increases.

 

[DaGoose]

Now if the GOP will act accordingly on raising taxes on the rich. They need to listen to the people who elected them.

But how much do you want to bet they give the American people a big "**** YOU" and protect the wealthy at the expense of the people who can least afford it?

Maybe we can get Warren Buffet to run for POTUS?

.

 

[midcan5]

Even the tea party whiners were 70% against changing them, too funny considering all their crying about the budget.

 

[Avatar4321]

I would presume that's because they don't know how bad the problem is or to the extent that the entitlements are causing the problems.

Looks like we need to keep educating people.

 

[rdean]

Depends on how polls are worded. For people who have over 10 million, what they would get from SS and Medicare wouldn't pay for their fancy "depends" and diamond studded oxygen tank. How much could we save not giving money to the super rich?

Many people on Social Security should be on welfare. They never paid into it. It's one thing if someone is disabled, another if they are young and strong and over 18.

Not all retired on SS want to be "put out to pasture". There is always a need for "tutors" and "teachers" that are not necessarily in the classroom or for young people. There are middle aged, responsible people who need "retraining" and can learn faster with some "one on one".

We have to away from this "Republican" way of thinking. Screw 'em, why should I help anybody? That kind of thinking has infected the entire country.

 

[kyzr]

I would presume that's because they don't know how bad the problem is or to the extent that the entitlements are causing the problems.

Looks like we need to keep educating people.

Exactly. How do we cover the $51-trillion dollar ponzi scheme we call Medicare?
I have not heard the dems' plan to save SS & Medicare over the long-term. What is it?

 

[Charles_Main]

Depends on how polls are worded. For people who have over 10 million, what they would get from SS and Medicare wouldn't pay for their fancy "depends" and diamond studded oxygen tank. How much could we save not giving money to the super rich?

Many people on Social Security should be on welfare. They never paid into it. It's one thing if someone is disabled, another if they are young and strong and over 18.

Not all retired on SS want to be "put out to pasture". There is always a need for "tutors" and "teachers" that are not necessarily in the classroom or for young people. There are middle aged, responsible people who need "retraining" and can learn faster with some "one on one".

We have to away from this "Republican" way of thinking. Screw 'em, why should I help anybody? That kind of thinking has infected the entire country.

Holy shit I agree with something you said. SS was billed as a pay as you go program. People pay in, they Retire they collect. That Part of SS should be separated from SSD Which is the part you are talking about. The Part made up mostly of People like my Mother in Law. Who is Disabled and has been collecting SS for most of her life, having only worked 7 years. She has long since collected far more than she ever paid in.

In order to save SS the Retirement plan, SSD the Welfare program should be separated from it and not part of the fund.

 

[uscitizen]

I would presume that's because they don't know how bad the problem is or to the extent that the entitlements are causing the problems.

Looks like we need to keep educating people.

LOL, Education is also an entitlement.

 

[Charles_Main]

I would presume that's because they don't know how bad the problem is or to the extent that the entitlements are causing the problems.

Looks like we need to keep educating people.

Exactly. How do we cover the $51-trillion dollar ponzi scheme we call Medicare?
I have not heard the dems' plan to save SS & Medicare over the long-term. What is it?

That is because they have none. Their Plan amounts to Demonize the Opposition and Rape 500 Billion from Medicare to help fund the Next Big Government Health plan that is sure to fail.

 

[uscitizen]

SS is easy to fix. Medicare not so easy.
Socialized medicine stands the best shot.

 

[Avatar4321]

Depends on how polls are worded. For people who have over 10 million, what they would get from SS and Medicare wouldn't pay for their fancy "depends" and diamond studded oxygen tank. How much could we save not giving money to the super rich?

Many people on Social Security should be on welfare. They never paid into it. It's one thing if someone is disabled, another if they are young and strong and over 18.

Not all retired on SS want to be "put out to pasture". There is always a need for "tutors" and "teachers" that are not necessarily in the classroom or for young people. There are middle aged, responsible people who need "retraining" and can learn faster with some "one on one".

We have to away from this "Republican" way of thinking. Screw 'em, why should I help anybody? That kind of thinking has infected the entire country.

You actually had a few good ideas. but then you had to add the straw man at the end.

When are you going to realize that merely having a different political viewpoint than you doesn't mean they are your enemies or that you are correct in your assessment of them?

 

[Avatar4321]

I would presume that's because they don't know how bad the problem is or to the extent that the entitlements are causing the problems.

Looks like we need to keep educating people.

LOL, Education is also an entitlement.

No it's not. Simply because you think that Education is synonymous with government doesn't mean it's limited to what you think.

 

[syrenn]

Poll shows Americans oppose entitlement cuts to deal with debt problem - The Washington Post

<excerpts>
The Post-ABC poll finds that 78 percent oppose cutting spending on Medicare as a way to chip away at the debt. On Medicaid — the government insurance program for the poor — 69 percent disapprove of cuts.

In his speech last week, the president renewed his call to raise tax rates on family income over $250,000, and he appears to hold the high ground politically, according to the poll. At this point, 72 percent support raising taxes along those lines, with 54 percent strongly backing this approach. The proposal enjoys the support of majorities of Democrats (91 percent), independents (68 percent) and Republicans (54 percent). Only among people with annual incomes greater than $100,000 does less than a majority “strongly support” such tax increases.

Who did they poll? The people receiving the entitlements?

 

[Toro]

Americans don't want their taxes raised either.

IOW they don't want their benefits cut, they don't want their taxes raised, and they want the deficit to go down.

In the meantime, gold hits a new high every day.

 

[uscitizen]

WOOHOO! $1617 for my gold eagles