Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013 | 2 a.m.
Another view?
View more of the Las Vegas Sun's opinion section:
• Editorials - the Sun's viewpoint.
• Columnists - local and syndicated writers.
• Letters to the editor - readers' views.
Have your own opinion? Write a letter to the editor.
The proposed changes to our entitlement programs are required to preserve these programs for current and future generations.
The way benefits for Social Security are calculated should be set to maintain our current standard of living, but not to improve on it upon retirement. Raising the age minimums for Social Security and Medicare should not harm those forced to retire early because of health reasons, since these programs offer both disability insurance and expanded Medicaid coverage under Obamacare.
The Democratic objections to these reasonable reforms on these third-rail issues is in order for them to get re-elected. They figure they will be safely retired on their six-figure congressional pensions and health coverage when these programs go bankrupt. How self-serving!
So where is the Obama leadership
So where is the Democrat leadership
Obama refused to make any reforms to entitlements as part of the fiscal cliff.
Obama LIED about taking a balanced approach to both revenue increases and spending limits. Obama increased taxes $620 billion and did not allow any spending limits.
Obama did not even offer the technical SS change of a chain CPI.
- ZERO CUTS - NO BALANCE - ONLY REVENUE INCREASES
Bottom line while Obama has a humongous political win - America has lost. America is going the fiscal failure way of way of Greece and Spain and Egypt
President Obama and the majority of the advisors surrounding him and the democrats he calls his friends won't reform entitlements if they can help it. Not on his watch. The GOP's only leverage to get this done is the debt ceiling. To be continued. Stay tuned.
CarmineD
There are zero plans so far on how to rein in entitlement costs, the main driver of our debt. Our current deficit is $1.1 trillion so we're not even paying for what we spend today. We can't keep ignoring our debt & deficits hoping they both go away or we die off without having to face the problem ourselves. In 1990, total government spending was $2.05 trillion which is near the total of entitlement spending now in 2012. So entitlement costs passed our total government spending of 22 years ago. In 2008, total government spending was $3.03 trillion and the projected entitlement cost in 2021 is $3.2 trillion so entitlement costs will eclipse total government spending in 13 years which is 9 fewer years. Entitlement costs are simply unsustainable.
The tax increase on top wage earners will only bring in approximately $20-30 billion per year.
If government spending stays as is on its current trajectory then tax increases on the middle class will be required.
Entitlements costs then/now/future(projected by CBO):
1990 = $984 Billion
2012 = $2.4 Trillion($2,400 billion)
2021 = $3.2 Trillion(3,200 billion)
Total Government Spending
1990 = $2.05 Trillion
2008 = $3.03 Trillion
Do not count on the current crop of cowardly and wimpy Republicrats to stop the wild spending going on in the pig-sty known as Washington, DC! It will take the mid-term elections to oust them and bring in Conservatives with the back-bone and spine to confront Osama Obama and his fellow travelers and to stop them in their tracks. The parasitic class in the USA has grown to epic proportions and clamors for "more" at every turn. More handouts, food stamps, housing subsidies, "free" contraceptives, health care and a bigger nanny-state. They want you to work to produce the things they want and they want them for "free" because that's only "fair." And they have a lowlife in the White House who plays their tune. Time to cut the strings on his guitar!
Obama thinks he was re-elected to completely dominate us. He talks a good fight but I doubt that he will fight very hard when the House doesn't extend more credit to those rapacious Dems.
@MotorSports
I enjoy reading your comments. Welcome.
Henry.......
WE DEMOCRATS CREATED SOCIAL SECURITY AND
MEDICARE.
And we know how to handle it.
You republicans need to keep your greedy, thieving
hands OFF OF THESE GREAT PROGRAMS.
You republicans have already done enough damage
to our economy and middle class.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
And we're not raising the age limit for these
programs.
We don't even have enough jobs for Americans to
age 62, for Christ sake!
You republicans are living in la-la land.
"You republicans are living in la-la land." @ Teamster
No Obama-land. Oz and Wonder.
CarmineD
"President Obama won by one of the largest Electoral College margins in history and won a majority of the popular vote." @ Motorsports
Electoral college is skewed in favor of the democratic states. Obama won by one of the smallest popular vote margins in the history of presidential elections for second termers.
CarmineD