How can anyone seriously support Obama's budget proposals? - Edit 1
Before modification by Tom at 14/04/2011 02:50:04 PM
I realize that Obama is playing politics and so I don't fault him for coming out with an unrealistic budget proposal (at least in theory). What I don't understand is why anyone would honestly support it.
The harsh reality is that raising taxes on the rich is not going to be enough to balance the budget. There aren't enough rich people to tax to generate that kind of revenue. The middle class contributes the majority of the taxes collected by the Treasury not because they are overtaxed, but because there are so many of them. Any attempt at fiscal responsibility is going to likely see a return to the Clinton-era tax levels.
Furthermore, Obama's refusal to touch Medicare and Medicaid is absolutely absurd. The program has been doubling in cost every five years or so, and it is these two entitlement programs that are set to bankrupt our economy. Fraud is rampant, payouts are obscene (example: motorized scooters cost private insurers $1200, but Medicare pays $3000 for them, hence non-stop commercials for the same on cable news networks). Even if those two problems were fixed the programs are still going to bankrupt the US. Social Security can be fixed if it is just adjusted a bit. But something - and I'm not saying that the Ryan plan is the answer - has to be done.
It's just disgusting that Obama can try to pretend like his proposal is reasonable. It disgusts me in a way that few things Obama has done have disgusted me.
The harsh reality is that raising taxes on the rich is not going to be enough to balance the budget. There aren't enough rich people to tax to generate that kind of revenue. The middle class contributes the majority of the taxes collected by the Treasury not because they are overtaxed, but because there are so many of them. Any attempt at fiscal responsibility is going to likely see a return to the Clinton-era tax levels.
Furthermore, Obama's refusal to touch Medicare and Medicaid is absolutely absurd. The program has been doubling in cost every five years or so, and it is these two entitlement programs that are set to bankrupt our economy. Fraud is rampant, payouts are obscene (example: motorized scooters cost private insurers $1200, but Medicare pays $3000 for them, hence non-stop commercials for the same on cable news networks). Even if those two problems were fixed the programs are still going to bankrupt the US. Social Security can be fixed if it is just adjusted a bit. But something - and I'm not saying that the Ryan plan is the answer - has to be done.
It's just disgusting that Obama can try to pretend like his proposal is reasonable. It disgusts me in a way that few things Obama has done have disgusted me.