Entitlement Reform

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

Paul Ryan: GOP will tackle Medicare, Medicaid, welfare in 2018

Yeah, the GOP is definitely going to tackle this stuff. In an election year.

[cfbandyman]

Not really wanting to poke fun at the idea, but there are tons, and I mean tons of people from both sides of the aisle (looking at seniors especially) who would riot like a mofo.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

Bwahahah... the NYT just can't help itself. From a straight up news piece today on tax reform:

In a sign of their confidence, Republicans are already looking past taxes to their next priority: gutting safety net programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

[star seed 7]

What part is factually wrong?

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

Both programs are admittedly bankrupt, so I can see why libtards would be opposed to fixing them. Just like their broke-dick healthcare law. Couple that with #nevertrump and these people won't be satisfied until the government is smoldering ashes.

Very Sad!

[Phil Titola]

"I promised people I wouldn’t change Social Security. I’m not going to do it.”"

- Donald Trump

"I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. Huckabee copied me."

- Donald Trump

"Huckabee is a nice guy but will never be able to bring in the funds so as not to cut Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. I will."

- Donald Trump

"The Republicans who want to cut SS & Medicaid are wrong. "

- Donald Trump

“I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid"

- Donald Trump

[catastrophe]

If this congress significantly cut ANY spending I would be completely shocked.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

"I promised people I wouldn’t change Social Security. I’m not going to do it.”"

- Donald Trump

"I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. Huckabee copied me."

- Donald Trump

"Huckabee is a nice guy but will never be able to bring in the funds so as not to cut Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. I will."

- Donald Trump

"The Republicans who want to cut SS & Medicaid are wrong. "

- Donald Trump

“I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid"

- Donald Trump

Yeah but Trump's a well known liar, right? You liberals always want to take him so literally.

[Phil Titola]

"I promised people I wouldn’t change Social Security. I’m not going to do it.”"

- Donald Trump

"I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. Huckabee copied me."

- Donald Trump

"Huckabee is a nice guy but will never be able to bring in the funds so as not to cut Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. I will."

- Donald Trump

"The Republicans who want to cut SS & Medicaid are wrong. "

- Donald Trump

“I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid"

- Donald Trump

Yeah but Trump's a well known liar, right? You liberals always want to take him so literally.

So what do you want....promises he made that you voted for or nah?

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

"I promised people I wouldn’t change Social Security. I’m not going to do it.”"

- Donald Trump

"I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. Huckabee copied me."

- Donald Trump

"Huckabee is a nice guy but will never be able to bring in the funds so as not to cut Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. I will."

- Donald Trump

"The Republicans who want to cut SS & Medicaid are wrong. "

- Donald Trump

“I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid"

- Donald Trump

Yeah but Trump's a well known liar, right? You liberals always want to take him so literally.

So what do you want....promises he made that you voted for or nah?

I didn't vote for those promises. Believe it or not, I don't agree with or believe everything the Trumpster or other Pub politicians say. We absolutely need to either significantly raise taxes (well above current levels) or significantly reduce entitlement spending. That is not a far-right opinion - it is math.

Social Security is relatively easy to fix. Gradually phase in a raising of the eligibility age to withdraw, and you're done. It is a pretty easy actuarial problem to solve, and it is a perfectly fair solution. SS was not designed for current life expectancy.

Medicare and Medicaid are much more difficult, politically, to fix, because there's basically no way to make them solvent without reducing benefits or massively increasing spending. The cost of healthcare can be managed, but it is still going to continue to increase. I favor block-granting funds to the states to run a 50-state experiment to see who can come up with the best cost saving solutions. The states can administer these programs far better on a local level than the federal swamp monster.

Again, none of this is going to happen anytime soon. Certainly not 2018. Paul Ryan is lying. It would be great if Dems would join the GOP in fixing this mess, but let's be honest: most Democrats would prefer to play politics with the issue and/or are socialists that want drastically higher taxes and entitlement spending (the so-called Sweden model).