Womack challenges Democrats for its Medicare plan
Posted: June 29, 2011 at 4:48 a.m.
Rep. Steve Womack, criticized Sen. Mark Pryor on Tuesday for “lashing out” at a Republican plan to privatize Medicare.
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The ARROGANT STEVE WOMACK SPOUTS OFF AGAIN!!!
Posted by: theboss
June 29, 2011 at 8:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
As usual, "theboss" and other liberals cannot see beyond the "what's in it for me?" philosophy. GOP has proposed a plan, and the left does not want to support the plan because its backed by Republicans, yet they have no alternative plan to present for consideration. I have contributed into social security and medicare for over 20 years now, when I am eligible to retire in 34 more years, there will be no social security or medicare coverage available, even though I have 54 years in paid premiums. If we are going to have a program to provide for the aged and disabled, we need to quit doing business as we have been. What has been done so far will not sustain the programs, and politicians using social security and medicare as slush funds MUST stop. By privatizing the programs, Washington at least shows that they are willing to attempt something new. Dems are too fixated on the money not being available to them to spend on pet projects that will get them reelected. Womack is right to push back and ask questions. Not asking questions has gotten us into this predicament in the first place.
Posted by: jvgrotts
June 29, 2011 at 10:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
We should not be financing an extended tax holiday for the rich on the backs of senior citizens. We should repeal the Bush-era cuts for the uber-wealthy in order to balance our budget. That would go a long way towards securing health care for our seniors.
Womack doesn't represent the values of the people of this district.
Posted by: SarahMarsh
June 29, 2011 at 10:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Let's speak plainly.
Ryan's plan is a joke and an embarrassment to adult conversation. It can't be taken seriously on any level. It is farce. Anyone who thinks there is anything to it beyond being so absurd it reads like a caricature of rightwing selfishness, either isn't familiar with it or doesn't understand it's implications.
This excerpt from the Washington Post lays it out nicely and reveals Womack, not so bright company shill that he is, is just following the party talking points, blame medicare, the poor, the elderly. It's pathetic.
"...more than 24 million Americans are out of work or can’t find full-time work, and nearly $9 trillion in household wealth has vanished. There seems to be no correlation between who drove the crisis and who is paying the price.
The report of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission detailed the recklessness of the financial industry and the abject failures of policymakers and regulators that brought our economy to its knees in late 2008...
So, how do you revise the historical narrative when the evidence of what led to economic catastrophe is so overwhelming and the events at issue so recent? You and your political allies just do it. And you bet on the old axiom that a lie is halfway around the world before the truth can tie its shoes.
If you are Rep. Paul Ryan, you ignore the fact that our federal budget deficit has ballooned more than $1 trillion annually since the financial collapse. You disregard the reality that two-thirds of the deficit increase is directly attributable to the economic downturn and bipartisan fiscal measures adopted to bolster the economy. Instead of focusing on the real cause of the deficit, you conflate today’s budgetary disaster with the long-term challenges of Medicare so you can shred the social safety net."
The rest here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinion...
Posted by: fayfreethinker
June 29, 2011 at 10:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SemilyM--
RE "Womack doesn't represent the values of the people of this district."
Hold on, there! He represents the values of about fifteen of the people in his district. That's pretty good for a Republican.
Republicans talk about moral and social values. They base their actions on bank account values.
Posted by: AlphaCat
June 29, 2011 at 12:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
This article should be headlined: "Womack confesses ignorance about the Ryan Medicare plan".
"Womack says we should support his “plan” but he doesn’t even know whether it’s true that it would shift 68% of health care costs on the elderly (in other words, it would ruin and/or deny health care to millions of retired persons, most of whom could never afford to pay for two thirds of their health expenses out of pocket). If he really doesn’t know, he must have lived under a rock for the past couple months because the 68% figure has been widely reported. If Womack really doesn’t know where Pryor got his numbers, he must be ignorant, incompetent, and not doing his job, and a cynical hypocrite on top of all that. The numbers are, of course, the result of an analysis by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), as anybody who has paid any attention to this issue would know."
http://arkansasmediawatch.wordpress.c...
Posted by: ImUnarmed
June 29, 2011 at 3:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jvgrotts says "By privatizing the programs, Washington at least shows that they are willing to attempt something new."
Why not imitate the ancient Inuits and send old people out to sea on an ice floe? That would be new.
Posted by: Coralie
June 29, 2011 at 4 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
I am totally amazed at the elected officials we have. If one Republican says something will work, they all jump on the band wagon and say it will, despite having any clue as to what it is. Same for the democrats as well. These guys don't think, they act. I'll put a dime to a dollar that Womack has not sat down and read Paul Ryan's proposal.
Posted by: Apbacker
June 30, 2011 at 5:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Well Steve to me it looks like you are doing a good job representing the 3rd district. Well those of us who can read and understand what is going on in WDC. I agree with your standing on where is their plan. It took no effort to read the above comments to know those who are writing do not understand the issue and they also have not solution. So when one cannot stand and speak intelligently they always revert back to their 3rd grade level.
Keep up the good work Steve.
Posted by: OldWiseManOnceSaid
June 30, 2011 at 6:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
The Ryan Plan is "crazy". Wake up America.... We need to cut the elected officials insurance that they receive the rest of their life and their retirement. All of us who work in the private sector have to put our money in a 401k plan for retirement and have to pay outrageous rates for medical insurance premiums in our old age. I say if we do away with the retired senators and represenatives medical insurance and retirement, maybe they will think twice about messing with the rest of us.
Posted by: Punkinjones
June 30, 2011 at 9:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Shrek: "when one cannot stand and speak intelligently they always revert back to their 3rd grade level.">>
Shrek, a third grader could see through Ryan's plan. If you think it is a solution, I have a unicorn to sell you. Begin here:
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011...
Excerpt:
"Ryan is assuming that everything aside from health and SS can be squeezed from 12 percent of GDP now to 3 1/2 percent of GDP. That’s bigger than the assumed cut in health care spending relative to baseline; it accounts for all of the projected deficit reduction, since the alleged health savings are all used to finance tax cuts. And how is this supposed to be accomplished? Not explained.
This isn’t a serious proposal; it’s a strange combination of cruelty and insanely wishful thinking."
Another main reason Ryan's budget is farce was pointed out by Ronald Reagan's Director of Office of Management and Budget. Excerpt:
"STOCKMAN: No, I think both parties are delusional in thinking that this is a long-run problem. The Ryan plan gets the balanced budget in 2030, the fiscal hereafter. We have a here-and-now problem...
...the crisis will come immediately, in the next two or three years.
Now, what does Ryan do in the next two or three years? Nothing. He cuts $600 billion or $700 billion of spending, mostly from a small part of the budget, discretionary and the safety net, leaves Medicare totally untouched for 3 years, leaves Social Security totally untouched for 10 years, leaves defense totally untouched for the next 3 years, and then, after cutting that small amount, gives it all back by extending all the Bush tax cuts that we can't afford.
Now, that's getting nowhere. In three years, he does not cut one dime from the debt.
Question: "Do you think that... the American economy -- so you're like a red-blooded capitalist -- could it sustain higher taxes than it has now?"
STOCKMAN: Absolutely. In 1982, we were looking at the jaws of the worst recession since the 1930s. We overdid it in '81, cut taxes too much. We came back with the big deficit plan. In 1982, unemployment's 10 percent, the economy's in dire shape, and we raised taxes by 1.2 percent of GDP, which would be $150 billion a year, right now, not 10 years down the road, but right now."
http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/week-t...
Maybe when the budget is out of whack it is not a good time to have taxes be at the lowest level in 60 years?
Ryan lowers the top bracket from 35% to 25%. As I said, it's farce.
Posted by: fayfreethinker
June 30, 2011 at 10:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
The Medicare deficit was created by Ryan, Cantor, Boehner and George W. Bush the day they all voted FOR Medicare Advantage. Naturally they had to RAISE the debt limit to support the $50 Bn annual deficit it creates.
.
The nice thing to know is that Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act eliminates Medicare Advantage which amounts to a huge transfer of public money to private insurance companies. In 2014 we will return to plain old vanilla Medicare, the kind that served my grandmother, my mother and the kind that I stuck with.
.
Premiums on standard Medicare have not increased since 1996 so they are due for adjustments.
.
What the Republicans are saying is hey, the city is gonna rip up your water lines and hand you a bucket for hauling water. That will save you.
.
Posted by: cdawg
June 30, 2011 at 7:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
If the previous war mongers had left their greedy hands off borrowing from this fund we would be ok until 2037.
What happened to Clintons balanced budget he turned over to the untouchable rich, How in the world do you think they made their untouchable money from people who made it thru the needy. Some are worthy but very small some.
Posted by: popox6
July 1, 2011 at 6:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
If the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy are allowed to end next year, this alone will put about $4 Trillion back over the next 10 years.
$4 T off the national debt.
If it were not for those Bush tax cuts, we would not be needing to raise the debt ceiling now.
Posted by: Coralie
July 1, 2011 at 12:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Well - listen to the liberals spout on this one. They have controlled congress for the last four years and the white house for the last two. They have increased the deficit by more than any other liberal-controlled congress in history. They have promised to fix the economy (remember the pledge of no more than 8% unemployment if we pass the stimulus plan?), yet have no plan to get the economic mess they have created under control. Yet propose something dramatic to change the economic downturn of our country, and all they can do is criticize. So...how do you liberals plan to fix this economic mess you created? Oh, i forgot....raise taxes on the rich and those evil corporations who employ Americans and provide 75% of the revenue for this country already. GREAT PLAN libs! Ever heard of 'looking a gift horse in the mouth? You have a full frontal view.
As for Pryor...what a joke! He was lock step with libs in creating this mess, and now he is trying to transform himself as a fiscal conservative! He is as bogus as they come. He is great at voting on new names for post offices. Other than that, he is worthless. When is the last time you saw Pryor touting a plan to rein in our spending and get our fiscal house in order? For crying out loud, he asked for feedback from constituents on his webpage on how to reduce spending! How about not voting for a bogus democrat-pleasing stimulus that raised the salaries of government employees in order to 'save' their jobs. There is a starter!!!
Posted by: commonsense96
July 2, 2011 at 3:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HERE! HERE! Commonsense96. We are on the same page! Bless his heart, I love it when FFT thinks he knows everything and backs up his opinion from blogs and stats from The Washington Post, Krugman, and ABC News! GIVE ME A BREAK! No one but liberals pays attention to those media outlets anyway.
Posted by: footballfan
July 2, 2011 at 9:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
COM: "...have increased the deficit by more than any other liberal-controlled congress">>
As everyone well knows, if you subtract the unfunded Bush legacy:
Wars = Bush
Bush era tax cuts = Bush
Recovery measures = necessary because of Bush
TARP Fannie and freddie = (90%) Bush
Economic downturn = Bush
Medicare part D boondoggle = Bush
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/bus...
Then there is no deficit to speak of.
COM: "(remember the pledge of no more than 8% unemployment if we pass the stimulus plan?),">>
Let's give this tired talking point a kick. The transition report's estimated unemployment projection with stimulus was wrong, but estimates often are. Note the qualifiers in the report:
"1 Forecasts of the unemployment rate without the recovery plan vary substantially. Some private forecasters anticipate unemployment rates as high as 11% in the absence of action."
And in the conclusion:
"This study has sought to investigate the likely job creation effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan currently under consideration. As emphasized at many points in the analysis,
there is substantial uncertainty around all of our estimates. Nevertheless, we believe they can provide useful guidance as we go forward."
http://otrans.3cdn.net/45593e8ecbd339...
As to who the people blame for the "current mess" consider below.
D.
------------
Question:
“How responsible is President Obama and his administration’s policies for the country’s current economic conditions?”
Just 10% said Obama is “solely responsible,” and 24% said he’s “mainly responsible.” Nearly half the country (48%) believes the president is “only somewhat responsible,” while 16% consider him not responsible for economic conditions at all. These results are roughly the same as they were last fall, before the midterms.
In contrast, the same poll asked how responsible George W. Bush is for the economy. Nearly half the country (47%) believe Bush is either mainly or solely responsible, well more than blame Obama. In fact, more people hold Bush responsible now than they did last fall.
[while...] people are frustrated and pessimistic, but they don’t necessarily see President Obama as the culprit. Indeed, the poll asked, “When you think about the current economic conditions, do you feel that this is a situation that Barack Obama has inherited or is this a situation his policies are mostly responsible for?” A large 62% majority said he inherited the mess."
http://tinyurl.com/3zqa9tz
Posted by: fayfreethinker
July 2, 2011 at 10:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
commonsense asked "So...how do you liberals plan to fix this economic mess you created? "
He (she?) disregarded my previous post.
One answer is to end once and for all the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.
Another is to remove the cap on payroll tax, that currently shields any earned income over $106,000. This is a tax loophole that favors the top 6% of wage earners.
Posted by: Coralie
July 2, 2011 at 3:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
I've since learned that the current crop of Republicans regards the removal of tax loopholes = to raising taxes.
These guys are so far out in right field they're out of the ballpark entirely.
Posted by: Coralie
July 5, 2011 at 12:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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