How Life Would Change Under the GOP Budget

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I am so sick and tired of Americans whining about the economic conditions that are plaging the country. Economics is not the problem; morality is. Just look at history. ANY nation that has abandoned the morality code it has lived by no longer exisits. Rome, Greece, etc. And America is headed for extinction. The poor, homeless, seniors are treated worse than criminals. Rich people are rewarded for doing anything they can to not only remain rich but get richer. American businesses are rewarded for sending jobs overseas rather than expanding the job base here in this country (America). Rascism is not truly discussed by ALL races and is exploited by those in elected offices as well as by those in religion every Sunday. There are enough rich people in this country th feed the poor and the homeless, build houses in cities where there is PLENTY of vacant land as well as abandoned houses that could be rehabilated. Churches can also buy land and build houses for the homeless as well as build shopping centers, credit unions, factories, schools (education) that can create jobs which would create taxable income as well as spendable income that would stimulate the local as well as the national economy while at the same time reduce crime and create a state of morality which would cause God (Jesus Christ) to end the state of judgement that America is now in and release a state of Godly glory that the rest of the world will envy. "The wicked SHALL be turned into Hell and ALL the nations that forget God." Psalm 9:17.

Elder Walter H. Mosby II of MI 9:05AM May 26, 2011

Seniors will have to bear some of the cost of their healthcare
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It is not reasonable or practical to pass more medical cost to retirees on Medicare at this time. I have read that a person retiring today on Medicare would need around $150,000 on average in savings (investments) to just cover their medical costs not paid by Medicare. Government needs to re-crunch the numbers and slowly increase Medicare tax and the max wages taxed to keep this needed program viable plus they need to keep their hands off these trust funds and use them only for the purposes intended. If a banker or business owner stole trust funds our government would send them to jail.
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Less aid for the needy
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This is more of a, we need fewer needy on the dole. This means tighter controls on who qualifies and more monitoring of their current situation. Time limits also work to motivate people to become self sufficient. We must try to wean people from the "welfare mentality".
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But, mostly we need to stimulate job creation in America. Job creation in USA is about selling goods and services created by USA workers. Possibly a VAT tax on the value added percent of the product or service created overseas. We have got to be careful with this, very small at first and growing till our entrepreneurs can step up, get the job done here, and make a profit. Our businesses need a better alternative than just outsourcing overseas. Our brilliant entrepreneurs need a fighting chance to create and grow more USA businesses.
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More taxpayers
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I think we need to tweak the tax code. Perhaps a small minimum tax percent on all income (before deductions) along with adjusting down the maximum deductions for things such as real estate interest, real property taxes, etc. Basically the working poor should pay a little, not zero, and the higher income people should not be able to manage their tax burden to pay near zero in income tax. But mostly we need to move the jobs our paychecks are creating overseas back to USA (see above). More income to tax.
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Middle-class sacrifice
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This will occur naturally because of the economics of a world economy but more so if we don't address our problems such as job creation in USA. We now know, the American consumer will kill their neighbor's job by buying overseas products to save money and live better. That is why we need the VAT tax I mentioned to force us to make buying decisions in the country's best interest. Choosing between a smaller percent of the population working (more on welfare, higher taxes) and more people working at lower wages we must choose the latter. These are the choices available to us since we are in a world economy with low wages around the world.
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Other issues we must address include the cost of public workers. They have gained too much power over the taxpayer. Do away with pensions and put them all on 401k plans. Our government officials have given out too many favors to their own and that pendulum needs to swing the other way. Too much of this "it is for the children" to justify $100k teacher pay and million dollar retirement packages. Cops are overpaid, Fireman are overpaid, most everyone in Washington, etc. etc. Serving the public has become raping the public. Our elected officials have been gutless and let their unions have their way with those that elected them. If the taxpayers don't stand up soon these 30 year pensions will become an unbearable loan on future generations.
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Great article Rick.

Lee Allen of CA 11:57AM May 24, 2011

The reader comments are very revealing.

busterfrogg of VA 5:59AM April 26, 2011

Ryan is just another math whiz that can make any set of numbers work. Sadly he an Gethner are not what we need. We need watchdogs. Social Security should have been in a trust fund. Now we cry because the bill comes due every month. This was money that should never have been used for another purpose. Medicare fraud is rampant we are just throwing away money. How about watchdogs for every government program,defense,medicine, etc. The savings would be huge. General Electric not paying taxes.Companies not required to join Obama Care. How about the loopholes where professional people come here from another land buy big real estate, hire their relatives and write off depreciation to cover half million dollar incomes. We should not allow the cayman islands and tax havens to circumvent our tax laws.We also need to start manufacuring so that jobs can be created not fast food for $6.00 per hour. enough is enough.Leave middle America ALONE.

robert kauffman of NJ 4:22PM April 18, 2011

The questions I prepared below are important. Most importantly, they have clear and sad reasons why they're hurting America's debt
situation. These questions pop up from lawmaker mismanagement in budgeting and overseeing what their responsibilities entailed, as they manipulated laws by taking actions that satisfied their own nests, by either accepting donations for keeping their elected positions, or allowing corporate America to run free. Researching their mismanagement on these issues will lead to conclusive answers to our present dilemma:
1. Why do we continue to function without social stratification, whereby allowing rich to take tax cuts?
2. Why do we continue to depend on oil?
3, Why do we continue to allow fuel oil, diesel and gasoline prices to get out of hand without doing something logical about it?
4. Why do we tax Social Security?
Ckeck out the trail of lawmaker actions that caused all of this.

Vincent Franco of NY 9:01AM April 17, 2011

While theoretically I agree that everyone should pay a little of their income, let's face it: taxes from the lower income folks will not be enough to buy new weapons for our Defense Department and will probably generate the need for more help in excess of what is collected.

H of NM 7:25AM April 17, 2011

Where in his plan is the reduction of farm subsidies? Thefarmers are selling corn for the highest price in history and the good old Dole(selectively conservative) plan is still putting out a subsidy to go along with it. The CR(A)P program is still in place and the fat cats are buying land, not doing anything with it and the government is actually buying the farms for them. Ryan is from WI. He never mentions his retirement and his health care goodies when he leaves office. I call guys like him two faced---- not a representative of the people. What a farce!!!! Iam Sickofit

William J Fox of IA 3:22PM April 16, 2011

I keep reading about free Medicare. I am past 65 and continue to work because I have to provide for my family. I am on Medicare and Tri-Care for life since I spent my entire adult life in the military from Vietnam to Afghanistan to Iraq. I pay insurance premiums for Medicare. For myself I pay over $150/month. I also have to pay for Tricare. I recently found websites that said a 40 year old with health insurance through his work would pay below $125/month for his family. If that is the case, where is the math showing I'm getting my health care free of charge???

kirk of NM 10:01AM April 16, 2011

45% of the earners in the country pay no direct (income) -taxes...
Doesn't thet scare anyone?
That's a higher percentage than have voted in most of the elections in the last 50 years!
I guess that they can vote for anything they want. -More!-More!More!
-Because they believe in fairy tales like:
"Sock it to the rich!" -The rich either move away, pay for loopholes, or pass on the costs to others.
"Sock it to the evil companies!" -Who pass on their increased cost (and receive increased profit because of it) -to their consumers or go out of business. And those costs are regressively disproportionately paid for by those who can least afford it (the poor).
I have no hard numbers, but I honestly believe that the poor and the working poor in this country pay a very high amount in taxes that they never see.
An open and simple tax code that no longer favors anyone, where everyone shares in the pain of paying for this government is the only way that we are going to achieve some sort of fiscal sanity. It is entirely too easy to spend other people's money. No citizen who earns a paycheck should be exempt from paying taxes. If you want to make it progressive, fine, but everyone should be on the same pain train.
As for 'entitlements', I am 50 and I don't care if they raise the retirement age to 75. I won't ever see it, even though I have paid my share. I don't understand 'entitlements' anyway. -We need to get people to understand what charity is and what it isn't. I have charity for those who cannot, and for those who have met misfortune, but I have none for those who think it is their 'right' to take their fill from everyone else. (That is theft.)
I am a lowly middle class man who has paid taxes all his life and received little benefit for it. I love for my country and have served her in war and in peace. I have watched the rise of the welfare state after growing up poor and underfed without any assistance but my Mom's willingness to work three jobs and a whole lot of praying and I am tired of it.
Maybe it is time we all grew up and put on our big person's pants and did what is right for ourselves and our country.

D of FL 3:07AM April 16, 2011

No, I want more benefits, free healthcare, more parks, more government. We can just print more money to pay for it. I want more until it all collapses. It will be a good ride while it lasts.

imataker of TX 9:47AM April 14, 2011