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You may be getting weary of all the wailing and moaning about a possible government shut down. Finally a last minute agreement was reached resulting in a decrease of 38 billion dollars in a total budget of around four trillion dollars – less than one percent. Our good friends, the Democrats, seem to be averse to passing any kind of budget. They haven’t passed a budget since 2009. They were obviously ashamed to pass one last year with the gigantic proposed deficit of about 1.5 trillion dollars.
The important budget is for 2012. Obama’s budget projects a deficit of about 1.4 trillion while the radical, draconian budget proposed by Paul Ryan, the new Chairman of the House Budget Committee, would give us a deficit of (only) about 975 billion. This is our choice – a budget that is ashamedly bad but moving in the right direction or one that would lead our country to financial disaster.
Leave it to Nancy Pelosi, the stretched skin queen of the minority party in the House of Representatives, to put the proper emphasis on Ryan’s budget. “This Republican budget would deny six million seniors of meals – I don’t think so”. Sometimes one wonders how this country has existed this long with political leadership as this.
Last week I wrote that we should restructure the whole Medicare program and allow insurance companies to offer health insurance polices to those over 65 and reduce or eliminate government involvement for those that can afford to insure themselves. This is exactly what Ryan’s plan would do. For those 55 and over there would be no change, but for those under 55 years of age would choose from an array of private insurance plans when they reach 65 and become eligible. The government would pay about the first $15,000 in premiums. For those that are poor or in bad shape health wise
the subsidy would be more. How could anyone object to such a reasonable plan which would reduce costs and reduce the government’s involvement in the entire health care enterprise?
The proposal would also connect Medicaid, the health program for the poor, into a series of block grants to give states more flexibility. Our present Medicaid program has increased from 117 billion dollars in 2000 to over 271 billion in 2011 and projected to double in the next few years.
Remember how our Governor and the Democrats in our state legislature wanted to be the first passenger on the Obamacare express to socialized medicine? They kept threatening if we don’t act now the federal government will take over and do it for us. Using that logic they should jump up and down in joyful glee for the Ryan plan on Medicaid. Mr. Ryan’s plan would provide a block grant and allow the states to tailor it to their needs. Do you suppose our Governor will change his tune when leadership comes from the conservatives?
This is only a part of Representative Ryan’s plan. The Democrats offer nothing but a continuation of ruinous government spending. Are we going to allow this country to disintegrate or have we finally had enough and will make common sense changes? Only the election in 2012 will tell.
You may be getting weary of all the wailing and moaning about a possible government shut down. Finally a last minute agreement was reached resulting in a decrease of 38 billion dollars in a total budget of around four trillion dollars – less than one percent. Our good friends, the Democrats, seem to be averse to passing any kind of budget. They haven’t passed a budget since 2009. They were obviously ashamed to pass one last year with the gigantic proposed deficit of about 1.5 trillion dollars.
The important budget is for 2012. Obama’s budget projects a deficit of about 1.4 trillion while the radical, draconian budget proposed by Paul Ryan, the new Chairman of the House Budget Committee, would give us a deficit of (only) about 975 billion. This is our choice – a budget that is ashamedly bad but moving in the right direction or one that would lead our country to financial disaster.
Leave it to Nancy Pelosi, the stretched skin queen of the minority party in the House of Representatives, to put the proper emphasis on Ryan’s budget. “This Republican budget would deny six million seniors of meals – I don’t think so”. Sometimes one wonders how this country has existed this long with political leadership as this.
Last week I wrote that we should restructure the whole Medicare program and allow insurance companies to offer health insurance polices to those over 65 and reduce or eliminate government involvement for those that can afford to insure themselves. This is exactly what Ryan’s plan would do. For those 55 and over there would be no change, but for those under 55 years of age would choose from an array of private insurance plans when they reach 65 and become eligible. The government would pay about the first $15,000 in premiums. For those that are poor or in bad shape health wise
the subsidy would be more. How could anyone object to such a reasonable plan which would reduce costs and reduce the government’s involvement in the entire health care enterprise?
The proposal would also connect Medicaid, the health program for the poor, into a series of block grants to give states more flexibility. Our present Medicaid program has increased from 117 billion dollars in 2000 to over 271 billion in 2011 and projected to double in the next few years.
Remember how our Governor and the Democrats in our state legislature wanted to be the first passenger on the Obamacare express to socialized medicine? They kept threatening if we don’t act now the federal government will take over and do it for us. Using that logic they should jump up and down in joyful glee for the Ryan plan on Medicaid. Mr. Ryan’s plan would provide a block grant and allow the states to tailor it to their needs. Do you suppose our Governor will change his tune when leadership comes from the conservatives?
This is only a part of Representative Ryan’s plan. The Democrats offer nothing but a continuation of ruinous government spending. Are we going to allow this country to disintegrate or have we finally had enough and will make common sense changes? Only the election in 2012 will tell.
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It is always a pleasure to bring good news to my liberal friends. In Paul Rawling’s letter to The Sun Times on April 6th he expressed extreme concern and worry about the lack of taxes paid by U.S. corporations. He pointed out there are almost four million “S” corporations (2/3 of all U.S. corporations) that paid zero income taxes. Here’s the good news, Paul. All this income passes through to the stockholders and income taxes are paid by the individual stockholders, in many cases at higher rates than if the corporation paid income taxes. “S” corporations are partnerships for income tax purposes while limiting some liability and giving other business benefits.
Mr. Rawlings especially singled out General Electric that had billions in worldwide profits but paid no U.S. income taxes. Much of that profit is overseas and no U.S. tax will be paid until that money is brought back to the states. Here is some more good news for Mr. Rawlings. Jeffrey Immelt, the head of G.E. is a personal friend of Obama and our President has rewarded him with honorary positions because of his leadership in the “green” world. This has allowed General Electric to take tremendous environmental credits and reduce their payment of U.S. corporate income taxes. This should please all environmental extremists but as stockholders many of us object to these foolish corporate decisions. We would much rather G.E. would spend their resources wisely, increase their profits and pay more in corporate taxes.
Keeping with the good news theory there is more. Mr. Rawlings seems to lament the number of millionaires in this country and that the number seems to be increasing every year. We should all celebrate this monetary trend. These millionaires, many of them are right here in Cleburne County, pay about 92 percent of total individual income taxes. Isn’t that what our liberal friends want – more income taxes collected? After all, our government spending is okay – we just need to pay more taxes!
(Jerry Jackson of Heber Springs writes his “conservative viewpoint” column each Wednesday)
