It’s time people realize that EVERYTHING should be on the table. That includes SS, Medicare, federal workers, farm subsidies, the military...everything. Are we willing to borrow more money from China to pay for military retirements at 20 years? Conservative republicans need to go toe-to-toe over social programs but if they start trying to “protect” their interests we will never rescue this economy.
And, yes, I’m a vet and a federal worker. We simply can’t afford all this.
The problem with that thinking, HarleyD, is that "EVERYTHING" is not on the table - and under the Democrats in Congress and with Obama in charge of the Executive branch, they won't be.
Entitlement programs were exempt from cuts under the debt deal - and that includes Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and all welfare spending (to include unemployment, Food Stamps, and everything else).
The "Super Committee" will meet, and if the Republicans don't agree to tax increases, and the Democrats won't agree to any real cuts, then 50% of the cuts come out of the DoD (which will devastate our defense and our economy) - and the other cuts from discretionary spending, BUT - they only want to cut things like what providers are paid for out of Medicare/Medicaid - meaning they want to screw the hospitals and health care workers out of money. Congress still wants the teats to keep giving milk, they just don't want to pay for it.
All of this is looming to be a disaster.
Entitlements (the real "Welfare" to use the NY Slimes language) have to be cut.
It is the only way to save our nation from certain disaster and meltdown.
No, everything should not be on the table. We can afford it if we implement the right economic policies to spur growth, increase revenue, and cut where we dont need to spend. A poster before me laid it out well.