Posted on 10/20/2007 9:27:16 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Republican presidential candidate and former Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.) on Wednesday at a Club for Growth event in Washington, D.C., discussed the need to reduce the cost of Medicare and other entitlement programs, the New York Times reports (Bosman, New York Times, 10/18). Thompson said that Medicare could become insolvent without a reduction in the cost of the program.
He said, "We have to address the question of whether or not we stick with the same premiums" and deductibles for higher-income Medicare beneficiaries. In a statement, Thompson said that "our country faces ever-rising and unsustainable costs related to meeting this commitment" and that "we might expect wealthier seniors in the future to contribute more toward covering the costs of their own medical coverage" to "ensure Medicare's viability for future generations" (Theobald, Tennessean, 10/18).
However, Thompson did not provide specific details on a proposal to reduce the cost of Medicare. Two other Republican presidential candidates -- former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who appeared by satellite link -- also spoke at the event (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 10/18).
Teleconferences The National Federation of Independent Business, the National Restaurant Association, and Associated Builders and Contractors on Tuesday held the first in a series of teleconferences with presidential candidates that will focus on health care and other issues important to small and medium-sized businesses, the Washington Examiner reports. The groups on Tuesday held a teleconference with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
By Nov. 13, the groups plan to hold teleconferences with Giuliani, Romney and Thompson. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) have declined invitations to participate in the teleconferences, and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) have not yet responded to invitations, according to ABC Director of Political Affairs Chris Singerling. NFIB spokesperson Mike Donohue called health care the most important issue for small businesses. "Small-business owners want wide availability of health care products and want affordability in providing health care," and many oppose "government-mandated, government-run proposals," Donohue said (Blake, Washington Examiner, 10/18).
“Thompson said that Medicare could become insolvent without a reduction in the cost of the program.”
Medicare IS insolvent... Thanks to Bill Clinton vetoing Newt Gingrich’s 1996 plan to limit medicare increases to 12%.
To a Democrat, nothing is ever insolvent. They just raise taxes somewhere and if that isn’t enough, just raise them somewhere else or across the board.
Redcue the costs? How about terminating most of those entitlement programs all together?
All entitlement programs short of military and federal retirements need to be eliminated.
Without defining 'higher income', this sounds like another way to say let's increase the cost of living for those retired on fixed incomes. This will be another addition to '101 More Ways to Lose Elections'.
Congress could start by reducing their retirements by 90% and that would help...
Thompson is talking about reducing entitlements. Hillary wants to increase them with socialized medicine. Big difference here.
Expect the words “means testing” to show up in the debate soon.
Expect anyone who spent thier life being forced to pay SS/Medicade taxs to vote dem when these words frame the discussion.
I have never counted on SS in my retirement planning. If you are under 45, you shouldn’t either.
A earlier post mentioned saving military and federal retirement. If SS/medicade in slashed, expect those to go next.
I would anticipate the sale of Kevlar underwaer to skyrocket in the DC area if military retirement/medical is cut further. Oh, and at the same time you would see the end of a real ‘professional’ military.
The next 8 years will be one of the more critical times we will face as a Nation. Time to start praying.
He was asked if he would consider elimination of Dep’t of Education or Dep’t of Agriculture or any of the other useless Dep’ts. He wouldn’t. So much for a smaller Gov’t coming from him.
Congress should be on the military officer pay scale.
Too many people live off the Gov’t till, until they are weaned off, radical change will never happen. Even the mention of it will kill support for the bearer of the idea.
Good ol' 'conservatism'. Don't discuss the issue that it shouldn't even exist, we'll just 'rework' it. Woo-hoo, go 'conservatism'!! Far, far away..
Congress should be on the military officer pay scale.
Sorry but I think that Congress should start off with the military enlisted pay scale and perhaps eventually get to the officer pay scale after showing their worth.
Not in disagreement.
Would you have a link that verifies your statement?
Phony senior lobbies want free drugs paid for by taxpayers; American corporations want to dump their retirees into Medicare at the expense of taxpayers; pharmaceutical companies want huge windfalls provided by taxpayers; and politicians want to get reelected by passing incredibly shortsighted legislation courtesy of taxpayers. Most of today’s politicians will never have to answer to future generations saddled with huge federal deficits because of this expansion of Medicare. Those generations are the real victims, as they cannot object to the debts being incurred today in their names. — Ron Paul: Republican Socialism
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