An Irresponsible President

The Washington Post ^ | Monday, May 8, 2006 | Editorial

[edpc]

Here they go again......

Far earlier than the insolvency date, the programs [Social Security, Medicare] will be spending more than they take in....And every year of procrastination makes the eventual solution more painful.

This Ponzi Scheme was D.O.A. in 1935. One of the left's own, Moynihan, warned everyone years ago. Somehow, this falls in Bush's lap despite decades of neglect.

[T]he tax cuts Mr. Bush has presided over are now set to expire on the same date, Jan. 1, 2011 -- draining the treasury of needed revenue until then and setting the stage for a difficult decision at that time.

Not so difficult....make them permanent. Anyone envious of the rich would love to be amongst that group someday. If and when they are, it's doubtful they'll want to send their newfound fortunes to those who did not earn it.

But history's verdict is predictable: bad enough to squander a chance to improve the nation's health while there was still time; unforgivable to make it so much worse.

OK....so where is the bipartisan effort? It's apparent the Dems are waiting to retake the White House before getting serious about this. They've had plenty of chances under Bush to do something. They just want to deny him the credit.

[Lucky9teen]

I wonder how much the illegals and lack of fixing the immigration problem, contribute to gov't spending?

[Big Giant Head]

According to the new estimates, the Social Security trust fund will be depleted in 2040, one year closer than last year's projection, while Medicare's will run out in 2018 -- two years sooner than last year's projection and 12 years earlier than estimated when Mr. Bush took office.

Great. Let it "wither on the vine" while privatization takes over.

[Peach]

Too bad not one single Democrat wants to fix the immigration problem as it might relate to government spending. Not one.

[edpc]

Tons, I'm sure. Whatever revenue is taken in with their phony SS cards is overwhelmed by govt spending on housing, food, medical, and other subsidies for them.

[CheyennePress]

What is this crap?

Bush tried to reform social security, and all he got was condemnation from the Rats and not one single idea out of their puny, intellectually-challenged reptialian hindbrains. Bush's idea would have worked. The press would have none of it.

Speaking of healthcare, nevermind the fact that the double-talking Rats are defending their rat buddy lawyers and dragging their heels on tort reform, despite the fact that it has worked EVERYWHERE it has been implemented.

[oldenuff2no]

Are the socialists all crying real tears? Most of us hate socialism. It has not worked anywhere on earth but the democrats in this country are on the fast track for their socialist dream. Put your socialist ideas where the sun don't shine!!!!

[spinestein]

[[T]he tax cuts Mr. Bush has presided over are now set to expire on the same date, Jan. 1, 2011 -- draining the treasury of needed revenue until then and setting the stage for a difficult decision at that time.]




Hey, Big Government jackass. Tax cuts don't "drain the treasury". SPENDING drains the treasury.

Learn a lesson from recent history when the deficits decreased in the nineties due to federal spending caps passed by Republicans in congress. It's a shame we can't have those back again because....I don't know why we can't have spending caps back.

[Lucky9teen]

That is the MAIN reason I will NEVER EVER EVER vote for a Democrat, ever.

Pandering pieces of poop, imo.

And right now, I hate to say it, but what are the Republicans doing? They NEED to get a spine and do something too and stop pandering themselves.

Hence my tagline...

[edpc]

I don't know why we can't have spending caps back.

Agreed, but I would not cap military spending, especially now.

[SuziQ]

Sounds more like it's the responsibility of an irresponsible CONGRESS! They've been kicking the Soc. Sec. can down the road for the last 20 years or so.

[avacado]

Democrats and Leftists have no business mentioning Social Security! Bush presented 3 models for Social Security and the Democrats booed and hissed!

[Mazda3Fan]

Yep, exactly. Except the democrats confuse Socialism with compassion and helping those who truely need it. I'm not a religious man but I know that churches do more to help people than any pie in the sky social program.

[Richard Axtell]

The author(s) was/were born LAST night, unless he or she has severe brain damage, which I guess is a prerequisite for employment by the Washington Post Editorial Board. Who has had the cynical arrogance to lie to the American people about the abysmal future of Social Security? These same people have even recently told us that NO reform is or will be needed to "fix" Social Security, yet now as the rumble of impending doom becomes louder, point the finger of blame at the only President to actually propose a workable solution.

Could it be that these are the same people who continue to lie about how tax cuts drain the treasury, ignoring the fact that lower tax RATES have INCREASED tax revenues? And that out of control ENTITLEMENT SPENDING is exactly the problem, not the goal? Could it be the, the... DEMOCRAT Party, the Party of FRAUD and DISINFORMATION? And is the editorial board of the WaPo for all intents and purposes CONTROLLED by the self same LIARS?

Seems pretty clear to me.

[edpc]

Longer, actually. The program was never sound. I realize the inception was during the Great Depression. However, I fail to see how anyone could think relying on the government to decide the size of your monthly income and COLAs was ever a good idea.

[Old North State]

And what exactly is in this trust fund that will be depleted? Isn't it just a bunch of Treasury IOU's? If the Government wants to fulfill it's SS and Medicaid/Medicare obligations it will have to cut spending or print more money. Besides, the cutting of Cap Gains and Dividend rates leads to increased tax revenue levels, not less.
Liberals can't get it out of their heads that increasing tax rates automatically produces more tax revenue.It doesn't.

[spinestein]

[According to the new estimates, the Social Security trust fund will be depleted in 2040...]



Baloney. Social Security will be running deficits within 12 years or so. The 2040 estimate assumes that the 7 TRILLION DOLLARS that congress has pilfered out of the fund over the past few decades will be miraculously paid back by the time it starts to operate in the red around 2018.

As far as I'm concerned, SS may as well be nonexistent by the time I'm too old to work in about 30 more years. I'm just assuming that I'll need to pay for myself and am acting accordingly.

[Right_in_Virginia]

We can't tax our way out of this problem.

[Cobra64]

I wonder how much the illegals and lack of fixing the immigration problem, contribute to gov't spending?

Careful. You'll be accused of highjacking this thread if you mention "illegals."

[edpc]

I am in my thirties. I would gladly relinquish what I've paid into the system so far if they would promise me from this day forward, I could keep and invest the percentage they usually deduct. That, plus what I usually put into my 401K would be huge over the next 25 years. It'll never happen.