Dear Editor,
You have to hand it to Republicans. No mincing of values or fiddling about where they stand, what their priorities are, or their agenda. It’s in-your-face unabashed boldness. This is crystallized in their federal budget proposal, crafted by Paul Ryan, conservatives’ boy hero budgeter. Americans deserve to know the simple truth of their proposal. Then you can decide if it represents your values and is a fair plan.
Their budget goes something like this: First, they’ll need to borrow a trillion dollars from the Chinese (remember we’re broke). Second, they’ll give millionaires and billionaires a trillion dollar tax cut (creates jobs!). To pay for it Republicans gut Medicare and Medicaid of a trillion (who cares-they’re pesky socialism programs anyways). Elegantly simple. And downright dangerous.
Take Medicare for example. Their proposal eliminates Medicare as we know it, voucherizing it into oblivion. The nonpartisan, official government budget cruncher reckons it’ll cost each senior an ADDITIONAL $6000/year in healthcare costs. So…if you’re 54 and want to live to 85, you’ve got 11 years (before Medicare kicks in at 65) to save an extra $120,000 just to cover the ADDED healthcare costs under the Republican plan (that’s $6000 x 20 Medicare years). Sound fair and feasible?
High energy costs? Don’t look for relief. Their budget guts any future alternative energy development. Better to cede that lucrative emerging market and new technologies to the Chinese. And yes, the Saudis will love the Ryan budget also!
Please, if you remember only one thing about the Republican budget and its priorities, it’s this: It borrows a trillion from China. Gives the trillion to the ultra rich. Ultimately paid for on the backs of seniors, the disabled, and the poor. Sadly, these are Republican values. I get it. But I resolutely reject it. All Americans must reject it.
Van P. Keele
Hamilton