by Kirk Thompson, Stevensville
Some 90 years ago the Republicans fought, but lost, the fight to stop Social Security. Some 60 years ago the Republicans fought, but lost again, to stop Medicare. Ever since then, the Republican Party has struggled to find a way to get rid of these socialist programs.
Finally, Republicans see a path forward to achieve their long-held goal. Major reductions in SS personnel will prevent the already short staff from providing timely service, especially for people filing new claims. We have the perennial Republican claims that it is going broke, and now our government efficiency expert calling it a Ponzi scheme. All of this combines to undermine faith in the system, making it easier to cut.
The factor which may well require substantial reductions in the benefits of SS and Medicare is the enormous federal financial deficit,now running close to $2 trillion per year. Already, just the annual interest on the total debt exceeds the defense budget. This interest grows rapidly as interest rates rise and new debt is incurred. Trump is also proposing policies that will dramatically increase the annual deficit.
These include huge new tax cuts, reducing IRS personnel who audit tax returns, and reducing staff that investigate and prosecute medical fraud. Together, these can increase the deficit by upwards of $1 trillion per year. Contrast that with the minor cuts Musk is making, which a conservative magazine likened to looking for loose change in the sofa cushions. Perhaps the Republican hope is that the debt will increase to the point where there will be no alternative to cutting SS and Medicare. The smart Republicans already know we cannot balance the budget without tackling (cutting) entitlements (SS and Medicare).
Trump and the billionaires around him have no need for SS and Medicare, and would like to get rid of these socialist programs that provide them no benefit.