A New Monument of Cynicism
I have read the Republican Budget Proposal, so you don't have to! In red: quotes from the actual document.
SOCIAL SECURITY
“We shall make the most orderly progress if we look upon Social Security as a development toward a goal rather than a finished product. We shall make the most lasting progress if we recognize that Social Security
can furnish only a base upon which each one of our citizens may build his individual security
through his own individual efforts.
Translation into English: We got creamed the last time we proposed investing people's Social Security money in stocks. Since then, we have seen what a lunatic idea that would have been. But there is just so much money to steal there! We're just not giving up on that one.
HEALTH CARE
...many reformers have misdiagnosed the root cause of these problems. It is not a
failure of the market, but the ways the market has been distorted largely due to government
policies and programs.
Translation: Medicare, which has an overhead of about 3%, is the real problem, not private insurance, which has an overhead of over 30%, most of it spent in attempts to deny coverage. Of course, it is the reformers who have misdiagnosed the problem.
Layering on more government control, regulation, and “management”
cannot address the problem; it will only reduce the alternatives available to individuals and
families.
How, exactly? Maybe the insurance companies are going to go John Galt, which I imagine will happen right after the wingnuts do.
The budget .... protects Americans from being forced into government-controlled health care plans; and ensures that health care decisions are made by patients and their doctors, not government bureaucrats. Medical professionals must not be prohibited – either through the use of comparative effectiveness data or otherwise – from providing and/or prescribing care they believe to be medically necessary.
Now, of course, it is far preferable to have some unaccountable desk jockey at an insurance company, who is under overwhelming pressure to cut payments, making our medical decisions. After all, none of us has ever heard of an insurance company making an effort to deny the coverage that someone has paid for years to obtain. And, of course, the ever-altruistic insurance industry would never prohibit medical professionals from "providing and/or prescribing care they believe to be medically necessary."
I must stop here to note that the above Republican comments may represent a new world record in hypocritical lying (although, since the first 15,000 or so slots on the list already belong to them, so the point may be moot.)
....real per-capita growth in Medicare and Medicaid spending has outpaced that occurring in the market
(see Table 2). This demonstrates that government spending tends to be less efficient than
spending in the market.
Guys, this couldn't have anything to do with your legislation of a few years ago that forbids Medicare from negotiating prices with suppliers, could it?
The substitute gradually converts the current Medicare program into one in which
Medicare beneficiaries choose the most affordable coverage that best suits their individual needs.
"Most affordable" retaining its present definition, of course, which translates roughly as "as much as the insurance companies can gouge out of us, without inciting large scale episodes of mass slaughter in their offices.
ENERGY
U.S. environmental laws and regulations have recently been abused by special interest groups to block or delay otherwise safe energy projects.
Uh huh. Safe, as in safe profits.
Despite abundant domestic resources, the Federal government has adopted policies that largely
prevent domestic production of oil and natural gas. Significant reserves are believed to be located
in the Outer Continental Shelf, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Intermountain West, and
various other Federal lands. Most of these resources remain off limits due to the misguided notion
that America cannot produce oil and gas in an environmentally responsible way.
"Misguided." Why, it is always misguided (in the view of Republicans) when public well being stands in the way of a marginal increase in profits for some of their largest campaign contributors. Get real, folks- whose country is this, anyway? So, drill, baby, drill!
....tactics have persuaded energy companies to abandon projects because of
excessive legal fees and delays, despite never receiving a ruling from a Federal judge. To address
this problem, this budget calls for a review and streamlining of environmental laws and
regulations that apply to energy production....
"A review and streamlining of environmental laws." To provide some perspective on what that means (if you are in any confusion), I think I remember Attila the Hun once speaking about his plan to "review and streamline" the city of Rome.
And by the way, "excessive legal fees" for Exxon and their ilk. Boys, I feel your pain.
Coal is the most abundant and lowest cost of domestic energy resources. The U.S. cannot ignore the
strategic value that coal provides. The U.S. must aggressively pursue the development and
deployment of clean coal technologies so that our cheapest, most abundant energy source remains
a vital component of our energy mix. The substitute budget assumes a significant level of new
funding for a clean energy technology fund, part of which will invest in new clean coal
technology.
Clean coal. Perhaps we can also provide subsidies for the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny too.
Nuclear energy also must play a critical role in transforming U.S. electricity generation....
Clearly nuclear energy must play a vital role in meeting future greenhouse gas emissions goals. This budget
assumes funding for supporting new nuclear energy technologies and the adoption of policies that
encourage more development of nuclear power.
Do I even need to comment on this one?
Recognizing the economic harm of high energy prices, the Republican budget rejects the
President’s and the Majority’s proposed cap-and-trade scheme....There is nothing more unnecessary than artificially causing power prices to skyrocket...The budget also rejects the President’s proposed $31 billion-$80 billion tax increase on domestic oil and natural gas producers.
Of course, there has never been a Republican, or one of their funders in the energy industry, who has stood still for "artificially causing power prices to skyrocket." I am sorry that Ken Lay is dead, or I am sure he would be happy to relate to us an enlightening tale of the fierce Republican reaction that such a thing would produce.
Oh, did I say "dead?" I meant "In an undisclosed location." Sorry.
Recent studies show, however, a much greater revenue potential for expanded oil and gas
production than assumed by CBO. The American Energy Alliance [AEA] predicts that....
The "American Energy Alliance". I bet you'd never guess who pays their salaries. Excuse me for not even repeating what they have to say- what would be the point? Although if anybody knows how much money is to be made off of raping the environment, I guess it is probably them.
"TAX REFORM"
Maintains Incentives for Savings and Investment. This tax system maintains the current lower
rates on capital gains and dividends for all taxpayers, thereby preventing a tax hike that would
discourage much-needed investment. This plan also eliminates the Death Tax,
which discourages savings, penalizes success, and is particularly harmful to small businesses and
family farms.
Here we go into the realm of creative new thinking to deal with an unprecedented threat to the nation- Capital gains tax cuts, and no "death tax." Although, I do think their naming strategy is so inadequate here. They would, in my opinion, get so much mileage if they called it the "Blood drenched Nazi Zombies coming to Eat your Children tax," don't you think?
By the way, do I need to repeat here that there is no known case in the history of the United States of a family farm being lost due to inheritance taxes?
In contrast to the six tax rates in the current code, the simplified tax has just two rates: 10 percent on adjusted gross income [AGI] up to $100,000 for joint filers, and $50,000 for single filers; and 25 percent on taxable income above these amounts...The new, simplified code eliminates nearly all existing tax deductions, exclusions, and other special provisions.
25% top tax rate. Now we're getting to the heart of the Republican proposal. The "new simplified code" cuts taxes for the rich! Are you surprised? I mean, are you?
Lowers the Corporate Income Tax. This plan aims to address....problems by lowering the U.S. corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent...
Since 1950, the taxes paid by corporations have decreased from around 40% of federal tax revenue, to currently around 10%. Let's see how close to zero they can get, before they all get thrown in prison!
In conjunction with lowering the corporate tax rate, the budget assumes changes in some of the current tax preferences, such as repeal of the tax deduction for U.S. production activities...
Let's give American industries even MORE incentive to move overseas. This way, their greed-maddened grubbing after the cheapest labor on earth can be disguised as a mere necessity due to U. S. Government interference in their God-given right to thieve from everyone in sight.
This budget eliminates capital gains taxes for the balance of 2009 and all of 2010. That would immediately increase the after-tax rate of return on capital....
Ah. Cutting capital gains taxes isn't enough. Let's do away with them altogether! There's fairness for you.
And, after two years, we certainly won't hear Republicans shreiking and moaning if we don't "make the tax cuts permanent," will we.
GENERAL REMARKS
Workers and families will begin to see the growth in their wages and incomes erode. Another decade after that, standards of living begin to stagnate, and then decline in real terms.
That's what will happen if we let Democrats have their way. Of course, workers would never "see the growth in their wages and incomes erode" under Republican policies such as we've had since the 1980's. No, never.
Translating such a tax trend to its impact on families produces the following result:.... By the end of the period (just past 2080), the top individual and corporate tax rates would have to increase by 150 percent ....
Well, we can only dream (see my post below, "Soak the Rich")
I am, I believe, one of the most sarcastic and contempt-filled human beings currently alive on the planet today. Yet even my massive God-given talents are utterly inadequate to describe the incredible, overwhelming, Ted Haggard level hypocrisy of this phony, lying document.
What tragedy could befall our country that would not be seen by Republicans as an opportunity to ram down our throats more profit opportunities and lower taxes for the hyper-rich? Is there ever a time when the Republican party will act in the interest of the land that they claim so loudly to love?*
The breathtaking cynicism of this document underlines how lucky we are to have our government in the hands of what they used to refer to as the "grownups." With the national economy still in grave danger of going over a cliff, God help us if the Republicans manage to succeed in smashing their feet down on the gas pedal.
* No.
SOCIAL SECURITY
“We shall make the most orderly progress if we look upon Social Security as a development toward a goal rather than a finished product. We shall make the most lasting progress if we recognize that Social Security
can furnish only a base upon which each one of our citizens may build his individual security
through his own individual efforts.
Translation into English: We got creamed the last time we proposed investing people's Social Security money in stocks. Since then, we have seen what a lunatic idea that would have been. But there is just so much money to steal there! We're just not giving up on that one.
HEALTH CARE
...many reformers have misdiagnosed the root cause of these problems. It is not a
failure of the market, but the ways the market has been distorted largely due to government
policies and programs.
Translation: Medicare, which has an overhead of about 3%, is the real problem, not private insurance, which has an overhead of over 30%, most of it spent in attempts to deny coverage. Of course, it is the reformers who have misdiagnosed the problem.
Layering on more government control, regulation, and “management”
cannot address the problem; it will only reduce the alternatives available to individuals and
families.
How, exactly? Maybe the insurance companies are going to go John Galt, which I imagine will happen right after the wingnuts do.
The budget .... protects Americans from being forced into government-controlled health care plans; and ensures that health care decisions are made by patients and their doctors, not government bureaucrats. Medical professionals must not be prohibited – either through the use of comparative effectiveness data or otherwise – from providing and/or prescribing care they believe to be medically necessary.
Now, of course, it is far preferable to have some unaccountable desk jockey at an insurance company, who is under overwhelming pressure to cut payments, making our medical decisions. After all, none of us has ever heard of an insurance company making an effort to deny the coverage that someone has paid for years to obtain. And, of course, the ever-altruistic insurance industry would never prohibit medical professionals from "providing and/or prescribing care they believe to be medically necessary."
I must stop here to note that the above Republican comments may represent a new world record in hypocritical lying (although, since the first 15,000 or so slots on the list already belong to them, so the point may be moot.)
....real per-capita growth in Medicare and Medicaid spending has outpaced that occurring in the market
(see Table 2). This demonstrates that government spending tends to be less efficient than
spending in the market.
Guys, this couldn't have anything to do with your legislation of a few years ago that forbids Medicare from negotiating prices with suppliers, could it?
The substitute gradually converts the current Medicare program into one in which
Medicare beneficiaries choose the most affordable coverage that best suits their individual needs.
"Most affordable" retaining its present definition, of course, which translates roughly as "as much as the insurance companies can gouge out of us, without inciting large scale episodes of mass slaughter in their offices.
ENERGY
U.S. environmental laws and regulations have recently been abused by special interest groups to block or delay otherwise safe energy projects.
Uh huh. Safe, as in safe profits.
Despite abundant domestic resources, the Federal government has adopted policies that largely
prevent domestic production of oil and natural gas. Significant reserves are believed to be located
in the Outer Continental Shelf, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Intermountain West, and
various other Federal lands. Most of these resources remain off limits due to the misguided notion
that America cannot produce oil and gas in an environmentally responsible way.
"Misguided." Why, it is always misguided (in the view of Republicans) when public well being stands in the way of a marginal increase in profits for some of their largest campaign contributors. Get real, folks- whose country is this, anyway? So, drill, baby, drill!
....tactics have persuaded energy companies to abandon projects because of
excessive legal fees and delays, despite never receiving a ruling from a Federal judge. To address
this problem, this budget calls for a review and streamlining of environmental laws and
regulations that apply to energy production....
"A review and streamlining of environmental laws." To provide some perspective on what that means (if you are in any confusion), I think I remember Attila the Hun once speaking about his plan to "review and streamline" the city of Rome.
And by the way, "excessive legal fees" for Exxon and their ilk. Boys, I feel your pain.
Coal is the most abundant and lowest cost of domestic energy resources. The U.S. cannot ignore the
strategic value that coal provides. The U.S. must aggressively pursue the development and
deployment of clean coal technologies so that our cheapest, most abundant energy source remains
a vital component of our energy mix. The substitute budget assumes a significant level of new
funding for a clean energy technology fund, part of which will invest in new clean coal
technology.
Clean coal. Perhaps we can also provide subsidies for the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny too.
Nuclear energy also must play a critical role in transforming U.S. electricity generation....
Clearly nuclear energy must play a vital role in meeting future greenhouse gas emissions goals. This budget
assumes funding for supporting new nuclear energy technologies and the adoption of policies that
encourage more development of nuclear power.
Do I even need to comment on this one?
Recognizing the economic harm of high energy prices, the Republican budget rejects the
President’s and the Majority’s proposed cap-and-trade scheme....There is nothing more unnecessary than artificially causing power prices to skyrocket...The budget also rejects the President’s proposed $31 billion-$80 billion tax increase on domestic oil and natural gas producers.
Of course, there has never been a Republican, or one of their funders in the energy industry, who has stood still for "artificially causing power prices to skyrocket." I am sorry that Ken Lay is dead, or I am sure he would be happy to relate to us an enlightening tale of the fierce Republican reaction that such a thing would produce.
Oh, did I say "dead?" I meant "In an undisclosed location." Sorry.
Recent studies show, however, a much greater revenue potential for expanded oil and gas
production than assumed by CBO. The American Energy Alliance [AEA] predicts that....
The "American Energy Alliance". I bet you'd never guess who pays their salaries. Excuse me for not even repeating what they have to say- what would be the point? Although if anybody knows how much money is to be made off of raping the environment, I guess it is probably them.
"TAX REFORM"
Maintains Incentives for Savings and Investment. This tax system maintains the current lower
rates on capital gains and dividends for all taxpayers, thereby preventing a tax hike that would
discourage much-needed investment. This plan also eliminates the Death Tax,
which discourages savings, penalizes success, and is particularly harmful to small businesses and
family farms.
Here we go into the realm of creative new thinking to deal with an unprecedented threat to the nation- Capital gains tax cuts, and no "death tax." Although, I do think their naming strategy is so inadequate here. They would, in my opinion, get so much mileage if they called it the "Blood drenched Nazi Zombies coming to Eat your Children tax," don't you think?
By the way, do I need to repeat here that there is no known case in the history of the United States of a family farm being lost due to inheritance taxes?
In contrast to the six tax rates in the current code, the simplified tax has just two rates: 10 percent on adjusted gross income [AGI] up to $100,000 for joint filers, and $50,000 for single filers; and 25 percent on taxable income above these amounts...The new, simplified code eliminates nearly all existing tax deductions, exclusions, and other special provisions.
25% top tax rate. Now we're getting to the heart of the Republican proposal. The "new simplified code" cuts taxes for the rich! Are you surprised? I mean, are you?
Lowers the Corporate Income Tax. This plan aims to address....problems by lowering the U.S. corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent...
Since 1950, the taxes paid by corporations have decreased from around 40% of federal tax revenue, to currently around 10%. Let's see how close to zero they can get, before they all get thrown in prison!
In conjunction with lowering the corporate tax rate, the budget assumes changes in some of the current tax preferences, such as repeal of the tax deduction for U.S. production activities...
Let's give American industries even MORE incentive to move overseas. This way, their greed-maddened grubbing after the cheapest labor on earth can be disguised as a mere necessity due to U. S. Government interference in their God-given right to thieve from everyone in sight.
This budget eliminates capital gains taxes for the balance of 2009 and all of 2010. That would immediately increase the after-tax rate of return on capital....
Ah. Cutting capital gains taxes isn't enough. Let's do away with them altogether! There's fairness for you.
And, after two years, we certainly won't hear Republicans shreiking and moaning if we don't "make the tax cuts permanent," will we.
GENERAL REMARKS
Workers and families will begin to see the growth in their wages and incomes erode. Another decade after that, standards of living begin to stagnate, and then decline in real terms.
That's what will happen if we let Democrats have their way. Of course, workers would never "see the growth in their wages and incomes erode" under Republican policies such as we've had since the 1980's. No, never.
Translating such a tax trend to its impact on families produces the following result:.... By the end of the period (just past 2080), the top individual and corporate tax rates would have to increase by 150 percent ....
Well, we can only dream (see my post below, "Soak the Rich")
I am, I believe, one of the most sarcastic and contempt-filled human beings currently alive on the planet today. Yet even my massive God-given talents are utterly inadequate to describe the incredible, overwhelming, Ted Haggard level hypocrisy of this phony, lying document.
What tragedy could befall our country that would not be seen by Republicans as an opportunity to ram down our throats more profit opportunities and lower taxes for the hyper-rich? Is there ever a time when the Republican party will act in the interest of the land that they claim so loudly to love?*
The breathtaking cynicism of this document underlines how lucky we are to have our government in the hands of what they used to refer to as the "grownups." With the national economy still in grave danger of going over a cliff, God help us if the Republicans manage to succeed in smashing their feet down on the gas pedal.
* No.
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