Normally, I hate to repeat myself. In fact, I think one of my worst faults was that I hated to repeat a sermon, repeat an illustration, or even try to make the same points again. but the selection of Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney’s running mate makes it extremely necessary.
The Bowles-Simpson Commission was a bipartisan commission charged with the task of studying the great national debt and coming up with recommendations for dealing with that mounting problem. They studied. They came in with bipartisan recommendations.
Bowles and Simpson were both on a panel discussion that was broadcast on PBS. Bowles made the following points very strongly: 1) We cannot raise taxes alone and raise enough money to solve the problem. 2) We cannot solve the problem by cutting out all social and discretionary funding. No matter how deep those cuts, the cuts will not reduce the deficit.
The Commission had four major recommendations: 1) There does have to be a revision of the whole tax code. There are laws and regulations that are terrible for businesses and they must be eliminated. There are loop holes and laws that allow wealthy and corporations to avoid paying taxes and those must be eliminated. The recommendations would result in an increase in tax collections. 2) There has got to be a major overhaul of health care, medicare, and social security. When Social Security was begun, the age 65 was picked because the average age expectancy was 62. They did not expect to have to pay out much. All recommendations would be directed at new participants in the program. 3) Military spending has got to be dramatically reduced. There are military bases all over Europe left over from World War II that are simply not needed. 4) The interest on the National Debt has become one of the major problems. Interest must be lowered and the principle begun to be paid. They have pages of recommendations for all of these.
Paul Ryan’s budget attacks the problem by only addressing two areas: taxes and spending on social programs. The only reform of taxes is to reduce the taxes on the upper income level. His tax program is a return to the Reagan, Bush, I and Bush II programs. While it is claimed that Reagan’s approach increased the economy and enhanced tax collection, Forbes Magazine, the magazine edited and owned by the Forbes who was a candidate for the nomination on the Republican ticket, recently published an article that gave the following information: Reagan in 82-85 grew federal spending by 8.7 percent; in 86-89 by 4.9 percent. Bush I in 90-93 saw the federal spending increase by 5.4 percent. Bust II in 02-05 saw it go up by 7.3 percent and 8.1 percent in 06-09. Under Reagan and Bush I the National Debt grew from 30% of Gross Domestic Production (GDP) to 60% of GDP. Bush II grew the percentage from 60% to 90%. The trickle down has not worked, did not work, will not work. We need the comprehensive plan.
The best evidence for the lack of effectiveness of the Romney-Ryan plan is that most major corporations have been reporting record profits. The market is very strong, and yet nobody is hiring. How much of that economic vitality have you seen in your pocket? If you are a student, female, elderly, medicare, or an American who cares about people, the Romney-Ryan economy is not for you.
It is President Obama and the Democrat Senate that ignored the recommendations of the Bowles-Simpson Commission. Here are Erskine Bowles own words of praise for Paul Ryan:
Former Clinton Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles’ comments about Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, the choice of Mitt Romney for a running mate — delivered a year ago at the University of North Carolina was a huge endorsement: “Have any of you all met Paul Ryan? We should get him to come to the university. I’m telling you this guy is amazing. He is honest, he is straightforward, he is sincere. And the budget that he came forward with is just like Paul Ryan. It is a sensible, straightforward, serious budget and it cut the budget deficit just like we did, by $4 trillion.
“The president as you remember, came out with a budget and I don’t think anybody took that budget very seriously. The Senate voted against it 97 to nothing.”
Mr. Brand is obviously terrified by the choice of Ryan as Romney’s VP or he would’t take the time to fabricate an editorial that is completely false. Because of the Democrat controlled Senate, this country has not had a budget passed in 4 years. Who runs a household or business without a budget? An out of control President and Democrat Senate that has no qualms about borrowing money from the Chinese, raising the level of debt the country can assume, or just printing more money when the checkbook gets empty is who!
Scare tactics won’t work in the coming election with the majority of Americans, maybe a few targeted groups. But we will see more proof in this campaign season that Democrats do not see people as individuals, they only see groups of people to be labeled as victims, like women and the elderly – and now students!
The Romney/Ryan ticket will make common sense to hard working Americans that understand that the trillions of dollars of debt assumed in the last 4 years is unsustainable and that only the businesses in America can generate the revenue that will pay off this horrible debt and create jobs for the unemployed.
When the business community has confidence that those running the government view them as an assett and not a pack of greedy looters and when a select group of businesses aren’t chosen to receive government bailouts of tax payer money and when the crippling government regulations imposed by Federal Agencies like the EPA and not passed by law in Congress are lifted and when the threat of huge tax increases like those from Obamacare on the backs of small business are over, then Americans will see a surge in our economy and hiring levels. Only American businesses can create jobs and tax revenue, government just sucks the revenue out of the economy. Americans know this, Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney will communicate it well.
Obama and Biden can only promise a pathetic return to chains.
Repeat myself. You are an idiot. You must drink the Obama koolaid.
We must also remember that when HEW was formed—in the Lundon Johnson era—W being welfare–therein began the largest welfare program which to this day is endorsing irresponsible behavior–and aiding in sheep like recipients of the giveaways to praise the Obama–“Redistribution of Wealth” promise”