Obama On Ryan’s Budget Plan; Not While I’m President
I, like a lot of liberals; was mighty happy with President Obama’s speech at George Washington University. A speech were he laid out his plan for the budget, and in which he also made it clear where he stood on the Ryan’s budget and the plan to basically end Medicare. 
For those of you who don’t know; Paul Ryan (R-WI) presented us with his 2012 budget plan for the GOP. The plan is a dream ticket for Republican ideas, from ending social programs for the neediest of Americans, to giving yet again, another huge tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans by cutting the top rate down 10 percent; to 25 percent.
The truth is; the budget plan of Ryan’s that supposedly is going to lower the deficit, actually only performs yet another transfer of wealth into the hands of the wealthiest. This has been the GOP’s main function since the Reagan Administration. Every penny saved by cutting into Medicare, Medicaid, The EPA and several other programs that are mostly used by those in need, are offset by the 10 percent tax cut to the wealthy.
Obama set out a different course; one that does not destroy the very fiber of our society as being a Christian, and compassionate nation. His budget, as Ryan’s does, would also save 4 trillion over 10 years. Part of that budget would be ‘to not renew the Bush tax cuts for the very wealthy’. Also by ending many tax loopholes that have benefited the rich. It also included cuts to social programs, but not as deep as the Republican’s plan.
His real message was a call for shared sacrifice; simply calling on the wealthiest of Americans to pay a little more than what they already do. This is a blind side for the Republicans; they insist that we’re punishing the rich for being successful. To them, it’s as those people; the rich, are entirely responsible for our countries wealth, completely ignoring the fact that hard-working Americans are the ones who hard work and sweat that helped make those wealthy people wealthy and also an important factor to the wealth of this country. I’m sure next election will remind them of that fact when we send them home with their tails between their legs.
I do think that Obama’s speech sent a shock wave through both sides of the fence; he let Republicans know that he wasn’t going to stand by while they dismantled programs that have defined us as a great nation; that they; the government, had made a promise to the American people who in their most difficult times, someone will be their to catch them if they fall.
He also sent a message to Liberals that we have to show that we can pay for the programs we provide; that it is the responsible thing to do.
Yes, we all need to chip in to help us out of this crisis. I’m willing to be taxed a little more, if it’ll help us pay down this debt. Maybe there’s many of you who are struggling on what you have and I understand if you don’t want to pay more taxes; but what about many of us who are at least doing decently and us who are able to sock a little money away. I betcha many of us could afford just a little higher taxes if it meant saving our country from disaster.
I’m talking about us regular, working people who understand what hard times are about; when we worried endlessly; not being able to sleep at night, if we were going to be able to feed our children, let alone give them any kind of Christmas when it rolled around. Or we struggled to pay off a medical bill while we suffered from illnesses like cancer and diabetes, and heart disease. Or our loved ones fell ill, and we struggled to pay for medical care or pay for needed surgery for one of our children.
I will tell you this; we face a period of time in our Congress that nothing will get done. There will be a complete lock out; a stalemate. It’s campaign time for 2012 and the Republicans are bucking to keep their jobs and suck up royally to the Tea Party. They’ll also want to play a song and dance for the Religious Right crowd. As long as they can play up to these two groups well, they’ll save their jobs for sure; at least that’s what they think.
What I see happening is a waking up of the progressive, liberal base, and even the independents. They’re finally beginning to see what the Republicans are made of. Republican elected officials have tried their hand after the 2010 Election; believing it was a mandate for all of their old issues, like abortion and the end to social programs for the needy. And, instead of working on jobs, we’ve gotten legislation to protect federal dollars from funding abortion, which by the way is already illegal by the Hyde Amendment. An assault of public radio, Planned Parenthood and environmental protection, have been the only activity out of the Republicans since they took office. Even their budget plan is just more of the same; destroy Medicare and Medicaid and enrich the rich. That is what these people are about; nothing more and nothing less.
So it was about time that Obama drew a line in the sand and said no more; it’s time to stand up for what he believes in. I am also of the conviction, this time that Obama should not give in; at least unless the GOP gives in even more. He has compromised and compromised with the Republicans and in return we have seen nothing but road blocks to everything that’s needed to be done in this Congress, like pass a budget.
I do know that I will lose some faith in him if he gives in this time.; I think I echo many Liberals when I say that. We love our president and we wish him well, but we elected him to stand for what we believe in. I for one do not expect him to give me everything I want as a president or else; unlike the Tea Party crowd who expects complete loyalty. I understand that he has to compromise some to get the best deal he can for the American people; that’s what presidents do, but I also expect him to take a stand at some point.
Yes, I want a line in the sand and says that no, we’re not going to let Republicans rob us of our security; our only safety net to fund their huge tax cuts for the wealthy. This is where we stand. Like me, many of us are willing to make sacrifices; maybe eat at home more often and keep our old cars a little longer; just so that we can secure the future of our country. But if are going to make a sacrifice; we expect the wealthiest to take on their fair share too.
Conservatives are the ones who love to claim that this is a Christian nation, yet they seem to overlook or forget that Christianity is based on selflessness; the whole example of Christ. To heartlessly push for legislation that would put millions of people at risk of extreme poverty, to the benefit of people who need nothing; the wealthiest; is not Christianity, but greed and selfish egotism. I say egotism because it is the very idea that a person believes that they are better and more deserving than others. That they are in some way; chosen and elite, and excluded from responsibility. This is the overall character of the GOP. If they are to remain a viable party; they’ll need to change it.
Let us as a country, continue to help each other; this is where we have always been exceptional, if we are exceptional at all. In the eyes of God, we’re no more precious than the poorest child in Africa, or the bum on the street with no place to go. Our compassion is what has made us, and it’s what will sustain us when the river rises to engulf us.
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Great write, I will be viewing back usually to find updates.
How insightful, was Chris Matthews standing over your shoulder as you typed this piece? You know I read Ryan’s plan and seemed to find a lot of information both you and the President have left out; like although the most successful Americans would pay 25% on all of their income rather than 35% on an amount adjusted for deductions; like the $15,000 voucher system which equals current government spending on medicare users which would only effect those at age 55 or below; like terminating the EPA’s end run around Congress conserning cap and trade legislation and like getting the federal government out of state issues. Funny you both missed all of that!
Hey Mickey,
I think you should maybe ask someone who’s 54 years old and has spent their working life having money taken out of their check to pay for their medicare. Maybe people like that might be just a little upset that suddenly Republicans feel that money really should belong in some rich person’s pocket instead of looking out for them in their old age.
Besides; you know what inflation is like, and do you really think $15,000 is going to cover medical expenses for an elderly person twenty, thirty or forty years down the road? And, what if they have a major crisis that cost a lot more than $15,000? I guess they’re just out of luck; uh?
I will tell you that if it hadn’t been for the Republicans and George W Bush taking us through two wars and huge tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, then we wouldn’t have to be talking about how to pay for Medicare in the future. So what’s the Republicans answer to all of this; another huge tax cut to the wealthy on the backs of everyone else. Why? Because they haven’t completely bankrupted us yet; there’s still a little left over that they haven’t gotten their greedy little hands on. Maybe we could all just hand it all over to them and save all this trouble of them robbing our Medicare like George W. did with the surplus of Social Security left to him by Clinton.
Sure; I really believe that they’re going to pay a flat tax, and I also believe that there’s some great beachfront property in Arizona too. They say that now but then they’ll pass legislation to make an exception for those elite few. That’s who the GOP looks out for and no one else.
Mickey, as I’ve always told everyone; follow the money. The last several years, the only ones who have made out like a bandit, is the super rich. The Democrats may not be perfect, but at least they don’t spend all their time trying to find a way to put yet even more money into these people’s pockets like the Republicans do.
As far as state issues; I sometimes wish the federal government would get more involved with state issues; especially when you have states like Wisconsin, and a governor who is doing everything he can to destroy public employee unions. This man gives a less hoot about the people of Wisconsin and more about the money of people like the Koch brothers, who BTW gave him a nice, sizable contribution. It’s funny that they are so involved with Wisconsin politics when they don’t even live in that state. Maybe we need a federal law that says you can’t contribute to politicians that live in another state, trying to unfairly affect the state laws in that state; a state that shouldn’t have been any of their business.
And as far as the EPA; you don’t destroy an agency because you don’t like how it’s doing certain thing; you make laws to improve it. The only reason the Republicans want to get rid of the EPA is simply so that their rich buddies can pollute freely without anyone to stop them.
Thanks for your comments.
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