Paul Ryan: 'We are hosed' if we don't tackle entitlements like Medicare

[ABX]

President Donald Trump ran on a vow to not cut benefits for Medicare, but House Speaker Paul Ryan said he thinks that is still an "open question."

"From all my conversations with the President, he says 'I don't want to change Medicare benefits for people in or near retirement,' and we agree with that," the Wisconsin Republican told reporters in his Capitol suite Tuesday morning.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/28/politics/paul-ryan-medicare-hosed/

[LMAO]

From a fiscal and economic point he is right.

The problem will be getting the public to see the same thing. Can it be done? Yes. But you will have to overcome the coming hyperbole from the Democrats

[XenaLee]

Seems to me that if they just tackled the problem of fraud and waste in government programs such as Medicare, coupled with getting illegals off of our welfare system, that would solve the $$$ problems..... as more money flows into the gov coffers with the return of jobs and increased employment.   But.... I guess that's not the "big government" solution for the establishment wonks, so nevermind.

[r9etb]

From a fiscal and economic point he is right.

The problem will be getting the public to see the same thing. Can it be done? Yes. But you will have to overcome the coming hyperbole from the Democrats

That was equally the case back in 1995, when Bill Clinton and the Democrats and the media used the same issue as a club to hand Newt Gingrich a big defeat (the first of several that year, as I recall).

The challenge is to convince the general public that we are indeed "hosed" if such entitlements are not addressed.  Doing that, requires serious discussion of options and goals between the president and Congress, and between the two parties in Congress; and responsible and detailed reporting of those discussions and options in the media.

Instead, what we have now is a mess: a president who appears not to be dealing with Congress (that may or may not be true); a president and media who are at war with each other; and a Democrat party that is at war with the president.

The question is: how can an issue like Medicare reform be addressed without changing the current political environment, and how can that be done?

[montanajoe]

That was equally the case back in 1995, when Bill Clinton and the Democrats and the media used the same issue as a club to hand Newt Gingrich a big defeat (the first of several that year, as I recall).

The challenge is to convince the general public that we are indeed "hosed" if such entitlements are not addressed.  Doing that, requires serious discussion of options and goals between the president and Congress, and between the two parties in Congress; and responsible and detailed reporting of those discussions and options in the media.

Instead, what we have now is a mess: a president who appears not to be dealing with Congress (that may or may not be true); a president and media who are at war with each other; and a Democrat party that is at war with the president.

The question is: how can an issue like Medicare reform be addressed without changing the current political environment, and how can that be done?

Practically Medicare reform is not going to happen until most of us in the baby boom generation die off.. The vast majority of the boomers will oppose any and all attempts to fiddle with the system even if the politicians exempt us from any changes.

[r9etb]

Practically Medicare reform is not going to happen until most of us in the baby boom generation die off.. The vast majority of the boomers will oppose any and all attempts to fiddle with the system even if the politicians exempt us from any changes.

IOW, you're suggesting that it's a race between demographics and default.  Which it probably is.  Default probably wins....

[montanajoe]

IOW, you're suggesting that it's a race between demographics and default.  Which it probably is.  Default probably wins....

Probaby

[LonestarDream]

Probaby

Ryan is a buffoon.  We need to grow the economy and get people working.    The propensity for the economy to grow will only support a level of taxation whose ceiling is lower than politicians like to admit .

Which leaves cutting and/or means testing benefits.   Trump is not going to dump on poor people -- that is not his style and it is not actionable politically anyway.

[r9etb]

Ryan is a buffoon. 

(rolls eyes) 

We need to grow the economy and get people working.    The propensity for the economy to grow will only support a level of taxation whose ceiling is lower than politicians like to admit .

Which has little or nothing to do with Medicare reform....

Which leaves cutting and/or means testing benefits.

Remind me how Ryan is a buffoon and you are not?

Trump is not going to dump on poor people -- that is not his style and it is not actionable politically anyway.

You understand that Trump can't do a damned thing about it, other than to sign or veto a bill sent to him by Congress. 

[geronl]

didn't Team Trump once float the idea of Medicare for all?

[r9etb]

didn't Team Trump once float the idea of Medicare for all?

Who can tell, for sure?

[geronl]

Who can tell, for sure?

ain't that the truth

[Bigun]

Seems to me that if they just tackled the problem of fraud and waste in government programs such as Medicare, coupled with getting illegals off of our welfare system, that would solve the $$$ problems..... as more money flows into the gov coffers with the return of jobs and increased employment.   But.... I guess that's not the "big government" solution for the establishment wonks, so nevermind.

Solve no. Greatly ease the pressure yes indeed!  The welfare problem will never be solved until we understand that making people wards of the state for political purposes is NOT true welfare.  Infact, it is the exact opposite.

[LonestarDream]

ALL spending is discretionary.  No economy.  No spending.

No economy , no military.  No economy, no clean water, no nothing.

Which has little or nothing to do with Medicare reform....

[LonestarDream]

Excellent points, both.

Solve no. Greatly ease the pressure yes indeed!  The welfare problem will never be solved until we understand that making people wards of the state for political purposes is NOT true welfare.  Infact, it is the exact opposite.

[LonestarDream]

ALL spending is discretionary.  No economy.  No spending.

No economy , no military.  No economy, no clean water, no nothing.
I am reminded of this by Indians I work with every day.  And why they go through the hardships that they do to be in the US....

[DiogenesLamp]

From a fiscal and economic point he is right.

The problem will be getting the public to see the same thing. Can it be done?

I very greatly doubt it.   Have you ever heard of this thing called "Bread and Circuses"?   


How did that work out? 

[DiogenesLamp]

The challenge is to convince the general public that we are indeed "hosed" if such entitlements are not addressed.  Doing that, requires serious discussion of options and goals between the president and Congress, and between the two parties in Congress; and responsible and detailed reporting of those discussions and options in the media.
 

So in other words,  impossible.    You are out of your mind if you think Democrats are going to give up the entitlement system of vote buying. 

[LMAO]

Solve no. Greatly ease the pressure yes indeed!  The welfare problem will never be solved until we understand that making people wards of the state for political purposes is NOT true welfare.  Infact, it is the exact opposite.

These programs are not meant to have large numbers of people on them for a long period of time. When SS was enacted, people were not even supposed to live long enough to really collect

[DCPatriot]

Geez.....the order is going out to dust off that old commercial where a Ryan look-alike pushes grandma's wheelchair off the cliff.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Practically Medicare reform is not going to happen until most of us in the baby boom generation die off.. The vast majority of the boomers will oppose any and all attempts to fiddle with the system even if the politicians exempt us from any changes.

I've heard tons of baby boomers say that they "paid into Medicare and SS their whole life" and not to touch it.


They oppose welfare/benefits for other people but themselves. Biggest hypocrites ever.

[Bigun]

These programs are not meant to have large numbers of people on them for a long period of time. When SS was enacted, people were not even supposed to live long enough to really collect

And then LBJ came along and figured out how to politicize them for his purposes. 

The country went to hell as a result!

[montanajoe]

ALL spending is discretionary. No economy.  No spending.

No economy , no military.  No economy, no clean water, no nothing.

More than half of the spending is mandated by congress  and supports social programs and defense. Another 20% goes to debt service. Unless there is a drastic change this congress and president only influences 30% of the national budget. Not a way to effect any meaningful change