Oh No, We Are All Broke From Tax Cuts! Better Cut Social Security!
Now that the Republicans have passed their Big Fat Tax Cuts for Rich Fuckwads, adding $1.5 trillion of debt, they've decided -- as they always do -- it's time for somebody to show some damn fiscal responsibility, damn it! And the somebodies who'll have to tighten their belts are the elderly and the disabled, because haven't they noticed their habit of inconsiderately needing medical care and basic subsistence is really putting a dent in the budget? Congressman Steve Stivers of Ohio sat down with CNBC's John Harwood to explain that it's darn well time to find a way for government to spend less, at least now that the GOP has thrown a trillion and a half dollars at its donor class.
Harwood asked if maybe just pissing all the tax revenue away was a bad idea, and Stivers explained it was actually quite brilliant, because "economic growth" will add at least some money back -- yeah, he didn't even pretend the tax cuts would "pay for themselves" in new growth, possibly because it's hard on faces to be laughed in.
So, asked Harwood, "No misgivings about a tax cut that was not paid for, that's allowing debt and deficits to rise like it is now?"
Stivers thought it over and decided maybe it would be a good idea to "try to figure out how to spend less." How, exactly? Maybe by getting everyone on unemployment a job, by magic. Also, how about we go after people on Social Security disability, because are they, really? Disabled, he means:
A lot of those people, there's a skills gap. You have to give them the skills they need for the jobs that are available today. I don't want to be, you know, mean and kick people off of programs, but the way I'd like to see us do it is in the benefit cliffs and create ramps where the more people earn, it might cost them a little more for their social subsidy, but they actually can keep their Medicaid expansion, or they can keep their housing, but they actually have an incentive to take that pay raise and do better and pay more taxes.
Waaaait a minute! That's ... that's good actually! Way to be a human being, Rep. Stivers, who doesn't immediately create a disincentive for people to go back to work by taking away the aid that keeps them and their families whole! But oh dear, then he kept talking. And that talk was about slashing Social Security and Medicare to pay for those tax cuts to Foster Friess and the Kochs.
Stivers wasn't about to admit that's what Republicans want to do, although it is what they want to do. Instead, he wants some bipartisan cover! He said it's time for "the two parties to come together" and figure out how to slash two popular government programs to solve the budget problem Republicans created. In the final minute or two of the interview, he repeated "come together" so often you'd think he was doing White AlbumAbbey Road karaoke. Possibly barefoot.
Did he have any specifics? Nahhh, just a lot of coming together, to offset Republicans' simultaneous debtgasm last year. But don't worry -- he's willing to talk about maybe capping some benefits for upper-income retirees, so how's that for a spirit of bipartisan compromise? Could trade that for a new retirement age of, say, 80.
US Senator Jeanne Shaheen was just one of many people telling Stivers and the Republicans on Twitter what kind of compromise she'd like to see, like how about an end to this bullshit?
The GOP Congress cut taxes for the wealthy, busted a hole in the deficit & now wants to plug that hole by raiding Medicare and Social Security. Over my dead body. Asking seniors to pay more so billionaires can pay less is shameful. We need a new Congress.
Even if they think they're going to lose control of Congress, R's seem determined to do a smash and grab on public institutions before they're possibly kicked to the curb by voters.
[CNBC]
Doktor Zoom's real name is Marty Kelley, and he lives in the wilds of Boise, Idaho. He is not a medical doctor, but does have a real PhD in Rhetoric. You should definitely donate some money to this little mommyblog where he has finally found acceptance and cat pictures. He is on maternity leave until 2033. Here is his Twitter, also. His quest to avoid prolixity is not going so great.
