Here are ten steps toward a balanced federal budget:
Negotiate prescription drug prices in Medicare instead of letting companies “dial for dollars.”
Raise maximum income limits on the collection of Social Security taxes. Substantially.
Offer Medicare to younger persons (55-64) on a sliding scale with actuarially sound rates. This would also improve the job market for younger persons.
Return the Social Security tax to 6.2 percent; that percentage never should have been lowered.
Cap the mortgage interest deduction based on interest payable for the highest FHA insured loan amount in the country, adjustable annually. It is currently $729,750 in San Francisco, so that would be a good guesstimate.
Modify government pension plans to prevent future retirees from receiving obscene amounts, such as $200,000 a year for some retired generals (as an example). How did that even happen?
Remove tax exempt status from so-called “nonprofits” that are paying exorbitant salaries for allegedly “charitable” work.
Reduce defense spending by (among many other things that should be cut) closing most foreign military bases, and stop being the world’s policeman.
Make the income tax more progressive (which worked nicely for decades); eliminate deductions that offer no significant benefit to society. And tell Grover Norquist to get lost.
Require senators who now pretend to filibuster to actually filibuster and stop allowing a tyranny of the minority to rule the U.S. Senate to the detriment of this country.
Richard Whiting, Auburn
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I don't have the stamina ...
... to address all your points.
Raising the salary cap for the Social Security No, don't raise it, eliminate it. If some Hollywood socialist makes $20 million per year, let him pay the tax on the whole thing. Except ... those special taxes go straight into the general fund and Congress spends them immediately, on whatever they think will buy them the most votes. Even if all that money went to SS, it would push the date of insolvency out only about six years.
The Senate filibuster It's really interesting how leftists characterize this. When they are the majority, the filibuster is the tyranny of the minority. When they are the minority, the filibuster is the last defense of democracy. Hypocrisy doesn't matter when your principles are that malleable.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond."When they are the minority,
"When they are the minority, the filibuster is the last defense of democracy."
The difference is that the Dems used it as a "last defense".... The GOP is using it as a first defense. Please take note of the record number of times it has been used in the past four years.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Please note the record ...
... amount of damage to the country over the past four years. If the filibuster is the only defense against more of the same, use it first, last, in the middle.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.haha... Four years ago the
haha... Four years ago the economy was LOSING hundreds of thousands of jobs per month. Now it's adding jobs, despite the efforts of an intransigent GOP intent on slowing down all efforts to stimulate job growth.
...and what about McConnell filibustering his own bill? How much more ridiculous can this get before you realize there is problem?
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