Budget Battle Line

By: American Decency Staff

by Chris Johnson President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul two years ago brought a lot of American's to their feet in protest against Washington's out of control spending. Last week, House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan introduced his proposed 2012 budget which will be the ultimate test of how serious America really is about the responsible use of their taxes. As Charles Blahous points out on economics21.org, the choice on whether to adopt Ryan's budget is not a question of how to fix the economy, but if we fix it. "The Ryan budget would turn around the deficit situation so that our current debt would become gradually more affordable over time. Under the President’s approach, the debt would ultimately exceed our ability to finance it… [A]t present this is not a debate about how to fix the fiscal situation on behalf of our kids and grandkids. It’s still a debate about whether we will do it. If the Ryan plan is taken off the table, the answer to that question remains “noâ€Â until someone produces a credible legislative alternative." What we need to know about Ryan’s proposed budget is this: it cuts 5.8 trillion dollars in the next decade and it balances the budget by 2050 – here's the best part – without raising taxes! In fact the top tax bracket is cut from 35% to 25%. The end result is that government spending is limited to 20% of the economy. The part that is likely to scare some people off is that this proposed budget drastically changes the liberal sacred cows of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. When I did my short internship in Washington D.C., my first assignment was to dig into the budgets of those trust funds. I can tell you that they aren't doing real great. In fact, the Social Security Trustees predict that the Social Security trust fund will dip permanently into the red in 2014. You can read more about that here: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/august-social-security-paid-out-more-it. Contrary to what will be the liberal narrative against the Ryan Budget, it will not affect senior's who are currently or are soon to be dependent on Medicare.  For them, the program will not change. The changes will affect those who are 55 and younger and they will happen in this way.  When they enroll in Medicare, they will be given a list of plans from private insurance company programs from which to choose.  This will allow competition to keep the insurance costs down. Then the government will reimburse the private insurance company for the senior's healthcare and coverage costs. Medicaid would be converted to a block grant program which would be given to states so that state legislatures could tailor the program to what would work best in their own state. One of the biggest savings proposed in the budget takes place with the repeal of the massively unpopular "ObamaCare." CNNMoney.com gives some other specifics on how Congressman Ryan intends to improve our fiscal position: "Ryan also borrows ideas from Obama's fiscal commission, such as reducing the federal auto fleet by 20% and selling excess federal real estate and other property… Lamenting growth in the number of government jobs, Ryan calls for a 10% reduction in federal employees through attrition. That means the government would hire fewer workers to replace retirees leaving their jobs. In addition, he would freeze salaries and reform their benefits packages. In total, changes to the federal workforce would save taxpayers around $375 billion over ten years." After the two most expensive presidents in American (world?) history, this budget is a chance for America to get back on track. Please, don't let the zeal that carried us through the healthcare fight die. If the American populace pushes for this budget as hard as we pushed against ObamaCare, I believe, with God's grace, we can get this great American experiment back on course. Paul Ryan wraps up the introduction to his budget with these words: "Decline is antithetical to the American Idea. America is a nation conceived in liberty, dedicated to equality, and defined by limitless opportunity. In all the chapters of human history, there has never been anything quite like America. This budget’s goal is to keep it exceptional, and to preserve its promise for the next generation." Your support is important to our ability to make a difference. Donate online at: https://secure4.afo.net/ada/donate.php American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 www.americandecency.org http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson

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