Here is a small portion of Senator Bernie Sanders' compelling and stirring speech on the Senate floor, which he gave starting at 4pm yesterday. Senator Sanders at this point in time appears to be the only Senator who is actually willing to fight for those who cannot afford lobbyists or admen to fight for them. He speaks of the working people who are losing their homes, the millions who cannot see a doctor or dentist in the wealthiest society on earth, and even of a first generation law grad living in a pit in Barre, VT who cannot pay down his debt or have his family visit him because of his decrepit living conditions.
Take a look at this brief segment, and if it is compelling enough to you, consider signing the Senator's letter to the President on the same topic. It it not for the Senator from Vermont; it is about average people who are struggling to live.
The thought that poor and less well-off Americans are going to get screwed when everything thing is said and done is just a reality we have to live with. The GOP and Democrats have demonstrated time and again that they are too beholden to special interests because they dare not bite the hand that feeds them.
ReplyDeleteExhibit A: Barney Frank's belief that the failure of insurance companies would not pose a systematic risk to the financial system, not because they really wouldn't, but simply because the insurance industry has a strong presence in Massachusetts.
Exhibit B: The same could be said about Senator Orrin Hatch's reflexive support of the dietary supplement industry against federal regulations that could expose many of the outrageous claims they make about the salubrious benefits of the junk they peddle to the average American. Because they have a major presence in Utah he bends over backwards to protect them for the almighty campaign contributions such support brings him. It appears, unless further evidence is proffered to the contrary, that Senator Sanders is the rare elected official who actually puts the people ahead of powerful, wealthy interests.
Moving along In an ideal world, ALL the Bush Tax Cuts should be eliminated when the recession is close to over. The tax code for individuals and corporations should be simplified, meaning the elimination of deductions and loopholes that have made the ostensible tax rates nothing more than amusing jokes.
Next, I'd save a few billion by eliminating duplicative federal programs and focusing on actually steam-lining government operations. We won't save a ton of money, but every bit helps at this point.
-I'd cut benefits Medicare and Social Security benefits for the wealthy and subject more of their income to taxation meant to support both. And I wouldn't cap it: I'd subject every penny to taxation. I'd also implore Congress to find creative ways of stream-lining Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to minimize fraudulent claims. It has been reported that over 70 billion was lost to fraudulent claims alone in 2010. This figure does not even include Social Security and the Medicare Part D subscription program.
Lastly, we need to really need to implement a coherent two-pronged effort to bring down health care costs. That, in my estimation, is the single greatest threat to the federal budget and our economy. We need to incentivize healthy life choices, such as quitting smoking and going to the gym/exercising, and throw the book at and rise the fines corporations pay when it is discovered that the pollution their factories spew jeopardizes the public's health. There is much more that can be done, of course, but I'd have to write a book to elaborate!
One final footnote: ending the war in Afghanistan hastily is ill-advised. I read and hear a lot about "Osama's dead, al-Qaeda is finished, let's get out". If Afghanistan falls apart, there is no question that it will jeopardize Pakistan's stability. And Afghanistan will most likely fall apart if we leave too soon: that is precisely what happened when funding for the Afghan government dried up following the downfall of the Soviet Union. What followed: a civil war and the rise of the Taliban.
I wrote a lot to spur conversation. I hope others will read this, disagree (or agree, but I hope not), and allow a fruitful discussion. The issues surrounding the budget that Senator Sanders raises are significant and we have a civic duty to educate ourselves about them. We may, after all, find ourselves confronted with them in the future, perhaps in positions of power we never dreamed we'd find ourselves in.
PS. Sorry for the typos. It appears I cannot go back and edit the post :/
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about the typos. Thank you! I hope comments like this (and even more incendiary ones) will spark lively debate in the near future. This blog has passed 1,000 hits; let's keep it growing!
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