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http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/04/12/social-security-tea-party-gop-republican-benefit-cuts/
By Joseph Lazzaro Posted 7:00AM 04/12/11
The
recently averted shutdown of the U.S. government that seemed almost inevitable last week as Republicans and Democrats battled over the federal budget would have been a serious blow to the country and its economy. But the pain we just avoided is nothing compared to the havoc the nation will face if the Tea Party-led Republicans move forward with their plans to dismantle Social Security.
Haven't heard the Tea Partiers talk about ending your Social Security payment yet? Just wait.
Trust me: Whether you're receiving Social Security now or you expect to in the years ahead, your retirement benefits are not safe if the Republican Party remains in power. Here's why:
The ultra-conservative wing of the Republican Party is dominating its agenda now. That's the main reason House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) was afraid to compromise with President Obama and Senate Democrats, and accept a smaller, more straightforward budget cut to end the stalemate. Nor is there much in the current political climate to suggest that the Tea Party's ability to instill fear in other Republicans and propel its agenda will diminish any time soon.
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), the chairman of the House Budget Committee, has already introduced
a sham of a budget for 2012. The vague "budget proposal" is a thinly disguised anti-tax Tea Party manifesto that essentially dismantles Medicare, the nation's health insurance program for senior citizens. Under Ryan's plan, Medicare would be replaced by a voucher system that would, in theory, allow senior citizens to purchase private health insurance. Among the many problematic aspects to Ryan's concoction, the worst is that the vouchers would cover only about
one-third the cost of a private insurance plan that provided coverage comparable to Medicare.
If Ryan's proposal becomes law, seniors can kiss Medicare goodbye. And for most of them, that will probably mean kissing any kind of robust health care plan in their retirement years goodbye as well, unless they have the large amount of spare cash available to buy a better policy than will be available for those holding Ryan's inadequate vouchers.
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