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 Michael Medved

Agree on Goals, Guys

December 3, 2012 @ 11:35 am

The biggest obstacle to a bi-partisan deal for avoiding the fiscal cliff involves an inability to agree on specific, common goals. The underlying aim for Democrats is to close gaps between rich and poor by raising taxes on the wealthy; the deepest goal for Republicans is to slow the growth of government by cutting spending.

Both sides, however, already recognize the urgent need to boost revenues while simultaneously reducing expenditures. This year, government spending reached one-quarter of GDP—close to a seventy-year high—while receipts amounted to only 15.8%, close to a postwar low. Over the next decade, spending must decline to its Bush-era average of 20%, while revenue returns to its Clinton-era average, 19%. If the two parties could agree on these or similar numbers, they could begin to work together to fill in the details.

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  • Forrest wrote...
    I spend over $10,000 per year on health insurance
    December 4, 2012 8:37 am
    for my wife and I (Thankfully neither my wife or I have see a doctor much. When I am sick I have to wait two weeks before an appointment is available. I'll either be well or dead by then.). A lot of the extra insurance costs go to pay for low income people using the emergency room. I'm subsidizing Walmart because they are too cheap to pay their workers a living wage with healthcare benefits. How is that better than paying a tax so that all Americans have healthcare?
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  • logical open mind wrote...
    Forest-What? 2 weeks to see a DR? What crappy DR office do u go to.
    December 4, 2012 8:56 am
    Also, if you are healthy take a high deductable on health insurance. I dont pay near that much for a family of four!! Wise up and shop for a better plan!
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Kind of expensive.
    December 4, 2012 8:56 am
    Ours is only $7200 per year through my wife's retirement. With no waiting for emergence and other appointments depending only on what others have scheduled. Near full emergency room and hospital coverage.

    Of course, that's with Medicare as primary. So, I guess, if you are still too young for Medicare, you pay more and get less. ... BUT her insurance cost the same before she retired and we had no Medicare yet.

    Actually, even if we HAD universal health care, there would still be a market for private insurance plans. As a supplement.

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  • messiah101 wrote...
    Ron P
    December 4, 2012 2:18 pm
    Are you saying that you and your wife are paying $600 a month for secondary insurance that is only billed for what Medicare does not pay?Thats outrageous
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Not considering emergence medical treatment is fully PAID.
    December 4, 2012 3:30 pm
    And my wife is in a rest home with a lot of costs otherwise. ..... Medicare covers only 80% at best, and sometimes limits treatments.

    My point was that Forrest was paying too much. ... But if YOU know of a cheaper plan that's just as effective, I'm all ears.

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  • messiah101 wrote...
    Ron P
    December 4, 2012 6:24 pm
    My Father in Law is in a 24 hr care facility for Alzheimer patients medicare pays the tab.His wife still receives his pension benefits from his company as well as SSI so its not as if he was indigent
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  • logical open mind wrote...
    What $7200per year? Come on and get this re-quoted.
    December 4, 2012 6:08 pm
    Get a businessman to negotiate for you cause u are getting hosed!
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