An Up or Down Vote on Medicare

This election is rare in that it is a clear up or down vote on the Republican budget designed by Paul Ryan, passed by the Republicans in the House and endorsed by Romney. This budget dismantles Medicare, increases defense spending and gives huge tax cuts to the rich while cutting education, child care, science and infrastructure.

Here are a few facts about Medicare and Social Security to keep in mind:

1. Medicare and Social Security are Democratic programs and have been hugely successful and popular.

2. Many Republicans hate that Medicare and Social Security are so popular, and that so much credit accrues to the Democrats, and have always looked for ways to weaken or dismantle these “socialist” programs.

3. Since Medicare and Social Security are the crown jewels of Democratic accomplishments, Democratic administrations vigilantly protect these programs and make changes with an eye to keeping them sustainable into the future on a sound financial footing.

4. When you hear a Republican say that Democrats are trying to destroy Medicare and Social Security, you know he is lying.

5. When you hear a Republican claim he is trying to “save” Medicare or Social Security, Watch Out!

Remember in 2005 when Bush, after being reelected, tried to privatize Social Security under the guise of saving it. If he had succeeded in privatizing Social Security to Wall Street, Social Security would have been destroyed in the Wall Street collapse of 2008. Now they want to do the same thing to Medicare; electing Republicans this year will give them clear approval to dismantle Medicare and eventually Social Security. Choices in elections are rarely this clear; after all the smoke and obfuscation, this election boils down to a straight up or down vote on the future of Medicare and Social Security.

The End of Medicare

The Republicans have a plan to get rid of Medicare. To make that plan palatable to present seniors, they are assuring them that if they are 55 or older they will still get Medicare, it's only people under 55 who get screwed, I mean get a voucher. If the voucher is so great, why doesn't everyone want vouchers?

Think about it for a minute; the only reason that we all paid into Medicare and Social Security for all those years was because of the promise that it would be there when our turn came, we were all in it together. Now the Republicans want to create a two tiered system pitted against each other, one group of over-55s who will receive Medicare and another group of under-55s that will pay for the oldster's Medicare but when their turn comes they don't get Medicare, instead they only get a stinking voucher. What makes you think that at some point the under-55s will not collectively say; Enough! We are not going to pay for these old people to receive benefits that we will not get when we are their age.

As time goes on, the younger group will become larger while the older group will be dying off and become smaller. Mark my words, at some point, the younger group will have the political clout to stop paying for Medicare for the older group and the oldsters will be up a creek without a paddle. Good luck trying to take that 50% off coupon to an insurance company and buying health insurance when you are 80.

The Republicans are telling us we need to get rid of Medicare because it costs too much and after they destroy Medicare, Social Security will be next because it costs even more. There is another approach to the problem: For instance, did you know that a grocery checker pays about 15% out of their compensation for Social Security and Medicare while someone who makes billions like Bill Gates pays only a tiny fraction of 1% into Social Security? Simple solution: Have the wealthy pay the same rate as everyone else and, voila, Medicare (with the cost savings from Obamacare) and Social Security will be on a sound financial footing far into the future and will be there for you and your children.