Paul Krugman writes that there really is a bold serious courageous budget plan that (unike Paul Ryan’s plan) actually could balance the budget by 2021. It is a plan put forward by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, According to Krugman, among other things this plan would substantially raise taxes on the wealthy, modestly raise taxes on the middle class, raise the Social Security cap, and cut spending mostly out of the defense budget.
I don’t think a modest tax increase on the middle class is politically tenable right now — it probably will have to happen eventually — but the rest is likely to be acceptable to most voters, seems to me.
The difference between the Progressive Caucus budget and the Repubican Ryan budget is that the Progressive Caucus budget is primarily about decreasing the deficit. The Ryan budget, on the other hand, is a proposal to dismantle what’s left of the New Deal and Great Society and otherwise shred the social contract that sustains middle class life in America — disguised as a budget proposal.
Elsewhere — Steve Benen writes there are plans afoot by Democrats to bring up the Ryan Budget for a vote on the floor of the Senate to force Republican senators to go on record for or against it.
“…disguised as a budget proposal.” Right on. Republicans have never gotten over the SCOTUS decision which led to desegregation of public schools – thus their never-ending drive for the voucher system which will definitely lead to segregated schools.
A health-care system based on vouchers will definitely lead to segregated health-care systems. Those who can afford it will have access to the best health care that money can buy while the rest of us will have to make do with whatever our vouchers cover, sort of the table scraps that fall to the floor from the ‘dinner’ table of the rich. Not a pretty picture.
And, by the way, the national debt is approaching $15 trillion. Seems like a lot until we understand that the richest 1% among us, together, hold wealth valued at $17 trillion. Seems like they could part with just a little, doesn’t it?
Washington CW:
The Progressive Caucus Budget Plan is neither bold nor serious.
How can it be?
It doesn’t call for the rich to get even larger tax cuts, or increase or at least maintain military spending, and the sacrifices aren’t shared only by the poor, the middle, the sick, the children, or the elderly.
This is just a bow to shameless Socialism, and a plot by the Fascist Communist Muslim Atheist Democrats like that Kenyan Usurper, President Obama, who want to steal money from the most important citizens in this exceptionally exceptional country, like our deserving “Galtian RandLords, and distribute their hard-inherited and/or stolen wealth to black people, immigrants, children, the poor, the sick, the elderly, and others of the deservedly poor.
So, The Village issues a large, “Harumph!”
They say try again, and you’ll know it’ll be really bold and serious when it makes Privatizing Ryan’s plan look like a melding of the minds of FDR and LBJ.
c u n d gulag I guess you’re right about bold and serious. To the Villagers, “serious” means “tax cuts” and “bold” means” cutting Medicare and Social Security.”
cundgulag – Hitler invented the communist scare: Republicans have invented the socialist scare. (not very original, is it.)
Oh, and Ryan’s plan was “courageous” because nothing says ‘courage’ like rolling your plans out to a receptive and fawning MSM press, who will bend over backwards to make your plan look ‘bold’ and ‘serious.’
On its face it seems like a plan.. I’ve always maintained that if they don’t shift the insane spending on military budgets to social spending then they just aren’t serious with any budget discussion. I realize that it’s all U.S. dollars and no matter how or where they spend it, it all comes back into the US economy, but the difference is the quality of life that the American people will/ should experience. Military spending is the key to gauge if seriousness is really a factor. Anything less is game playing.
I know the devil is in the details, but any plan that raises taxes on the very wealthy and cuts defense spending deserves a long look.