It's dead on arrival.

Anybody who thinks the country will passively accept the dismantling of the New Deal has got to be nuts.

Mar 21, 2012 -- 12:35PM, Bodean wrote:

As far as spending cuts ... Ryan is right to focus on the ever increasing budget items.  Defense is something that the Government can easily control with regards to the budget.  SS, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, are programs that progessively increase in budget regardless of what the Government does. 

IOW ... there is "no reform" than need be done on Defense Spending ... just cut it. It's totally up to the sitting congress and executive.  

There is a lot more inertia at play in defense than what you are describing. You don't just cut out a whole weapon system out of budget expediency; there are manufacturing contracts to be honored. And what about programs to help physically and mentally injured veterans? There will be a lot of them  for a generation.

Mar 21, 2012 -- 12:35PM, Bodean wrote:

Mar 21, 2012 -- 12:27PM, Girlchristian wrote:

I want to see more before deciding. I like the two rate tax structure, but think it should probably be three rates. I also want to see where the breakdown for the 10% is and where the 25% rate starts. I also don't approve of that move if ALL tax breaks and loopholes aren't removed.

I like that he's adjusted his Medicare plan to allow seniors to stay on Medicare, which I think is the right move. He's right that something has to change in Medicare as the CBO is predicting an increase in enrollees and a 50% per enrollee cost increase.

I also won't support any budget that has cuts to all of the programs designed to help those that need help and no cuts to our defense spending, which so far, is what Ryan wants to do. Any real budget should have cuts to both.

I like that it does away with the tax shelters and loopholes .. but as you said, we won't know to what extent until the details come out.

As far as spending cuts ... Ryan is right to focus on the ever increasing budget items.  Defense is something that the Government can easily control with regards to the budget.  SS, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, are programs that progessively increase in budget regardless of what the Government does. 

IOW ... there is "no reform" than need be done on Defense Spending ... just cut it. It's totally up to the sitting congress and executive.  In contrast, you MUST reform social programs in order to reign in their costs, as their increase demand is contingent on the platform of the program.

GC .. does that make sense?

It makes sense. I was reacting to this from the LA Times article on his budget.

Ryan’s budget dismantles the Pentagon spending cuts required under the accord reached between Congress and the White House, shifting the cuts to other domestic accounts. Both parties have balked over the 10% reduction in defense spending mandated in January, but Republicans have been particularly intent on halting that reduction.

www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-paul...

Mar 21, 2012 -- 12:27PM, Girlchristian wrote:

I want to see more before deciding. I like the two rate tax structure, but think it should probably be three rates. I also want to see where the breakdown for the 10% is and where the 25% rate starts. I also don't approve of that move if ALL tax breaks and loopholes aren't removed.

I like that he's adjusted his Medicare plan to allow seniors to stay on Medicare, which I think is the right move. He's right that something has to change in Medicare as the CBO is predicting an increase in enrollees and a 50% per enrollee cost increase.

I also won't support any budget that has cuts to all of the programs designed to help those that need help and no cuts to our defense spending, which so far, is what Ryan wants to do. Any real budget should have cuts to both.

+1...particularly to the sections I highlight above. If they were serious about this being anything that had a chance in hell of passing, these two things would be included.