I suggest that voters do know the critical part that government plays in our lives and we don’t have to be reminded. What some voters want is some politician who will tell the truth about the debt and spending.
Paul Ryan had the backbone to inform people that at the current rate there is no long term solution for medicare to survive. The plan passed the House but, then went no where.
Why not? Politicians and partisan voters are too chicken to tell voters the truth.
The Ryan plan went nowhere in the Senate as the Democrat budget is? It is nothing but keep spending — no budget in three years. They have no plan to fix medicare, social security, medicaid, no plan to work on the debt.
We have been listening for 30-40 years to the same scare tactics that the Republicans are going to take away Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, education funding and all these programs are still going on . I think people can remember hearing the same scare tactics and are catching on.
Why do politicians and partisans want to give the debt to future generations?
Why do they want people 55 and under and their employers to pay into Medicare when there is no long term future? We need more then a short term fix just to get the politicians to the next election. Why not listen to the one man who in recent history has actually put forth a plan? Why not listen?
Gwen Kienholz
Brainerd
Comments (45)
Add commentNo plan
Ryan has no plan except vouchers, which are a disaster. Individual insurance companies don't have the bargaining power of Medicare and Medicaid to get low prices for drugs, etc.
He wants my disabled daughter who can barely write her name to wander around with a voucher seeking the best deal on Medicaid insurance.
Obama/Romney Care is the best plan.
Obama has a plan!
He's going to tap the strategic oil reserves just before the election to make gas prices drop. Hardly a supprise but the liberal sheeple on here will swoon and tremble in awe of his masterful manipulation.
Nobody will need vouchers in the post-Obama desolation and they will be worth the same as the Obamabucks they're printing 24/7.
Good night to all,
and your loved ones and friends.
rolf thats not what my 2 friends say who own group homes
nice try rolf, but you are spreading false information and that is not like you. One friend owns a home north of here in MInnesota and the other owns one in Wisconsin and they both say that Obamacare is going to be their demise.
So please list your facts.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve(SPR)
Obama's energy program is from hunger. But even he is not likely to tap the SPR when there is no real emergency.
I also know someone who owns
I also know someone who owns group homes and agrees
with IDWD . In fact, at one time, in another place, I worked
in a job with constant contact with group homes.
Having said that the Ryan plan is no more . Romney has his
plan and he is the top of the ticket. Not sure, but
I think his is to block grant medicaid which is what I would
think your daughter is on, not medicare.
But not to worry as Ryan no longer has a plan in the works/
This concern of yours has me curious but, maybe now
you can understand how the most of us have been so irritated
about the Obamacare plan that we do not like or understand
as it is sooooooo many pages and soooo not put together
so no one understands it.
Like many families, I would think you have put away for your
daughter so you can rest in peace. I do know having a disabled child is not easy for anyone. It can be heartbreaking.
Why Not Listen to Romney/Ryan ,Let me count the reasons !!!
Fool me once , then fool me twice " Retroactively".
How could anyone trust a presidential candidate who picks a do nothing Congressman , whose only claim to fame was turning Medicare into a voucher system , along with the most destructive slash and burn spending cuts ever imagined. Then come back the same week & say " There would be no changes to Medicare if elected , we will just make it better".
These words come from the same man ( The Mittster) that 10 years ago when running to be Gov. of Mass. told Mass citizens , " Yes indeed Ive filed Mass Income taxes for 7 years , therefore I qualify to run for Gov."Resident Requirement.
Within weeks the Mittster quickly files amended tax returns changing his home filing state from Utah ( think LDS church) to Mass. Retroactively .
Think the Mittster also quit his CEO job at Bain Capital retroactively as well ?
The Mittster once claimed his Mass healthcare plan " Should be a model for the country" then retroactively changed his mind.
I would assume the Mittster staying true to form will retroactively pick a new running mate who would likely not be known only for being a right wing ideologue who would most certainly put the US economy into a death spiral to uphold his principles.
Sarah Palin is still available...
Rolf, that is so untrue...
...the Ryan-Wyden Medicare reform is not a voucher program, it's a premium support program. It's a plan of sheer genius that combines both defined contribution and defined benefit features and it unfetters the power of free-market competition (something that has been grossly lacking from Medicare in the past). Before getting into the details I want to reiterate that it will NOT affect any one who is retired or within 10 years of normal retirement age.
This is how the program will work:
1) The federal government will define a package of required benefits (the same as they cover right now).
2) Each year, private insurers as well as a federal fee-for-service insurance provider (the analog of today’s Medicare program) submit their lowest bids to the government to provide the government specified coverage.
3) Based on these bids, the government provides seniors in each region of the country a premium-support payment equal to the second-lowest bid in that region or to the bid of the federal fee-for-service option, whichever was lower. (This means every senior, regardless of income will have at least one program they can pay for with the premium support funds, but will have the option of upgrading if they so desire.) Oh, and did I mention that poorer and sicker seniors would get larger grants from the government (that Ryan sure hates the poor and elderly, doesn't he?)
4) If an individual picked the lowest cost plan and didn't spend the entire premium support, they will be able to KEEP it in an HSA to help pay for any out of pocket expenses.
Complicated?
Judith, the Ryan-Wyden plan seems even more complicated than the current mess.
I think it is fair to say that the great majority of seniors approve of Medicare as it is. And seniors like me vote. We are also aware of Medicare's 3% overhead cost.
Try Studying History Instead of Twisting It!
Our politicians want us to ignore history so they can protect their high powered special interest donors that have gained a strangle hold on our countries future. We only need to go back to an economic plan that worked and one that spread the pain and the prosperity. During the Clinton Administration the middle class prospered at a rate double what it did under Republican Administrations of Reagan, and the Bushes.
More millionares were created and the welfare roles were depleted during the Clinton years. The Koch Brothers and The Grover Norquists are now running our country. They have managed to intimidate our representatives into signing pledges for them and against America. We need to elect people with the courage to stand up to the right wing henchmen.
classy, name calling = you lost your argument
More lies from Diptron...
And you're right Randall...big money now 'owns' our country.
Nice to see the local primaries Tuesday night.
A guy running for county commissioner who did not spend money or campaign won against someone who spent a load of cash, but who people did not like apparently.
Tarryl Clark poured tons of cash into her campaign (and did not show up at local events like Rick Nolan did) and Rick Nolan won. Grassroots politics STILL can work if people show up.
Sad how few people did on Tuesday though. Pathetic.
Simple- medicare program needs fixing
Are you aware of the life expectancy of the medicare program?
Why do seniors only care about their medicare ( of which
under any new plan should receive same coverage), but
seniors do not care about future generations??
Something has to be done about the future of medicare.
What is so hard to understand ?
Muehl's good explanation of the "Ryan plan" may not be
the perfect answer or the answer, but it is a start.
The more I read about medicare and funding, the more I become puzzled that people don't care about the future.
I really don't like it when they call it "entitiement" as we paid in as employer and employee so we paid double of most people. Other small business owners have done the same.
Mind blowing speech by Robert
Mind blowing speech by Robert Welch in 1958 predicting Insiders plans to destroy America
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZU0c8DAIU4
Where is Mitt's residency?
He last voted in Mass. He used his son's address for awhile, after selling his family's home. Then he bought a townhome In Mass. just before his run for the presidency. Then, like Chipster, he has a New Hampshire home. And a Utah home. And a California home.
For those who think Pelosi burned a lot of miles and money going back to her California residence, imagine what the Mittster will cost for security, travel and lodging etc. His buddy just bought the house next door to him on the ocean for an investment. Do you suppose he thinks the US Secret Service will be renovating it and renting it? Gotta give him credit for thinking ahead.
The Ryan-Wyden plan is not at all complicated, Rolf...
...I was able to give an overview of the plan in a comments box. Also, the 3% overhead of Medicare is a fiction. The government simply shift costs to Medicare processors which increases the cost of providing services. This is one of the countless things government does to increase health care costs.
Gee Snowda, I thought you'd lost when you had to...
...resort to lying to attack a good plan. I'd have a lot more respect for the Dems that argue on this board if they approached things a little more like Erskine Bowles. He's a Dem with whom I'd like to have a conversation. I simply have no patience for people who don't even bother to learn the truth, and I'm not including Rolf in that group, because he seems more willing to discuss things on their merits than you, Cappie, and Scary.
Name calling
Name calling in itself is not mentioned in our Terms of Service. It's hard to prove you were harmed or abused when you are only known to the others as "sparky" or "c3pO".
But what it does do is create an atmosphere of disdain and even hate.
Other commenters on here complained about the name-calling in this article and so I have removed the two that were complained about.
It's OK to be passionate about your views and opinions, but lets try to be more considerate and civil in the debate.
Medicare is a heckuva lot
better than what the self-employed pay. And what percentage of folks get paid insurance through their employers until age 65?
Even with the additional supplemental insurance plans, the cost is affordable for retirees. And I don't want to hear how we should all save for an expensive policy for retirement. We paid into this one, so keep your paws off of it!
Hard to trust anyone in Congress now to not screw it up.
Denton, How bout we remove
Denton,
How bout we start by removing the thumbs up and thumbs down option?
I'm sure that could enhance civility!
Well Denton,
basically I've given up on the Dispatch's comments section. It's ok to have a civil debate but that is never going to happen here. It doesn't matter what opinion you take, left, right or middle of the road, you are going to be attacked for your views. I've seen this happen to many other sites that start out as a great place to exchange ideas but then degrade into what this has become.
Re: Denton, How bout we remove
mav7770,
I'm not ready to make that decision. The thumbs up/down is a part of the points system that our corporate team is kinda keen on.
I will make a note of your concern (writing it down right now). Good thing they didn't go with a audio.wav cheer or razzberry, huh?!
Okay, good to know...
...no more name-calling...for anyone. We'll hold you to that, Denton.
Do you Dems still not get it? Medicare will be bankrupt in about 20 years according to Social Security's own actuary. This is the course we're on and Obama, rather than addressing it, is diverting money away from the program to a brand new entitlement program (Obamacare). Again, for the millionth time, anyone who is currently on Medicare will NOT be affected by the Ryan-Wyden plan. Stop fear-mongering by pretending like it does. This plan will affect MY age group and those who are younger. Most of us have NO delusions that we can continue on the path we're on and have anything left for us when we retire. We have to make changes, and as Sadie stated, this is a good start and the only plan that doesn't rely on wishful thinking.
Denton,So, is the point
Denton,
So, is the point system set up like how Super America has theirs set up? Where you can turn in all your points for a free coffee after about 6 months?
Re: Denton,So,is the point
mav7770,
Yes. That's my understanding. I hope there's 'good' coffee at the end. I would trade all my points for a nice, double Americano.
Lifelong, Re: Well Denton,
You're right. No matter what your opinion, you're going to find there's someone who opposes it either because;
1. They have the opposite viewpoint of it.
2. They might not understand it.
Or 3. They're just in the mood to argue.
I'm pretty sure all of the commenters on BrainerdDispatch.com are good people, and I wouldn't be afraid to sit and have coffee with any of them, or you. I went to the first 'CrowFest' and sat and had a beer with wolfg1 and bubbajustice, and 3-4 other forums posters who didn't feel comfortable letting out who they were (which was fine).
So, put your ideas out, but recognize that you might get some heat. And if you find yourself disagreeing with another commenter's views, go ahead and say so - maybe even tell them why(!). But don't call them names, or tell them to go somewhere really warm, or insinuate they get their ideas from a bottle or funny cigarette, because usually problems start when someone decides that being argumentative is the answer to winning a difference of opinion. It's not.
I've read many well-voiced differences of opinions in comments here. You're never going to let anyone else know that there is at least one other person who has the same viewpoint if you don't voice it (or thumbs up it).
We rely on the abuse warnings from our readers to let us know when someone or some articles comments are getting out of hand. We get 3-7 abuse alerts a day now. We don't have full-time moderators so we can't always act immediately on the abuse warnings but we try to and we appreciate them.
We're never going to be able to stop all the issues here, just like law enforcement can never keep individuals from causing trouble in the 'real world'.
We'll do our best to remove offending statements, to mediate if necessary and to listen to your concerns.
how about posters (who are anonymous) wanting to ID others?
Saying they know who they are and where they live?
I find that nearly stalking, and I have been the target of much of that on line and on a right wing radio talk show, I hear, which is rathar troubling.
I assume the paper is not giving out posters names so no one really knows who someone is, calculated guesses. Or what gender they are or even if they live in the area.
Their goal is to silence someone they do not agree with by using fear and intimidation.
snow
you and yours started the stalking and intimidation and threats of boycots. I know you point this partially at me but I have only responded in kind to you and other heavy handed liberals (one in particular).
The left has always used threats to other people's personal lives to quell dissention from the liberal agenda. Just like unions used to beat people up in reality with clubs and fists to get their way.
Why can't the liberals just act peacable and leave other people's property alone?
Nothing wrong with boycotts or sit ins.
They are time-honored means of expression. And they are peaceable, too.
Fnb...leave other people's property alone? Like in Iraq and Afghanistan? I am for that!
Re: How about posters
Here's what the Terms of Service says:
"You agree not to post, email, or otherwise make available content:
... that includes personal or identifying information about another person without that person's explicit consent."
"Additionally, you agree not to:
contact anyone who has asked not to be contacted;
"stalk" or otherwise harass anyone;
collect personal data about other users for commercial or unlawful purposes;..."
We are not giving out names and identities, so yes, any such 'outings' are only assumptions. Any verified release of private information by another commenter will result in immediate banning of that commenter.
AND, (minnesnowda and Fair and Balanced) we all can point out examples from every 'side' where threats and intimidation have been tried to frighten other voices into silence. No 'side' is completely innocent of those tactics.
If you see a post where someone harasses another commenter, report it. We will look at it as soon as we can and make a decision on whether it constitutes harassing behavior or if it doesn't.
Will you like all our actions? No.
Are we infallible? No.
Do we try to be impartial? Yes.
No southie,
like in the United States, where OWS people deficate in public buildings and squat in private property.
They are Your Left Wing Bretheren and they are violating the law and you people condone their behavior.
Also, if you want to throw Afghanistan and Iraq up, OBAMA promised to end that, remember???