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Today's Poll!GOP appears poised to take on entitlements
Monday, March 28, 2011
If there’s any place where tea partiers in Congress might hesitate to call for cuts in Social Security and Medicare to shrink the federal debt, Florida’s retirement havens should top the list.
Even here, however, Republican lawmakers are racing toward a spending showdown with Democrats exhibiting little nervousness about deep cuts, including those that eventually would hit benefit programs long left alone by politicians.
In fact, many GOP freshmen seem bolder than ever. It’s Democrats, especially in the Senate, who are trying to figure out how to handle the popular but costly retirement programs. Congress, meanwhile, is rapidly nearing critical decisions on the budget and the nation’s debt ceiling.
In southeast Florida last week, first-term GOP Rep. Allen West, a tea party favorite, called for changes that some might consider radical: abolish the Internal Revenue Service and federal income tax; retain tax cuts for billionaires so they won’t shut down their charities; stop extending unemployment benefits that “reward bad behavior” by discouraging people from seeking new jobs.
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Comments
3blindmice 2 years, 1 month ago
Let's begin with this incorrect article calling SS "entitlement" while the truth is those receiving it payed into the system for years. It is not a handout. They have paid for it. Just because the brats in congress have raped it for years and used it for their own private slush fund and just now claiming they have a problem. Now let's go after the real problem. Companies like GE who paid zero, you heard correct, zero taxes in 2010 on 5.5 billion dollars in profits. These companies are given tax breaks to ship revenue and jobs overseas. Then lets go after these brats in congress who are given lifetime healthcare and retirement for the pittance of time they are in congress. God save us when we have miilionaires in congress helping out their corporate buddies.
Daddy 2 years, 1 month ago
3blind you hit the nail on the head. For years the politicians looted what workers paid in and now the system is ready to tumble. Graceful feel free to refuse your check when your time comes. Make sure to tell them you didn't send that much in so you don't want it lol!
bluesfan13 2 years, 1 month ago
Why is Social Security a ponzi scheme, but life insurance isn't?
wcywing 2 years, 1 month ago
if nothing happens, will Social Security survive? if no, what needs to be done? extend the age, raise the social security tax, privatize it or something else?
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