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The Ryan Journey

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David Brooks says the Paul Ryan Budget proposal is a bold step forward that is badly needed in this debate on health care, even though it has some grave weaknesses which need to be corrected. It is a bold step forward because he says Democrats say they want no middle class tax increases, or are not willing to say what kinds of tax increases they support, and yet they believe the Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security programs are worth preserving. This is'nt based on reality. He cites the weaknesses, beginning with the one discussed in David Leonhardt's column in the New York Times on April 7, 2011. Too many Americans pay too little into Medicare taxes and expect to collect several hundred thousand dollars more in Medicare benefits. The example given in Leonhardt's column is from a study that shows 56 year olds with average earnings pay about $140,000 in dedicated Medicare taxes over a lifetime, and then go on to collect $430,000 in benefits. Middle class and affluent boomers can't get off paying their share like everybody else. Its just the right way for their children and the nation's children. Ryan's plan excludes older people reaching retirement in ten years. The other major weakness is that the cuts are too deep. Things like the Pell grants which Ryan proposes to cut back to 2008 levels need to be preserved, and more money has to go into science, education and research and early childhood education for the U.S. to be competitive with China and India. The Ryan proposal places cuts that would be required so that tax revenues need to be at 18% of GDP. The number where a larger consensus exists is for tax revenues at 20% of GDP (also supported by business and the Wall Street Journal's editorial columns). This would preserve programs that are most productive for the economic future of the U.S. Ryan's proposal lets the hope for reducing costs of medical care rest entirely on future retirees deciding how much medical care (tests, procedures etc) they consume through larger cost sharing. Yet a structure and framework is needed to manage these costs effectively, and some combination of incentives to retirees to control costs and an effective structural framework is needed.

The Republican U.S. Budget proposal made by Paul Ryan in 2012

09/16/2010

Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, has outlined a bold proposal to bring the U.S. budget deficits down from the $1 trillion level of the last 3 years. It would bring changes to Medicare and Medicaid, and reduce the individual and corporate income tax levels from 35% to 25%. Medicare would become a premium support system with the government paying the premium for an array of private insurance plans, and Medicaid would become a block grant system.

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Budget Plan Marks Start of Long Fight on Spending

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Voters Balk at Cuts Close to Home

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Martin Feldstein, Sheila Bair and other experts on the Bowles-Simpson Deficit Commission proposals

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Martin Feldstein - How to cut the deficit without raising taxes

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CBO: U.S. budget deficit to reach $1.5 trillion in 2011, highest ever

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The two US Deficit Commissions in 2010 and the Deficit from Growing Health Care Costs

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Bowles-Simpson Deficit Commisssion proposals, critics say, did not adequately tackle the health care part of the US Deficit. Rivlin-Domenici Deficit Commission phases out the tax exclusion on employer-subsidized health care insurance. Both fall short in addressing the health care portion of the deficit.

Grouped Articles

Health Care and the Deficit

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In Battle Over Health Law, Math Cuts Both Ways

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CBO: U.S. budget deficit to reach $1.5 trillion in 2011, highest ever

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The GOP Path to Prosperity

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The Ryan Journey

New York Times 04/07/2011

Second Panel Calls for Cutting Military Spending

New York Times 11/17/2010

Expert opinion on the Paul Ryan Republican deficit reduction plan of 2011-2012

09/16/2010

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GOP Hopefuls Betting Voters Want Deep Cuts

Wall Street Journal 07/18/2011

Why we need a third party - The Washington Post

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Charlie Rose Talks to Paul Ryan

BusinessWeek 09/16/2010

Paul Ryan's Reverse Robin Hood Budget

Wall Street Journal 04/19/2011

The Bipartisan March to Fiscal Madness

New York Times 04/23/2011

Don’t Scorn Paul Ryan

New York Times 05/27/2011


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