Well actually, twice, if you count the moderator. With all the griping that the Republicans and their thinks tanks have been doing about Social Security, one would have expected to hear someone say something on the subject ... anything at all. Maybe it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, rather than to speak and remove all doubt.
MSNBC, CNN, HLN and Fox News have all been reporting non-stop about the Spring Valley school officer caught on video slamming a South Carolina student to the ground during an arrest — but very few details are being reported by the media about the new budget deal, which will soon go to a vote. (BTW, the student wasn't even hurt, but that has been "breaking news" for hours now.)
Health care costs and prescription drug prices almost always go up. Rents have gone up. Food prices have also gone up, even though the price of oil has gone down. But the federal government is saying those on Social Security do not need a cost-of-living increase in 2016.
What would less government mean for you? Will you earn higher wages, be more safe, live a healthier life, have more financial security and be more free? The Republican mantra is: Less Taxes + Less Regulation = Less Government and more Freedom
According to Pew Research, this year the Millennial generation (ages 18 to 34 in 2015) is projected to surpass the Baby Boom generation (ages 51 to 69) as the nation’s largest living generation — with 75.3 million Millennials vs. 74.9 million Boomers. The Gen X population (ages 35 to 50 in 2015) is also projected to outnumber the Boomers by 2028. Where will Social Security be for them when they retire?
As usual, Congress will soon start bickering again over the budget, with all Republicans wanting more tax cuts for the rich and large corporations, and a lot less government spending. Whereas most Democrats will want to close tax loopholes, raise workers' wages, strengthen Social Security and Medicare, and invest in infrastructure. But with a Republican Congress and a Democrat in the White House, the scenario will likely be another gargantuan political battle.
If one were to only listen to the economists at conservative Koch-funded think tanks, one might think that rampant "waste, fraud and abuse" in our entitlement programs is driving the U.S. into bankruptcy. And the mainstream media contributes to this fallacy.
Are those our only choices? And if so, what's it going to be? Cutting defense spending or cutting Social Security? Because with a GOP-dominated Congress, it won't mean increasing revenues by raising taxes on those who are most able to afford a slight increase.
The House overwhelmingly approved sweeping changes to the Medicare program (voting 392 to 37) which would establish a new formula for paying doctors and increasing premiums for Medicare beneficiaries.
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