Ryan plan: Robin Hood for the rich

[underpants]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/04/12/etzioni.ryan.plan/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

By Amitai Etzioni, Special to CNN

(CNN) -- At first, I was taken in myself. I heard that U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan's bold attack on the deficit would reduce federal spending by some $4 trillion.

Actually, it did not take a lot of digging to see something was amiss.

Ryan's proposal enlarges the federal debt (as a result of accumulating deficits each year) by $8 trillion over the next 10 years and continues to generate deficits until 2040.

As to Ryan's plan to rely on private health insurers, this will do nothing to address major causes of rising health care costs: reimbursing doctors and hospitals for procedures (which generates an incentive to do more) rather than paying them per patient care (known as "capitation"); reimbursing health care providers for interventions that have no proven benefits, which are estimated to costs up to $325 billion every year; and administrative costs that are nearly double those of countries like Canada.

The virtue of Ryan's plan -- that he plans to stand Robin Hood on his head by taking from all future retirees in order to increase the income of those least in need -- is there for all to see.

[renate]

1. I like "reverse Robin Hood" too

I heard that phrase on the radio for the first time this morning (maybe it's not new at all and I just haven't been paying attention?) and I thought it would be a really catchy and easy-to-understand idea for Democrats to use in campaign ads against Republicans.

But "Robin Hood for the rich" is pretty good as well.