GOP: Don't worry, seniors -- only your children & grandchildren, etc. will be screwed

[brentspeak]

Monumental strategic fail.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/27/rick-berg-medicare-townhall-_n_854413.html

WASHINGTON - Rep. Rick Berg (R-N.D.) heard from elderly voters angry about his vote to end Medicare and replace it with a voucher program at the Bismarck Public Library Tuesday evening.

snip

“I want you to tell me how much it’s going to cost us when we’re 65 years old after you give us a voucher,” she says.

“Fifty-five or over, absolutely no change, absolutely no change, in this Medicare program,” Berg promises.

“As long as you are over 55,” the woman responds. “If you’re 54, to hell with those people.”

http://dealsomaha.com/article/20110428/NEWS01/704299903/0#rep-lee-terry-gets-an-earful

U.S. Rep. Lee Terry got an earful Thursday at a raucous town hall meeting, as baby boomers and senior citizens blasted him for backing a controversial overhaul of Medicare.

snip

Terry stressed that the change would affect only those workers 55 or younger. People older than that would be enrolled in the current Medicare program.

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2011/04/allen_west_town_hall_protester.html

U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, just held some pre-town hall interviews with reporters.
He said this congressional recess has brought somewhat more public heat and concern than in previous breaks since he became a member of Congress earlier this year.

snip

"If you’re 55 years or older, there is no change to your Medicare,” he said.

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/politics/042711-Congresswoman-greeted-by-vocal-crowd

Congresswoman Sandy Adams greeted by vocal crowd at a town hall meeting

snip

Rep. Adams explained that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are contributing to the county's debt. She said the proposed budget by the House does not affect those who are 55 and up. The crowd wasn't buying it.

This last piece reveals how completely clueless the Republicans are:

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/04/21/barletta-medicare-town-hall/

Last night, Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA) received a similarly hostile reception from constituents during a public forum in Carbon County, as he tried to (incorrectly) reassure the group that Ryan’s budget would not affect the Medicare benefits of those over the age of 55.

“This plan does not do nothing to affect anyone 55 years or older,” he said. “When we start doing things that scare senior citizens, like politicians do that to get elected, I believe they need to find a different occupation.” But before Barletta could continue, 64-year-old Linda Christman raised her hand and argued that those under 55 would see an erosion of benefits. The exchange became heated as other constituents began yelling for the woman to “sit down“:

CHRISTMAN: Excuse me, I’d like to get something off my chest. And that is, you seem to think that because I’m not affected, I won’t care if my niece, my grandson, my child is affected. I do care. And what you’re doing with this Ryan budget is you’re taking Medicare and you’re changing it from a guaranteed health care system to one that is a voucher system where you throw seniors on the mercy of for-profit insurance companies. <...>

[freshwest]

1. Yep, that's what the Teabaggers were told. It was okay by them.

Bet they still expect their children and grandchildren to pay up. That's why teabaggery is stupid.

[brewens]

2. Yeah right! Until we start rioting over having to pay into the voucher

plan! Screw that! If it's not medicare, give me all the money I paid in back right now and I'll take my chances.

[toddwv]

3. For now...

I don't believe for a minute that they will leave it at that.

The goal is to cut benefits and then end the Social Security system as we know it. Anybody who believes otherwise must either be a hard-core right-winger, a complete idiot or both.

[JDPriestly]

6. So far, they haven't proposed any realistic alternative to Social Security.

If young people think they can save enough to provide for themselves after they retire, I have news for them. The folks on Wall Street will never let them save that money without raiding their savings. It just won't happen.

[Welibs]

4. They ALL say 55 and up but they don't say for the rest of their lives!

If you live too long it will END!

[kestrel91316]

5. I'm 54. Thanks, America! I have been paying into SS and Medicare since I was 16.

Nice to know I won't get a dime, just so you assholes can keep getting the goodies right now.

[winstars]

7. Ditto!!!! nt

[JDPriestly]

8. kestrel91316, you are falling for the Republican meme.

They are presenting a false choice. It isn't either the older folks or your generation, not at all.

If you have parents who are living and they become ill, who is going to pay for their care? It's either Medicare or you. Either way, you have to pay. It will be cheaper for you if you pay the money into Medicare.

Everyone has always known that the baby boomers are a big generation that presents a challenge in so far as the use of resources. Of course, forgotten is the fact that the baby boomers provided an enormous bulge in the workforce and in productivity. Generations younger than the baby boomers are smaller and will never be as productive. But they won't present nearly the demand for goods, services and benefits from Medicare of Social Security as the baby boomers.

The baby boomers and those who have recently retired paid extra money (as you do) into Social Security and in taxes in order to provide for the baby boomers' retirement. The problem isn't that the money wasn't paid into the system. The problem is that Congress spent it on other things -- like military equipment, like privatization (paying private companies to do government work so that cronies who give big campaign donations can get kickbacks) and on Homeland Security. The money is in our economy. All the government needs to do is to raise taxes on the people they gave it to -- the Wall Street speculators, bankers and big industrial concerns.

We have to stick together. There will be plenty of money for your Social Security and Medicare if you help make sure that the rich who own companies like Halliburton and other defense and government contractors pay a bigger, fairer share of taxes.

[franzia99]

10. Hi. I'd rather have lower college tuition, student loan forgiveness, and more jobs.

I'm tired of the constant focus on boomers. I don't want to cut ss or medicare, but can we switch gears for a change and talk about programs for young people? You're crowding everyone else out with your demands.

[kestrel91316]

11. I have no children to help me out when I get old ANYWAY. So I need that

social safety net in case my financial plans fail (it's not looking too hopeful for them right now).

[Warren DeMontague]

9. NO SHIT.

:applause:

[gratuitous]

12. The Ryan Death Bill hasn't been enacted yet, and probably won't be

Not that folks shouldn't be against it, often and loudly. Stupid ideas should be kicked to death in public, just as an example for the next "genius" who comes up with something this stupid.