Republicans are now in control of our government and we will all have to wait to experience the outcome.
The Republican Party is the party ‘of the wealthy and for the wealthy.’ Their motto has always been smaller government. The aim of smaller government is to limit federal expenditures, thus requiring less tax revenue from the wealthy.
Republicans have pulled a bait and switch on voters who vote on single issue policies: gun control, abortion, religion, etc. They willingly placate these voters for their vote in order to gain control of government, but once in control legislate policies that benefit the wealthy.
Republicans have always desired to do away with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid by turning these programs over to private industries. Now they have the government trifecta necessary to end these programs as we know them.
At this time Republican politicians are lining up. Their first order of business is to do away with affordable government health care. Next will be to gut Social Security and Medicare.
Republican Congressman Sam Johnson (R-Texas), chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, has already offered a plan that consist of massive cuts for Social Security beneficiaries. His plan would cut benefits for all but the lowest earners; it would raise retirement age to 69 and reduce cost-of-living adjustments.
I marvel how middle income working people have bought into the Republican purpose. It is the Democratic Party that gave us Social Security, gave us Medicare and supported unions, which resulted in better working conditions and higher pay. The only thing the Republicans have ever offered is tax cuts, which disproportionally benefit the wealthy.
Wm Gilliland
Farmington
“the wealthy” otherwise known as hard working successful people.
Second Jim’s comment. We wouldn’t expect Socialists to like it.
And being responsible for that outcome, Jim. No excuses!
The Women’s Marches all across this country and abroad signify that we will not sit still and go backward; not on women’s rights, not on hard-won progress.
Where were the marches the last 8 years
Why is the Hollywood elite against Trump they are a party of the rich
Hard working like trump? Taking advantage of middle class people? Just because a person isn’t wealthy doesn’t mean they aren’t hard working! They are probably working for wealthy people like you, only concerned about putting money in your pocket.
I am thinking that the super intelligent progressives should have campaigned as hard as they protest, perhaps the election outcome would have been one that they would approve. Elections have consequences! The eight year nightmare for the silent majority is over. You can thank BHO for Donald Trump, his actions produced the attitude for real change.
Have you ever checked the balance sheet of the democrat politicans in Washington???? Ever heard of george soros???? And of course the “tax cuts” you mention and obviously hate, only affects the “wealthy republicans” and not the wealthiest man in the world who just happens to be leftist george soros. Not to mention chuck shumer ,nancy pelosi, harry reid and the likes of ALL wealthy politicans ! Wake up and join the rest of the voters who voted for REAL change in washington D.C. if you truly listened to OUR presidents inaugural speech, he placated BOTH political parties for getting NOTHING done in washington for the last decade or more!
Thank you, Nerf, but your explanation will fall on deaf ears. For progressives / liberals, only intentions matter, not results. They will never accept any responsibility for the election.
One thing I will say to you all that I’ve heard a lot recently referring to those “protesting”: why aren’t they at work at their jobs? Why aren’t you at work, instead of commenting on this article? And, Nerf, I think you need to look up the definition of “majority”…
Republican, Democrat or ‘None of the Above,’ and regardless of your position on the ‘welfare for the able-bodied’ issue, your hardworking parents and grand-parents who paid into the Social Security and Medicare Social Insurance (NOT welfare) systems for decades do not deserve to have the rug pulled out from under them when they are too old to work so the rich and powerful can have another tax cut.
When the Teamsters Union ‘borrowed’ from its workers’ pension fund and then did not have the money to pay up, we sent the borrowers to federal prison. The House and Senate (Democrats and Republicans alike) do the same thing to the Peoples’ Pension Fund (Social Security) — and we all shrug our shoulders and let them get away with it. That money that was borrowed and spent by them was OUR pension fund..
Republicans argue, ‘Social Security benefits must be cut because the boomers are all retiring at once, and there’s more money going out now than there is coming in.”
“Yes, Mr. Politician, true enough. But, you have known this wave of baby boomers was heading for retirement age for decades. So, what do you do? Instead of saving our money that we all paid into the Social Security and Medicare trust funds for a rainy day we all knew was coming — you borrowed it and spent it. Debt comes due, instead of doing the right and honest thing and paying our hardworking elders their money back, you want us to allow you to weasel on your debt to to us by cutting our benefits. How low can you go, Mr. Politician, borrowing from the retirement savings accounts of millions of hard-working innocent American elders for your pet pork barrel projects and wars for oil, and then refusing to pay the money back? How low can you go?
How low? It seems as low as we are willing to bleat around like a bunch of sheep and allow them.
Nope, sorry Mr. Politician, but the same rules that apply to the rest of us need also to apply to you. You took our money out of our trust fund and spent it. The right and honest thing to do now is to pay it back.
Donald Trump promised the many hardworking elders who voted for him he would not touch their Social Security or Medicare. He promised the many small contractors who worked on his construction projects he would pay them — and then, he turned around and stiffed them. It remains to be seen he keeps his promise to our elders — or allows the rest of his Party to fund its tax cuts for the rich by stiffing millions of hard-working Grammie and Grampies out of the full amount of pension and medical benefits they paid for and earned.
Thank you Barbara for saying the truth, for yes we are the one that are getting the rug pulled out from under us and we have not done a thing but pay into our Social Security for 30 + years and now what ? Thank You.
If Trump does mess with social security it will be like George Bush saying read my lips no new taxes
Well said Barbara. Thank you.
Thank you Barbara!! It may be a long 4 years a head of us. I find it hard to believe that people couldn’t see through Trump during his campaigning. He acts like a spoiled brat that has never had to work for anything in his life and doesn’t even understand the life of the working people.
Best letter I have read in years.Now let us have a rebuttal from our cadre of anonymous right wingers.
Working hard and being successful is a great thing. Using big government to enhance wealth is another matter. I think the fear is that policies to ‘help the wealthy’ actually will do harm to the poor and middle class, while allowing the wealthy to get even more wealth – more than their hard work would deserve.
I also think it’s misguided to insult the marches (especially with comments like ‘why weren’t they at their jobs.’) Remember the tea party? Remember how conservatives reacted to Obama? The Democrats are doing the same thing – and Trump is making it easier for them by making weird and easily falsifiable claims about crowd size or fraudulent voters (even Paul Ryan and Lindsay Graham criticize him for that). That’s normal politics, it’s good when each side advocates for what they believe. Democracy works because we disagree and are active. If we sat around and just followed the leader…well, that would be something other than democracy.
I don’t think Republicans can be lumped together in the way the letter to the editor does, and I suspect that many in the GOP don’t want to make the cuts the letter writer fears. But it is legitimate to question the income distribution in the US – it’s far more skewed than in other advanced industrialized states. It’s legitimate to rise up and protect hard won rights that seem under threat, as Marie E. notes. And it’s great that we can disagree, state our opinions, and hopefully listen, not just yell!
Who is going to hire someone that’s 69? The problem is that over the year, the republicans blew the saved money for social security to pay for their stupid wars. You wait and see. Both Bushes (father and son) had wars. The only social security money is coming from todays worker. Republican presidents start wars and we will get one with
trump, too.
David: A “right winger” thinks.. A “left winger” follows the crowd
@frumpleton. Was it only the republicans who spent the social security money? Yes both Bush’s had wars !!! We are in new ones from the latest regime as well although it is labeled differently. Obama as well has put thousands out of work ( which would help towards more people paying in). I know a bunch of people around this area who lost there jobs so the company didn’t have to pay for their health insurance then turn around and offer them less per hour and part time work. Seems to me both parties have done plenty to SCREW the working class over the years!!!! Now if we will give President Trump a chance and listen instead of acting like children we will see what lies ahead. Also if the social security program was for retired people who ACTUALLY paid in was the ones who got it then it would be better even though their are some folks with disabilities that deserve it, I know a lot of people that are on disability who are healthier than myself yet I work three different jobs to supprt my family and myself and also ALL THE LAZY PEOPLE who want a free ride off my paycheck as well as all other taxpayers !!!!!