Before we start slashing Medicare and SS, I want every elected official, every US rep and Senator to

[Skip Intro]

every state level equivalent, to give themselves pay cuts and rescind every bit of tax-payer-paid benefit they receive, immediately. If it's time to tighten belts, you go first.

[The Wielding Truth]

1. They should feel how it will hurt the truly needy.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Absolutely right.

[juajen]

3. I already refrain from going to the doctor because of co-pays I can't afford.

I only go when it's absolutely necessary, but now I'm afraid I can't go even then. I can't go without food for I'm a diabetic. Some choices!

[dkf]

4. Medicare, social security, Medicaid and interest on the debt will crowd out all other spending.

If that is all you want from the federal government then so be it.

Let the poor starve on the streets. No federal funds for education or research or veterans benefits...

Whatever.

[ejpoeta]

5. really? because we spend more than all those on something else....

DEFENSE.

[hobbit709]

6. Broken record.

[BzaDem]

7. Unless you just want to end Medicare altogether, the only thing that matters is lowering healthcare

costs.

As long as healthcare costs continue to grow 2-3 times inflation, the choice is either to tell Seniors "you are on your own," or to lower healthcare costs paid to providers in both the private and public systems. Anyone who tells you that we need to "deal with Medicare" in a way other than that isn't serious.

[Hannah Bell]

8. oh, baloney. you've been proved wrong so many times it's not funny anymore.

[dkf]

18. To think that you can look at those charts and not recognize reality scares me.

[TBF]

11. Such complete right-wing BS from this poster once again.

Why don't you take a look at the defense budget and get back to us?

[A wise Man]

12. You must be...

"A SPY"!!!!!!!!!!

[dkf]

19. Nope, just a freaked out citizen.

[Tsiyu]

9. Goddess knows, none of those blowhards needs the money

They can pay for their own frickin health care, pull themselves up by their millionaire bootstraps and all that.

Why does the taxpayer have to subsidize millionaires' health care? And living expenses?

The political pigs at the trough have voted themselves all sorts of perks. It's time they practiced some austerity measures themselves; you know, be leaders and set the example.

If they don't, they're all hypocritical sacks of shit.


A BIG K & R

[TBF]

10. I'm surprised this doesn't have more recs - I guess folks like feeding the rich and

starving the poor, even on DU.

[xchrom]

13. I think it's reasonable to say it would be their duty to 'go first' nt

[Angry Dragon]

14. K&R

[CTyankee]

15. I have been saying this the past few weeks!

Let's cut the pay of congress members and make them pay more for their health insurance.

They shouldn't be allowed any largesse courtesy of the public's tax money if they want to cut medical care and SS of ordinary citizens...

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. K&R

[vssmith]

17. Since 1937 Social Security has collected a substantial surplus

As of 2009 the SSA has collected $2,540,348,000,000 more than it has paid out.
In 2009 it collected $807,490,000,000 and paid out $685,801,000,000

The info can be found at: http://www.ssa.gov/history/tftable.html
(note that the data in this table are in millions)

I have put these facts on DU multiple times without many taking notice