With Paul Ryan We Have A Chance

"Now we have a chance" was the message a long time contributor to these messages called to Carol as she stood in line @ the local grocery store on Saturday afternoon.  No "hi" or "bye" or mention of Paul Ryan by name but Carol told me she knew what he meant & so did everyone else who overheard the greeting.

 

In just a few short hours the Ryan announcement as Mitt's VP running mate has changed the direction of last night's blog message that was only surpassed in gloom by Laura Ingraham saying if the election were held today (Friday) that BO would win.  By 9:00 AM Saturday there was hope that wouldn't be so.

 

But long time readers of these messages will remember that there has always been a cloud over Ryan's supposed fiscal responsibility reputation.  For instance on July 28, 2011 – long before Ryan was thought of as a VP candidate I wrote "Now if Paul Ryan is the most fiscally responsible Member of Congress allowed to present a plan to lead us out of our current fiscal problems it is definitely news to Jeff Dyberg who let us know back in April that Rep. Ryan voted for TARP, felt the free market had failed when he chose to replace it with bureaucratic central planning (against competition) by supporting the taxpayer bailout of GM & Chrysler, voted for the 2008 Bush Stimulus bill, supported ethanol subsidies agreeing with the December 2010 tax deal with BO, & has also voted to support the confiscatory tax on AIG bonuses."  I also reported some Ryan votes that went against control of the debt ceiling & the CR & against his own budget re student loan interest rates.  In essence Ryan kicked the can down the road on many occasions.  Hardly a Jeff Flake or Jim DeMint.

 

Although I don't agree with all of it because it is too timid Ryan's budget plan has been the most courageous proposal in years.  It contains one of the true ways to properly modify Medicare & changes the mindset of this country for the better. Since it passed the House (not the Senate) in April, 2011 Mr. Ryan has been booed @ his own town hall meetings.  Ryan's budget plan of April, 2011  – generally regarded as the most fiscally responsible budget presented - would still increase the national debt by some $5 trillion over the next 10 years and continue $400 billion annual budget deficits through at least 2021.  Nearly all of the deficit reduction in the Ryan plan starts years from now. Ryan would cut only $80 billion from the cumulative deficit total for FYs 2012 & 2013 - the original collective Republican campaign promise in 2010 was for a $100 billon spending cut for what I thought was calendar year 2011 not $80 billion for the next two year total. Ryan's figures also rely upon continued favorable to the government interest rates for financing the U.S. debt. Interest rates have been at artificially manipulated (by the Fed) historic lows that have devastated seniors' CD interest income way too long. A rise of one percent in the interest rate in financing the national debt would mean an extra $140 billion in spending that is not accounted for in the Ryan budget - such figure would be added to the national debt.

 

We can make no mistake that the Ryan solution for Medicare of subsidized "premium support" will preserve Medicare for decades – I have heartily endorsed this as one of the four solutions to solving our economic problems.  I have presented the graph showing the curve bending down several times & it is key to our future & our grandchildren's future but it requires today's seniors 55 and over daring great enough to chance premium support will not affect them & people under 55 starting to adapt to the new system.  If they do we have a chance to solve the current seemingly intractable Medicare entitlement problem that by itself will doom America if nothing is done to correct it.

 

So what is the chance that Ryan brings to America?  More than any other short list VP candidate it gives Mitt a chance to speak out continuously in favor of Ryan's reputed fiscally responsible ways so that there could never be a greater contrast between the principles of limited government, personal responsibility, & free enterprise & BO's four year communistic onslaught against these values where BO tries to capture people's dependence thereby depriving the world of so much talent.

 

BO still has a 43% job approval rating meaning 43% favor the redistribution of wealth rather than the creation of wealth as described in Death of Democracy. In other words these 43% of the people are not interested in any of the numerous substantive reasons BO should not be reelected – they will discount any intellectual or substantive discussion Ryan presents to ensure their own meager pitiful subsistence continues.

 

In looking up all of the facts presented hereinbefore I came across the following - "Doug - How can we get seniors to realize that by rejecting the proposed reforms to SS & Medicare they will lose it all? I rely on my SS check each month but I understand that if nothing is done, it will not be there in 3, 4 or 5 years. The right reform needs to be done to these programs if that is to be avoided. The message must be depoliticized and made clear to seniors so they can stop falling for the scare tactics that are being used in Congress. The message has to be made in clear language that even the least literate person can understand. I know from personal experience that many of them don't have the ability to grasp all the intricacies of government programs. It is not going to be easy to convince them, but it must be done."

 

This is what we are hoping Ryan can lead Mitt to do between now & November 6 but way more importantly follow up on in 2013 if he really believes it.