I will never do anything that will jeopardize or hurt Social Security or Medicare,” Trump said. “We’ll have to do it elsewhere. But we’re not going to do anything to hurt them.” …
But Donald Trump, in his interview with Breitbart News at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday evening, made clear he will never touch Social Security or Medicare. …
There’s so many things we can do,” Trump said. “There’s so much cutting and so much waste in so many other areas, but I’ll never do anything to hurt Social Security.
Except …
Two questions, why wasn’t all this waste, fraud etc. dealt with during his first term?
Much more important is “We’ll have to do it elsewhere,”because he does not seem to understand Social Security and Medicare Part A are self-funded, 🔻not part of the federal budget and never – by important design – has general revenue been used by these programs.
And it is critical for all of us that it remain that way. We don’t want these programs caught in the nonsense of the federal budget process.
How does Donald Trump propose to get additional revenue into the Social Security and Medicare Trusts?
🔻Part A also receives the income taxes paid on taxable Social Security benefits between 50% and 85%
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
Trump doesn’t understand Social Security and Medicare funding because he’s never had to. Like all the previous candidates and Presidents didn’t understand it. That’s why there are presidential advisors and the green eyeshade folks doing the heavy math at the SSA. I’ve never read nor listened to anyone in the Presidential office speak more than a few generalizations about Social Security. Biden is no exception and he’s wandered around DC for almost 50 years. Of course now he can’t do more than mumble a few sentences and then start wandering around looking for the door out.
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The best way to find that waste is a very competent and well staffed civil service, which is something that is anathema to MAGA, who consider it the “deep state”. So that just adds another layer of absurdity. “There is all this waste, that is easy to cut, even though no one has ever done it before, including myself in my first term, but on top of that, we are going to do our best to get rid of as many experienced government employees as possible who might help us find this waste…”.
The truth is that it takes hard choices, both making some cuts to popular programs and raising some taxes (or at least better enforcing existing tax laws). At least Biden recognizes a part of that equation, whereas Trump just lives in a fantasy world where he wants to balance the budget without a plan for any cuts and also doing even more tax cuts. Absolutely insanity!
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But as I pointed out cutting government waste doesn’t get the money into the SS trust fund.
I recall many years ago someone required modest federal budget cuts in each department. Can’t be done we heard, people will suffer, the sky is falling. Does any seriously believe there can’t be a 5% across the board cut with no serious consequences?
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Trump used the trite adage all politicians use. “Cut waste and unnecessary spending” Yet he seriously proposed suspending Soc Sec Tax collection in Sep 2020.”If you’re having a family budget problem, you don’t CUT your wages. Now he’ back. 1) Wage Max is $168k or $10,453 for rich while $15/hr gets $2000. 2) Seniors who are retired DON’T PAY SOC SEC TAXES. 3) Medicare Tax is ALL wages. I say slowly INDEX a descending SS rate after $168,600 in wages
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As long as the benefit formula counts those wages in some way.
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Does anyone seriously believe there can’t be a 5 percent across the board income tax surtax (as in early 70s to pay for Viet Nam)? I was a near minimum wage worker and exempt. Don’t know what impact it had on the economy.
Maybe a combination of tax increase and spending cut.
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All one need do is cut spending for each agency by 1% and it would make an enormous difference. Our lefty friends though usually have a connection to big government and of course want as much in the coffers as possible. The epitome of “trickle down”.
Now I would slice and dice National Public Radio and TV–in fact I would kill it. I say that as a pretty solid contributor as I listen to classical music on the local NPR station (as I am now), and watch public television especially Masterpiece Theatre. If I use it I pay for it–I don’t expect others to pay–like the taxpayers.
So why deep six it as far as taxpayers dollars? Because when founded 45-50 years ago it was to bring us music–news–shows and programs we were not getting on our three networks and a few independent Metromedia stations.
Today you can get any and all types of music 24-7–movies that you can watch day and night–almost nothing you cannot watch or listen to if you want. From podcasts to the strings of the Berlin Philharmonic.
But it leans left in the news and the POV type broadcasts so our lefty friends tell us how important it is and folks in the hinterland depend on public broadcasting. These folks of course have access to satellite everything–internet–ZOOM, and everything else one can think of.
Like most government programs it starts out with a stated objective and then, like kudzu, you just can’t get rid of it. “I like it so the taxpayer should pay for it.”–my lefty friends say. I say cut the strings–find a way to survive like all media does–maybe give more $ if you like the bluegrass music available, or the Rick Steves travel shows.
I would ask my lefty friends in days of old; “when will Big Bird fly the nest–my kids did at age 21.” I guess when HBO offered enough $ that was the inducement.
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