Comments about ‘In our opinion: Americans deserve detailed, competing plans on entitlements from both political parties’

"The choices are fairly simple." either raise payroll taxes or tweak benefits.

OR

"A combination of these ideas also would work."

Ya Think? It is clear to me that the "combination" is the only viable option. And it is the BEST option. And it is the option that makes sense. And it is the only option that has a chance of passing.

And one of the parties seems to be open to that solution. The other shuts down talks the moment they dont get EVERYTHING they want.

Why is it not abundantly clear in most of our issues that compromise is needed. And ANY compromise plan is better than the status quo. Just ask Ronald and Tip.

Means testing should also be part of the discussion. Well to do retirees who don't need social security should not collect from it. I contribute to food stamps so why shouldn't I receive food stamps? Because I don't need them. Save the money for those who need it and don't burden future generations with any more tax than is necessary. Remember they have to pay off our debt.

The GOP has completed their home work assignment but the democrat's .. well they just continue to kick the same ole can down the road. Ryan has proposed a budget and a plan for medicare and a plan for social security. Where is the democrat's plan? Can I see it somewhere? Sorry but more of the same is NOT a plan. The US senate under the dem's haven't produced a budget in how many years now ? Is it 4? What a joke. Is is any wonder our country is floundering under Obama and Reid? No leadership! Zero!! By the way - Obamacare is NOT a plan to save anything. OBamacare bankrupts this nation in short order by any projection.

Fine, we deserve plans on entitlements from both parties. But that's just a sideshow. Entitlements just don't represent enough spending to deal with the deficit. They're small potatoes compared to the military budget. We're just grumpy because we think someone is getting something we're not.

@Patriot
You bring up Obamacare, alright. What is the Republican alternative to that? Is it the status quo? Because that wasn't working either. They are rabid about repeal and replace Obamacare, but i've never heard one detail about what the replacement is. The only recent republican healthcare reform plan I can remember is our former Senator Bob Bennett's plan. I didn't love the plan, but it was actually a pretty comprehensive plan. Plus, if you believe Mitt Romney than Paul Ryan's plan doesn't matter. Because according to Mitt the plan he has is different than Congressman Ryan's. So they don't even have a plan for that either. So like the article says, no one actually has a plan for much of anything...

@ Noodlekaboodle. That’s because you are not listening! Go to Mitt Romney’s website and learn something about his plans! You may not like his plans but to say he has no plan is just not so! The bottom line is that we can either continue to be a nation deepening into a debt crisis and nation in decline or we can change the direction our leaders are taking us and we can correct our course! It’s a simple as that!

@Mountanman
I just read romneys website. His healthcare "plan" isn't a plan. Those are talking points. Very little substance is actually involved. His plan is to allow insurance to be purchased across state lines, cap malpractice and medicaid block grants. His plan seems to be, well let's ask the insurance companies to do the right thing. HAHAHAH. If you want to call that a plan, fine. It's not. It's two or three of the worst/smallest impact ideas out there to "reform" the healthcare system. We aren't going to be able to tweak this and make it work like many of our trouble problems. If this is his whole plan it's woefully inadequate.

So if, as one poster here claims, the GOP has done its homework, when will they share what they learned with the rest of us?

The Obama administration has ignored the Bowles-Simpson recommendations among others and refused to do anything but hide in the grass and criticize those who want to face reality. At least Ryan has put a bill on the table, something the White House is afraid to do. They would rather blame Bush for using a Chinese credit card while they do the same, but amplified.

re:Noodlekaboodle

Actually the GOP proposed health care reform measures back in 2009 and again in 2010 but they were ignored by both Harry and Nancy. No one even read Obamacare - this 3000 page - phone book of a bill and even less understood it. Nancy told us she would pass the bill then we could "try" to understand what was in it. Great game plan !! Try to run a business like that and see what happens. The GOP actually had some GREAT ideas for Health Care reform ... to name a few...

*Being able to purchase insurance across state lines - coast to coast - at the most competitive rate. It's called the free market.
* Tort reform. Getting rid of all the insane law suits that have driven costs through the roof.
*Health savings plans that accommodate even poor college kids.

These are just a few ... there are many more. The cool thing is these measures don't cost tax payers a DIME!!! Let's see a DIME vs 1.3 trillion dollars. Hmmmm?? Think I will take the less expensive plan how about you?

Now here is point you are missing. OBamacare has NOTHING to do with healthcare - just government control.

An interesting misuse of language has turned something which is considered a positive into something that has become a negative. The term "entitlement" as used by conservatives in their concerted attack on certain government programs (Social Security and Medicare) does not really describe the program many have invested in and come to depend upon much like a savings account or insurance program.

After paying into the system for over thirty years (government sponsored and run with the expected reduced costs rather than a private system which operates to diminish benefits to increase profits), conservatives argue that somehow an individual applying to now draw on that system is, in essence, asking for a government handout.

Somehow, if that person paid into a private annuity program, long-term health care or saved money in a bank for thirty-odd years, (under the same logic), would that also be considered asking for a "private business" handout? Now conservatives are running around saying that things will not change for people 55 or older and these programs are not dirty words for these seniors. However, nothing is exempt from the conservative chopping block.

They might argue my bank savings is an "entitlement" which hurts banks.

Ali'ikai 'A'amakualenalena: it isn't just conservatives who want to reform social security. It is immoral to tax the working poor to fund a "Modern Maturity" life style for well to do seniors, simply because they are politically powerful. You seem to be new to the discussion when comparing social security to a bank account. Call your bank and ask how much money is in your bank account. They will give you a number. Then call social security and do the same. You will find that you have no account. The reason is that the money that you have paid into social security went to pay for someone else. If you are over 50, the someone else's are now dead and they probably received 50x or 100x more than they paid into it.
The republicans get occasional flashes of liberalism and want to insure that people who contribute to social selcurity will actually have an account with money in it so that your money is really like a bank account.

I trust Romney / Ryan to create a workable and realistic entitlement plan for the long term and I have ZERO trust in Barack Obama. Honestly - after 4 disastrous years of ugly economics - does anyone have any confidence in Barack Obama? Set all ideology aside and political bias and just use common sense for heaven sake!! If Obama came into your home as a financial planner would you have any confidence in listening to him to manage your finances? I would sig my dog on him!!!