Always Screwing the Poor... including Disabled, Seniors and Veterans

It looks as though Capitol Hill will again screw the poor of this country early next month. Those affected the most will be seniors, disabled and veterans. These three social groups depend heavily upon their Social Security benefits, Medicare and Medicaid. All three of these social programs are scheduled to be halted by mid-August due to the complete and utter ineptitude, ignorance and arrogance of our elected officials on Capitol Hill.

The short story is that our national budget is a big mess. It was a relatively minor mess before going to war and now we are heavily engaged in multiple theaters increasing our national debt much more quickly. By the way, these same inept, arrogant elected officials for years said we would never be involved in more than one theater at a time. Anyway, whether we agree on the reasons for being involved in these theaters (which really is based upon classified info anyway, so it is not for discussion here) is irrelevant. The fact is we ARE involved and we are spending money like never before.

Most of our moronic elected officials have their heads in the sand when it comes to this topic and insist upon trying to balance the budget solely by cutting programs for the poor of our country... and this group of people is comprised mainly of elderly senior citizens, disabled (including all the disabled veterans of our over-extended military today), veterans, and the involuntarily unemployed. Cutting aid and programs to these groups of people will NOT solve our problem, only worsen it.

If aid and Social Security benefits are cut to these groups of people, their health will suffer tremendously because they will no longer be able to afford healthcare. They will no longer be able to afford the medications which not only keep their quality-of-life at an acceptable level for a civilized country, but which keep them alive! 

If aid and Social Security benefits are cut to these groups of people, they will no longer be able to afford to keep a roof over their head. Housing is already costing them a fortune but cutting aid will make housing unaffordable driving these people to foreclosure, defaulting on leases/rent, and eventually pushing them into the streets. This will cause a severe increase in crime, disease and vacant housing. Additionally, this vacant rental housing will more than likely create a loss of tax revenue.

If aid and Social Security benefits are cut to these groups of people causing mass poverty, the economy will plummet even further and it will plummet very quickly and uncontrollably.  Stock markets will undoubtedly fall sharply or even crash.  The US credit rating will suffer in our global economy causing further inflation within our own economy at home.

If aid is cut to these groups of people, including programs such as Medicare/Medicaid, doctors and hospitals will no longer get paid. This could possibly spiral into a healthcare catastrophe of epidemic proportions. Please note, I used the term 'epidemic' purposely because this outcome could possibly result in more than one type of epidemic.

Many on Capitol Hill suggest that we should not raise taxes. Why not? Basic economics states that if we have more expenses, we must have more income. We will NEVER balance the budget by making most cuts to programs for the poor. Even if we put aside the effects of cutting these programs as mentioned above, these cuts will never be enough to balance our budget and eliminate our immense debt that is accruing daily. Those on Capitol Hill only want to make changes that will affect those “beneath” them. This attitude MUST disappear.  Trying to make cuts to those already struggling rather than increasing our national income is similar to a recently unemployed person trying to make ends meet simply by clipping out coupons from the daily newspaper. That won't work! The unemployed person must find a source of income! Therefore, our country must find a source of income.

Some on Capitol Hill suggest cutting aid and medical benefits to our active military and veterans. They already destroyed the military's healthcare system more than a decade ago by contracting it out. This decision was a costly one and I suspect this decision by Capitol Hill also is much, much more costly in a period of war. I, personally, lobbied against this change and personally argued with Pentagon and White House Generals stating we would regret this change... a change that should never happen. This change to a contracted-out military medical system has now proven to be extraordinarily more costly than our old military system. This is a change that was brought about by Capitol Hill. We CANNOT and SHOULD NOT cut anything from medical benefits... civilian or military.... period! Additionally, we SHOULD NOT ever make cuts affecting our military personnel and military families while they are struggling in war... period!

My Proposals:

• If Capitol Hill cannot come together to balance this budget in order to pay Social Security and other social programs by the end of this month (July), then they will lose THEIR pay first. This also includes all retirement pensions paid to our retired Capitol Hill elected officials. This also includes paying for their healthcare benefits. This is incentive to get them to be effective in their jobs just like the rest of us must do everyday or face the consequences.
• The President has some responsibility here as well, so his/her salary will be cut as well until a new, viable, effective budget is passed. This also includes the retirement pensions for all past presidents and their spouses. Again, this is incentive for our President to do his/her job effectively and efficiently.
• Aid and social programs used by our poor, involuntarily unemployed, disabled, and veterans will NEVER be cut. Cuts here would make our economy even worse in the long run for the reasons mentioned above.
• While we are in a “war-spending mode”, this should be considered a time of “National Emergency”. During times of National Emergency our financial burden is significantly greater therefore, tax laws MUST change during these times:
• Too many US corporations bank up to millions of dollars each year while managing to find enough loopholes and exemptions to avoid paying a cent toward taxes. This MUST end, especially during periods of National Emergency.
• EVERYONE must pay a flat-rate income tax of approx 25-28% during a time of National Emergency. This includes the above mentioned corporations as well as all businesses and households.  No exceptions!  And, no exemptions!
• The only deductions allowed during a time of National Emergency are the standard deduction per child and also the standard deduction for interest paid on a PRIMARY home OR primary business, not both.

We are currently in a time of great National Emergency. We are at war in multiple theaters. The threat of halting aid to those in need is oppressing, unacceptable and suicidally dangerous. Our national debt is far worse than the debt of those individuals facing foreclosed homes. This is an emergency and we must collect a massive amount of money quickly to alleviate this debt. I feel a National Emergency Tax Plan, as simply proposed above, would be much more effective at helping our budget and country than cutting all funding to those whom are disabled, involuntarily unemployed, and struggling to keep their homes in this poor economy. Cutting Social Security, veterans benefits, and aid to our disabled is not only a 'nickel and dime' change to our national debt which will have little to no effect on our debt, but it is a crime against morality, civilization and social acceptance.

One last word of advice.... We are seeing civil unrest and civil war in many countries today. Citizens are literally lashing out, fighting and killing because they are angry with those running their countries. If anyone thinks this country is immune to this behavior and response, think again. I suspect that those on Capitol Hill are completely out of touch with those of us struggling everyday to make ends meet.  The poor, disabled, seniors and veterans of this country have been hurt enough in recent decades and there is only so much they will take or even can take. Keep in mind and understand that there are millions of honorable veterans in this country willing to fight for what is right... for those in need... for those oppressed... again, but this time on our own soil.  So, my advice to those on Capitol Hill...  I am afraid our current path which you have chosen for us will be devastating and that we are not immune to the civil unrest we are seeing in many other countries today so please come together to find a plan that is fair, moral, truly effective and promotes citizenship and unity, not civil unrest.

Note: I personally no longer have the health to fight other than lifting a pen as I have done here. I am a disabled, honorable veteran who believes in doing what is right. What is right, for me, is to write about this proposed National Emergency Tax Plan as I have outlined above. Unfortunately, I must add that although I have enough fight in me to raise my pen as I have done here, I am one of those who will more than likely die if medical benefits are cut and/or if Social Security benefits are cut and/or if veteran benefits are cut.

Semper Electissimus!