Hi, I'm a new member here (Steve Turner) and thought I'd introduce myself as well as refer anyone interested to an idea/plan that I came up with some years back. In the 1990's, just like today, there was a lot of discussion about universal healthcare (then a Hilary Clinton initiative), Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc, and what to do about keeping all of these so-called entitlement programs from spiraling out of control and continuing to drive up the national debt. My idea for dealing with this problem was beginning to draw some local attention in an article published in the Indianapolis Star by their Washington-based reporter back on 12/8/98 but the Monica Lewinsky affair soon drowned everything else out news-wise. For the most part I gave up on the idea after that since, like most of you I'm sure, I had to make a living plus I had no recognized soapbox from which to speak. (Back in those days the internet was in its infancy so there was no such thing as anything going viral!) But now that I'm retired and with all the talk about replacing Obamacare (now Congress has even presented a bill) and with the advent of social media I've concluded that it is once again time to do what I can to publicize this plan. If nothing else is accomplished other than to get the plan on the table for public discussion I'll be satisfied. Before sending you to the website I'll give you a teaser: this plan would not only replace Obamacare with universal healthcare that would be much better than anything ever proposed (mostly because of its financial sustainability) but would by its very implementation (after a phasing in process) deal with virtually all of our entitlements in such a way that deficit spending would no longer be required (at least for social programs), thus facilitating a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pay off the national debt in relatively short order. If this sounds at all intriguing, before responding in this forum, please go to www.realsocialsecurity.org to read about the plan. I would very much appreciate your comments on the Comment/Contact page on the website as well as your comments in this forum. Thank you.
Ah, I see we have a "Mr. Literal". This is the intro section. You introduced yourself. No need to get all political here. Save that for the real action!
From what I read - I could not take much of it, I admit - your whole solution is flawed. Each individual would pay the same as they do now, only instead of taxes going to Social Security Administration, etc, it'd go to private companies... The fatal flaw in your idea is that private companies want profit - as much as they can get - they would not hold your money for free - the whole reason RomneyCare came about, and it's copy, ObamaCare, is because too many people could not afford private insurance programs. Your "idea" would not help them Our government (except under conservatives) has a commitment to see nobody in America die from hunger, die because they can't afford medical care, etc. Your "idea" is fend for yourself and wrestle with private companies. When I was younger, under Eisenhower, the top tax bracket was something like 85%!!! Yet there were still rich people - taxes didn't make them poor, they just weren't "disgustingly rich" as so many are now. Take Social Security. It's death has been predicted for decades and decades. "Saint" Reagan found a fix - RAISE THE SALARY CAP for contributions. Eliminate the cap completely and there will be enough money. The rich became rich by exploiting the poor - they can "cough up" more and still be rich. The "trickle down" malarky has been tried and is GREAT for the rich, but lousy for the rest.
You might perhaps be able to make some use of this basic idea? http://www.politicalforum.com/index...-owe-america-an-apology-for-1750-1783.514517/ Do we Canadians owe America an apology for 1750 - 1783?
