Social Security and Medicare are in trouble!

By J. W. Thompson

Old headlines in a new time. It would be more surprising if I read that these programs were fixed. This is not a “Party” problem. Both the Democrats and Republicans have known about it for years. Just as an example, eight years of the Clinton and eight more of Bush and still there was no solution. What is the answer to the problem? It seems that is part of the problem, no one knows. If they do know, then they haven't bothered to fix it.
Our new President recognized the problem, just as every President has before him. Yet the same old solutions are coming out of his advisors. Raise taxes and/or cut benefits. Sounds like a simple fix. If it were that easy, why did the past administrations not see it and act on it?
My problem is not with the old problems. It is with the new proposed entitlement programs proposed by the new administration. Specificly, National Health Care. If the government can't keep Social Security and Medicare solvent, why would they try to tackle a huge problem like National Health Care? Why would any American with common sense want them to do this? Seems to me that if you can not keep a limited entitlement program going without cutting benefits or raising taxes, how in the world are you going to do the same for everyone?
My opinion, is that they should fix the existing programs before taking on the new one. If you can prove to me that you can handle the problems that exist now, then maybe you have the knowledge and skills to take on National Health Care. Until that time, I suggest that you consentrate on the problems at hand, instead of passing the off on the future leaders, just as this problem was passed on to you.
It is just plain and simple facts and figures. You don't have the money or resourses to keep Social Security and Medicare afloat without cutting benefits and rasing taxes. Then it bring up the question of just where you intend to get the money for the new program? I have never seen a financial problem solved by borrowing more money. Spending money you do not have is not a solution, in fact it is part of the problem with existing entitlement programs that you inherited from the past.
Just one more note. Deficit Spending, can you clue me in on how that works? I tried it and the police said it was against the law, called “Bouncing a Check!”