Ryan plan attacks middle class

Ryan plan attacks middle class

Mitt Romney has picked an extreme, radical V.P. running mate. If you haven’t heard of Paul Ryan and his budget, you better check it out.

The Paul Ryan budget proposes the elimination of Medicare as we know it. It will no longer be a fee for service, at a negotiated low rate. Contrary to what R&R are saying, the $700 billion in cuts to Medicare were for “non-essential.” These are administrative cuts that affects insurance and drug companies, not plan recipients.

The Ryan Plan has always had the same cuts, but it pays for the tax cuts (partially) of the very wealthy. It would be rolling the dice to change Medicare to a voucher/coupon plan.

Social Security would be privatized. That’s what we need to do, turn over the fund to Wall Street. It would cost $2 trillion to move the plan to the private sector. Ryan does not address this cost.

“Simplification” of the tax code means that the mortgage interest, property tax credits are eliminated, costing middle class families $2,000 in additional taxes. At the same time, capital gains taxes would be eliminated and the tax rate for the wealthy cut from 35 percent to 25 percent. Mitt Romney would pay no taxes.

Medicaid and food stamps would be decimated. Fifty percent of nursing home costs are borne by Medicaid. I guess we throw the elderly out on the street.

As far as education is concerned, this budget cuts Pell Grants, destroying any hope for a college education for thousands. Mitt Romney’s answer is to “ask your parents for help.”

The icing on the cake is that this plan would cost $4 trillion to $5 trillion over 10 years because it favors the very wealthy, corporations, and the military.

Joann Avery, Poland