http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005 by the authors Sun, 5 Sep 2004 23:12:02 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/04/224947.php#comment-83660 And top Bush administration officials know that they will be raising taxes? Really? Which ones have you spoken to that have indicated this? Evilwhiteguy, remember George Bush Mark I - "read my lips, no new taxes".....history does repeat itself as we will see after Nov 2. Whoever wins will have to repeal tax cuts and raise taxes - the deficit and debt are too big. 83660@blogcritics.org Sun, 5 Sep 2004 23:12:02 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/04/224947.php#comment-83544 Evil White Guy -- seniors now pay $60 per month out of their Social Security checks for Medicare coverage. The new rates will mean that an additional $17.50 per month will be charged to them. Do the math -- $17.50 X 12 = $210 -- not $78.20. Still, it's worth it for seniors -- who have no clout, or say in the matter -- and depend on government medical coverage. However, this is just the beginning of Bush's move to privatize medical benefits, or eliminate as much of it as he can -- just like what he plans to do with Social Security. According to Bushie people, seniors drain public funds and should eat less in order to pay their share of our weapon costs. Bush is a cold of a son-of-a bitch any way you slice it. Only in America, which prides itself on being the world's richest country, are seniors treated like shit. 83544@blogcritics.org Sun, 5 Sep 2004 08:35:13 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/04/224947.php#comment-83463 A tax increase by any standard? Since when were insurance premiums tax increases? The hike only adds up to $78.20 per year. When you factor in the prescription drug benefit, the savings most Medicare recipients receive from that plan will more than outweigh that cost. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, anyone on Medicare who spends more than $350 per year on prescriptions will have the $78.20 hike negated. And most seniors pay far more than that. My own grandparents spend more than that each month on prescriptions. The prescription drug benefit is saving them about $1500 per year on drugs, so a $78.20 per year increase in premiums is a drop in the bucket compared to the savings they get from the Bush Medicare drug benefit. And Bush is campaigning on making the tax cuts he got enacted permanent, so how is that raising taxes? Kerry has backed higher gasoline taxes 11 times and has supported a 50-cents-a-gallon tax increase. And top Bush administration officials know that they will be raising taxes? Really? Which ones have you spoken to that have indicated this? 83463@blogcritics.org Sun, 5 Sep 2004 03:01:36 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/04/224947.php#comment-83411 The numbers have not added up since President Bush signed in his round of tax cuts. I do not think it is a given that he is going to win re-election. Whoever wins will have to reverse the Bush tax cuts - I guess that means it is a tax raise but some would just call it a restoration of where taxes were (or some other silly spin message) With the Republican Party, odd things like elimination of departments might happen - anything is possible.... 83411@blogcritics.org Sat, 4 Sep 2004 23:04:30 EDT