The Progressive Pulse – Media seems to have forgotten keeping temporary sales, wealthy income tax as budget crisis option

The health cost issue was kicked down the road in the 60’s when medicare and medicaid were enacted, thereby hiding the real cost of health care in the federal deficit.SS, Medicare, and tax reform are long needed. A wealth tax and national sales tax could be instituted, thereby spreading the tax burden across the spectrum of activity, instead of placing it squarely on the shoulders of income producers It’s one course of action, another being to eliminate the income tax, which begins another debate about the constitutionally of it. So, yes, let’s discuss health care as part of the larger issues. The failure of Congress to reform itself and the major social institutions is exacerbating the issues, including the cost of health care.

Someone mentioned to me that 50% of state workers are due to retire in the next five years. I would suggest that all retirement eligible employees should retire now, indeed many will rather than suffer through Bev’s reorganization. Another statistic for you is fully 80 – 90% of the state budget is payroll. Private industry regularly purges it’s ranks, yet state employees have enjoyed 20 years or more of relative stability and prosperity. The quick and easy budget fix is to shed all retirement eligible state employees not working in mission critical positions, and replace these with entry level positions, not contractors.

Boomers will be retiring at the rate of 10,000 a day for the next 20 years. Reorganizing state government is a start, however it’s meaningless without addressing the demographics of health care, as you mentioned, as well as state employment and pensions.

The Progressive Pulse – Media seems to have forgotten keeping temporary sales, wealthy income tax as budget crisis option