It's time to scrap the Bush tax cut AND the prescription drug benefit

[dolstein]

The simple fact is that we can't afford either. The Bush tax cut will drain trillions of dollars from the Treasury over the next 50 years. So will the prescription drug benefit. The ten year cost of the drug benefit has ballooned from $500 billion to over $1 trillion by some estimates, and its only going to keep rising. The fact is that the drug benefit was poorly conceived and does absolutely nothing to control drug costs. We ought to scrap the program entirely and start over.

Now I know that many DU'ers will say that we ought to repeal the Bush tax cuts and use that money for health care. But as far as I can tell, repealing the tax cut alone won't balance the budget. And if we simple spend the additional tax revenues, then we'll simply be back where we started -- on the road to fiscal disaster.

I feel bad for seniors who can't afford prescription drugs. But I also feel bad for our children and grandchildren who will be left with the task of paying off trillions of dollars in debt that are going to pile up if we don't do something now. So I say I we shouldn't even think about expanding entitlement programs like Medicare until we get our fiscal house in order.

[WildClarySage]

1. While we're at it,

lets get rid of NCLB and the PATRIOT Act.

[skylarmae]

2. Amen!

Scrap his programs and impeach georgie porgie!!!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. I agree. Scrap the benefit and regulate the costs of prescription drugs

for LIFE SAVING matters. They can raise the cost of viagara and Ciallis to make up for the lost bucks on anti-biotics, diabetes, heart and hypertension meds. If a 90 year old wants a boner, make him pay through the "nose" for it.

[yinkaafrica]

4. How do you feel about ending the occupation of Iraq?

Every 200 billion helps.