In Whom do We Trust II

In Whom do We Trust II

Another of the Faithful Five has checked in with printable remarks…here is another view (but not that different) from ANOTHER senior. This time I did some typo repair.

OK Karl: You are now getting into territory where we can have an honest dialogue. You have listed the items that you believe seniors care about the most. Since I am also a senior, here is my list:

That other list was NOT actually my list, but Dan reads the blog faithfully, so bygones.

(1) Protect Social Security and Medicare — in its current form, from people who want to privatize them. Eliminate the cap on the payroll tax to keep things solvent and which keeps favoring the richest 1%.

I agree with you on this Dan, and so does TRUMP.

(2) Seniors want clean water and air for their kids and grandkids and support programs that guarantee it.

Again, I agree with you, and would do MUCH MORE review of the regulations being rolled back by Trump, BUT, economic health is what makes clean water and air possible and that means some new trade paradigm where we don’t just pass stringent rules our trading partners DON’T face which then destroys out good paying jobs. Trump IS working on this.

(3) Very few seniors don’t give tinkers damn about Hillary Clinton. If federal prosecutors want to prosecute somebody they will do it.

I think Dan meant don’t give a damn about whether or not she is prosecuted — and here I do not agree with you, but this isn’t provable either way.

(4) Seniors want affordable drug prices. They want the government to negotiate with the thieving drug companies through Medicare and Medicaid to lower prices just like the VA does.

Agreed. Trump agrees. Another Obama failure here — in my opinion –which I know in advance, Dan does not share.

(5) Most seniors would support Medicare for everyone but would settle for a plan that allows 50 year olds and above to buy into the program until they are eligible for full benefits, as part of fixing the ACA. Fix the ACA and the exchanges instead of trying to kill it.

Amazing paragraph Dan, I agree with ALL of it and note it is the first time you have acknowledged to me anyway, that the ACA needs to be fixed, another Trump priority, one he is willing to work with the Dems on, it’s the Dems who are unwilling to work with him.

(6) Most seniors wouldn’t have a clue about how to “put God back into America.” The Founders didn’t worry much about this either. They were much more concerned about the separation of church and state. I would much prefer to see my fellow citizens put God back into their hearts if that supports their personal belief system.

“I would much prefer to see my fellow citizens put God back into their hearts…”

I not only agree with this, I think it’s the only way in can be done!

George Washington believed any society based upon anything other than a widespread faith in God, was doomed to disintegration and failure. They were concerned about separation of church and state to preserve every person’s inalienable right to worship the God of their choice, not to separate people from God.

(7) Most seniors would support putting Congress under the same health care system as the rest of us. My personal preference would be to eliminate the Congressional retirement system altogether and let Congress join the rest of us in the Social Security system, which would discourage career politicians and create a citizen legislature.

I don’t agree that last point would be the effect of that change – but your point and the other author’s are one in the same, Congressional perks are corrupting, unfair, lavish and distort the elites view of the system the rest of us use.

(8) The same laws that apply to everyone else should of course, bind Congress.

This makes it a full sweep; you, the Faithful Five, and the rest of the country – including Trump. Be careful Dan, if you agree with Trump too many times in a row, and I report it to Stan…just kidding Stan…I know you believe in substantive debate, even with (press/trump/conservative/cretin) me.

(9) Congress should pass a guest worker program like the one Reagan and others suggested, and protect the “Dreamers” as advocated by Obama.

That’s it Dan, now you’ve gone too far, agreeing with Trump, Bush, Reagan, Obama and every person with common sense EXCEPT the Senate DEMS (and REPUBS) who have refused to do any of this except Trump, the only one to propose a legal DACA change, and a guest worker program is in his long term plan. He did this DACA proposal ACROSS the aisle. He’s not crazy; but you are for criticizing him on this issue.

Trump did what Obama, Schumer, Pelosi, the Repub leadership, Bush — what no one since Reagan has been willing to do — compromise on this issue and MAKE LAW that solves this problem rather than always pushing it forward. Will you signal to Schumer, Pelosi and the Dem party they should work across the aisle on these points where it is possible – to help America? I don’t need to signal POTUS; that already IS his position.

(10) Tax reform is important. Lower the maximum tax rate on Corporations from 35% to 27.5% which is the average rate America’s major competitors are paying, and eliminate all other deductions and loopholes such as sugar subsidies and oil depletion allowances. Dramatically reduce the corporate tax rate on small businesses doing less than $500,000 business per year. Eliminate all deductions from the Federal Income Tax except for college costs and homeowner deductions up to $600.000 valuation on principal residences only. Tax all forms of income at the same rate whether the taxpayer earns a living working for a wage, earns commissions, dividends, or makes investments.

Tax reform IS important. Holy shit Dan, with a few changes in the percentages, your plan and the president’s are very similar. Sorry Dan, you may have to vote Trump in 2020, after he passes his wonderful tax plan.

(11) Rejoin the human race by reconnecting with the Paris Climate accords, and quit pretending that Climate change is a “Chinese hoax.” like Trump believes.

Humans contribute to climate change – but the Paris Accord does not reduce pollution, it transfers wealth from industrialized nations to developing countries, something we have never done successfully with treaties like this before — because corruption inevitably offsets all the anticipated gain and usually does a lot of harm. International due diligence is so expensive, it’s only worthwhile for nukes and even then, as we all know, it fails.

(12) If a balanced budget is what we truly seek, remember that Bill Clinton was the last President to do that for three straight years, and before him Harry Truman. It wasn’t until Reagan tripled the national debt and W conducted two wars and passed Medicare part D without paying for them that the national debt and deficit went haywire.

That statement is true. But Obama doubled that mess again. Not the best 16 years. Bush and Obama the worst back to back two-term presidents in U.S. history.

(13) The last time I checked all 50 States and our federal Government still conduct its public business in English. As to how we communicate with one another I reserve the right to talk to my friends and associates in Swedish if I choose to do it, but that might put a restraint on the number of conversations I have…

If you get some Swedish visitors, call me first, and I will come do that home repair work we discussed! Sort of a mislead here in my opinion though Dan, the liberal wing of the party you support has attacked the assimilation narrative in our cultural heritage and that is exactly what that last piece was about.

Speaking English, supporting our laws (not sharia) and demonstrating pride in our military, our flag, AND our democratic institutions – has been under attack by the Democratic Party since the Vietnam war — and the cost of that unremittingly anti-American position is reflected in the Democratic Party dismal caucus numbers.

(14) Respecting the military and our national symbols is very high on my list of personal priorities. Having said that we need to remind ourselves that the First Amendment to the Constitution allows us to engage in some pretty obnoxious speech and behavior without running afoul of the law. I think that is one of the things that make our Country — truly exceptional in the world.

See my last answer, or read something by Trump.

There are other things that seniors support including making college costs and technical training available and affordable to their grandkids.

As you know, I established MD Prepaid College Trust, which has $3B invested and has sent over 250,000 kids to college, so, yes, I agree AND I agree we need more Technical training — BUT this has been repeatedly opposed by the Dems in Congress, I don’t know why, you should look into that.

And they very much want members of our part time Congress to act like adults and get together and fix things that are broken.

Wow. I would send you a Trump shirt, except you’d burn it, I can’t afford one and I think it should be a red MAGA hat anyway. Stan, if you’ve been reading this piece, just ignore the wide agreement between Dan and Trump, you’re just imagining it.