Gerrymandering the Jobs Bill

op ed by run75441

Think Progress offers a look at relevant parts of the ‘jobs bill’. In the US, the winds of Washington Politics don’t blow, they suck.

Gerrymandering the Jobs Bill:

“The piece of the jobs bill Republicans will pass would end a requirement that the government withhold three percent of the cost of projects contracted out to private companies, to assure tax compliance. It’s a rule that Congress adopted during the Bush administration to cut down on tax cheating by government contractors.”

The proposals would incorporate a permanent repeal of the withholding which today saves $10 billion in lost taxes. To counter the revenue loss the Republicans have a solution (as paid for by Medicaid/SS recipients):

“all legislation other than permanent tax cuts for wealthy people must be paid for — typically with cuts to federal programs. So Republicans have selected a provision from Obama’s deficit reduction recommendations that would limit Medicaid eligibility for people who also receive Social Security benefits.

A concept called Modified Adjusted Gross Income is used to determine Medicaid eligibility. Currently, it only incorporates the taxable portion of Social Security income in that calculation. Under t a new proposal, it would factor in all Social Security benefits. That means some seniors who currently qualify for Medicaid would no longer be eligible. Doing this would save about $14.6 billion over 10 years — more than the cost of repealing the 3 percent withholding compliance measure.” GOP Lays Trap for Obama on Jobs Bill”

Finance the tax cheats and sacrifice Medicaid and SS recipients.

Watching Your Back???

In Order to open negotiations with the Repubs, the Dems on the Super Committee

“are offering to cut Medicare and Medicaid benefits as part of a roughly $3 trillion grand bargain, which would well exceed the $1.2 trillion minimum goal the committee is tasked with meeting.

The Democratic plan proposes cutting the deficit by $2.5 trillion to $3 trillion and calls for between $200 billion and $300 billion in new stimulus spending to boost an ailing U.S. economy. It would be paid for with lower interest payments from reducing deficits.

It also seeks around $400 billion in Medicare savings, with half coming in benefit cuts and the other half in cuts to healthcare providers. Details of that proposal were scant but tackling the popular Medicare program is always politically risky for politicians in Washington, especially Democrats.

The Democratic proposal also identifies $100 billion in cuts to the Medicaid healthcare program for the poor, according to a lobbyist in contact with the committee.”

Dems Seek $3trillion in Savings

Fortunately, The Repubs would not accept a tax increase on the income rich even with throwing Grandmother under the bus to finance it . . .

The Party of “No”rquist

It appears that many of the signers of the pledge representing “No”rquist beliefs and the Repub party over the constituency which elected them have feet made of sand as the currents of public anger are over whelming the views proffered.

“ATR currently has signatures from 238 House representatives, 41 Senators, 13 governors, and all of the GOP presidential candidates except former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman.”

Anti-Tax Crusader Grover Norquist’s Grip is Slipping

Who elected these turkeys??? Hmmm, that’s right, we did and the views they are espousing? Even that ever lovable former Senator from that wilderness state west of the Hudson Wyoming is calling for a resistance to outside influence (ATR) which has no impact on getting elected again. And Senator Coburn challenged Norquist on Ethanol subsidies? Such bravado . . .

“Have we really reached a point where one person’s demand for ideological purity is paralyzing Congress to the point that even a discussion of tax reform is viewed as breaking a no-tax pledge?” Senator Wolf asked.

And the man with the perpetual sun tan Boehner asked of Norquist’s relevance.

“some random guy,

Grover told me that he saw himself as the Lenin of the conservative revolution and that Ralph Reed was his Trotsky and Jack Abramoff was his Stalin.”

As Oliver Wight used to say “Cement heads!” Someone has sounded the “abandon ship” alert as the Repub-titanic has struck the iceberg of public dissent. Maybe Occupy America has struck a nerve? It doesn’t take a weatherman . . . We will make the same mistake again and re-elect these turkeys.