Where’s The Responsibility?: When we’re

by John Hawkins | July 24, 2002 9:07 am

Where’s The Responsibility?: When we’re running a 165 billion dollar deficit, don’t expect to get back into the black for 2-3 years, the stock market is tanking, we’re in the middle of a ‘War on Terrorism’, and know Social Security is on track to start running a deficit sometime in the next 10-15 years why would we even consider a Prescription Drug plan for Medicare recipients[1] right now? Just look at the numbers that are being tossed around…

“The first bill to fall was crafted by Democrats to create a new government-run prescription drug benefit for the 34 million older Americans served by Medicare, at a cost estimated at $594 billion over several years”

“Next came a “tripartisan” measure from Republicans joined by Breaux and Sen. James Jeffords of Vermont, the Senate’s only independent. …That plan envisioned a less expensive program than the Democratic blueprint, with coverage offered through private companies at a cost estimated at $340 billion.”

How can we possibly justify creating a massive program like this when we’re in the red especially when we know the costs of the program are going to explode when they hit the real world? Why don’t we have ANYONE in our government who’s responsible enough to stand up for the American taxpayers?