KRUGMAN: Ryan Budget Is A FRAUD - "Pure Fabrication"

[kpete]

Krugman: I could do this in detail, but you can learn everything you need to know by understanding two numbers: $4.6 trillion and 14 million.

Of these, $4.6 trillion is the size of the mystery meat in the budget. Ryan proposes tax cuts that would cost $4.6 trillion over the next decade relative to current policy — that is, relative even to making the Bush tax cuts permanent — but claims that his plan is revenue neutral, because he would make up the revenue loss by closing loopholes. For example, he would … well, actually, he refuses to name a single example of a loophole he wants to close.

So the budget is a fraud. No, it’s not “imperfect”, it’s not a bit shaky on the numbers; it’s completely based on almost $5 trillion dollars of alleged revenue that are pure fabrication.

..........................

On the other side, 14 million is the minimum number of people who would lose health insurance due to Medicaid cuts — the Urban Institute, working off the very similar plan Ryan unveiled last year, puts it at between 14 and 27 million people losing Medicaid.


http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/06/ryan-in-two-numbers/?smid=tw-share

[Zen Democrat]

1. Have I mentioned lately that I find Krugman completely brilliant and adorable? I LOVE Paul Krugman.

[russspeakeasy]

2. Yup. Manlove to the Krug...

[BumRushDaShow]

3. K&R

Keep at bringing up that draconian plan!

[Festivito]

4. Good job. Short, memorably succinct.

[CTyankee]

5. "mystery meat"

Have I told you lately that I love you, Paul Krugman?

[DianaForRussFeingold]

6. K&R Paul Krugman did a great job explaining the callousness

Thank You!!!
His articles are great--wish he had his own TV show..!

[mckara]

7. Republicans Prefer Living in Fantasyland!

[progressivebydesign]

8. the heart of a Paul Ryan/Ayn Rand fan:

"Is it the federal governments job to pay all medical bills? Why aren't families asked to cover these costs? And why do we assume older people want all the heroic care they get on Medicare? I don't present these questions to be mean! A system that pays for every procedure possible incentivizes people to obtain more care. The inevitability of poor health is no less inevitable than death.
Why should the living be strapped with the burden of all this health care that can't be paid for in the foreseeable future?
I hope I have the wisdom to know when enough is enough, say my goodbyes and go peacefully back into my long sleep."

an actual comment on the Krugman piece.

My favorite is this: "A system that pays for every procedure possible incentivizes people to obtain more care." THIS is how they're justifying this. Not everyone deserves health care, and if your family can't pay, then you can just die.. like everyone will eventually. Stunning.