But how will he pay for it!?!

[SheenaR]

Here is a good starting point to help them out next time they ask.

[Gregorian]

1. With the gigantic military spending, this question is disingenuous.

Everyone who has asked me how he's going to pay for it gets the same answer from me: a little less war.

[stopbush]

2. Any candidate can put out figures showing how they pay for things.

The devil is in the details. Reagan showed how his programs would get rid of the small deficit that existed at the time. Deficits ballooned under his policies.

A lot of economists are calling Bernie's numbers overly optimistic. He's making assumptions, starting with what he'll need to cover his programs then imaginging how it will all happen.

Try doing that with your home budget. Don't forget to include that 10% raise you're getting at work and the rent reduction you're getting from your landlord.

[wyldwolf]

3. that's how it COULD be paid for. But how does he DO it?

[malthaussen]

4. By raising taxes, how else?

Cutting defense a little would be nice, but that's not going to happen in the real world. So he gets taxes raised, changes a few things, and enforces a few regulations. What I find astonishing is that his proposed tax increase on the upper percentile doesn't even take us back to the Reagan numbers. For someone who supposedly wants to do away with wealth inequality, Mr Sanders is still rather protective of the perquisites of the wealthy. It's just that, of the slate available, he plans to mulct them more than the others.

-- Mal

[Yavin4]

5. This shows that if Bernie is the nominee, Dem office holders would revolt en masse

That list is a death knell for all Dems running for down ticket offices. Try running for senate in a state like Indiana with all those tax hikes. Are you kidding me?

[thesquanderer]

12. The only proposed tax hike there that affects most people...

...would be offset by their not having to pay for private health insurance, copays, and deductibles. People of average income actually come out ahead.

So no, there is no death knell there.

[mythology]

6. And every Republican running provides "evidence" that their tax cuts will boost GDP

and yet they never do. The details matter. Sanders is relying on some tricky math that I don't think adds up for his health care plan.

[Skid Rogue]

7. Hmmm?

Can the President raise taxes? Nope. So, if he can't get those tax hikes through Congress, then what's his plan? This is an honest question, not meant to be snarky. It's just a huge stumbling block for some people.

[SheenaR]

10. You are presupposing

The same Congressional outlook. If Sanders won its because millions of new and old Democratic voters came out. And they certainly will vote Dem down ballot.

Your concerns were taken into consideration ahead of time but it's a very reasonable critique/question

[senz]

8. Each of Bernie's proposals includes sensible, well-thought out financing.

None of it is unrealistic.

For those who would rather think than shoot off their mouths, a short summary of each of his proposals has been available for months:

https://berniesanders.com/issues/how-bernie-pays-for-his-proposals/

Look it over.

[Skid Rogue]

9. But they are heavily reliant on Tax reform...

The president does not have any power to raise or lower taxes on his own. All he can do is influence Congress and veto any legislation that he finds objectionable.

My sincere question still stands.

[wyldwolf]

11. exactly. Post #3 makes it a bit clearer.

[jfern]

13. And what's Hillary's plan to get things done without Congress?

[seaglass]

14. That's deceptive. Wall Street speculation tax pays only some of the free tuition proposal.

College for All Act - bill submitted by Sanders May 2015 - read it.

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s1373/text

The federal government would cover 67% of this cost, while the states would
be responsible for the remaining 33% of the cost.