dfischer

Anyone have any experience with this company? How are they to work for? How do they pay?

Until we have a viable third party we'll have to vote with what we have. Party control in Washington goes back and forth. During the second Bush term the republicans had control until the mid term elections changed the majority House and Senate to democrat (people didn't like the war). Then Obama won election and he had a majority until the mid term, then the House became republican. (Tea Party) The people didn't like Obama's health care and other spending. Medicare is in terrible financial shape. Social Security (SS) is in much better condition. The surplus of SS has historically been used to help finance the general budget spending, whereas medicare has been using general funds to pay it's bills. Is Boles-Simpson a perfect plan? Probably not. But, at least it's a plan to enforce some financial discipline. The national debt is approx 16 trillion, in 4-5 years it will grow to 21-25 trillion depending on tax increases and cost control yet to be enacted. Because of the baby boom generation now coming of retirement age medicare expense will account for the largest portion of the increase debt. The Country is broke so the question is, how much money is the federal government going to take from the private sector i.e. the people. The more they take the less capital (money) can be invested. If you look at the taxes we pay now, state, fed, fica, property, sales, gas, and on and on the average worker is paying close to half of their earnings in taxes. This leaves less money for everyday living expenses never mind savings and retirement. Add inflation (purchasing power) into the mix we are becoming poorer. This is causing less capital (surplus) to invest in the economy to expatiation. Once the economy become stagnant then everyone has to spend down their savings (capital). It's a downward spiral from there. I have to conclude with taxation at it's current level it would be impossible to expand our economy with more taxation.

I just as well throw my two cents into this discussion. The Dems and the Reps have very different ideas of the size of government. So, it is no wonder why nothing gets done. We constantly argue over federal income taxes which isn't the problem. It is Medicare that will cause a financial crises. As most of you know medicare rates are 1.45% for employee and employer. If we what to argue over taxes it is the medicare tax that should be argued. Should we raise this tax? Raise the age requirement? Boles-Simpson address this in their recommendations. The short answer in my opinion is to adopt their plan. Now who's going to use their political clout to get the Plan enacted?