Ignoramus Politics: The Path to Poverty

1,070 Days

If you live any where near the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, there's a good chance that you received this email from Rep. Bob Goodlatte, our congressman.  He has wholeheartedly endorsed the Ryan Budget as a "path to prosperity." He also famously supports and has co-sponsored the Balanced Budget Amendment. His arguments are those of the conservative literati who drive the ship of movement conservatism.  He has not represented the best interests of his constituents since he swallowed his promise to only serve 2 terms several terms back.  He's found that life in Congress as a willing lackey in the Republican political machine is quite lucrative.

In this email he touts the recently passed budget plan as a document that forces Congress to make tough decisions about what the government can or can't afford.  He calls on the wisdom of "Valley families" who are faced with tough financial decisions each and every day.

Families in the Sixth District and all across our nation understand what it means to make tough decisions each day about what they can and cannot afford. Yet, far too often this fundamental principle is forgotten in Congress. If Americans must exercise restraint with their own funds, then the government must be required to do so as well.

Ok.  Who can't agree with that?  It's a simple statement, makes sense and is more than likely a very popular position in our district.  Heck.... I agree with this!

This email message is a brilliant example of "ignoramus" politics.  Mr. Goodlatte knows that a message like this resonates well with his supporters.  It is seductive in language and hits the Valley folk with a very friendly resonance.  Mr. Goodlatte goes on to say in the email that the Ryan Budget deals with the deficit, cuts the size of government, repeals Obamacare, and leads to economic growth.  Brilliant....

Did I tell you that the "ignoramus" is us?  Is there any talk of where all that savings is coming from? Is there any discussion of the "choices" we were supposed to be making as a constituency?  Mr. Goodlatte has simply announced the budget decisions of the Republican elite as the economic policy that is in our best interests.  Anyone know what's been decided?

The Ryan Budget is a radical document.  The term conservative can never be rightfully used to describe it. For starters:

So the proposal is exactly as President Obama described it: a proposal to deny health care (and many other essentials) to millions of Americans, while lavishing tax cuts on corporations and the wealthy — all while failing to reduce the budget deficit, unless you believe in Mr. Ryan’s secret revenue sauce.

Republicans have chosen to move 14 million Americans off health care, mostly the ill,  young people and children by moving Medicaid to the states and providing block grants as financial support. If the money runs out? There's nowhere to run.  By repealing Obamacare, they have chosen to support the incredible rising costs of health care for the rest of us by handing the responsibility for our nation's health and well-being to the private health care industry.  Our health is now dependent on our profitability to the insurance industry. If your family's health doesn't match your family budget? That's not a pleasant thought.  Let's not forget the lost deficit reduction gone with the repeal of Obamacare.  The size of government decreases, but OUR family financial burden increases. That's the Republican choice.

The Republicans have decided that Medicare "as we know it" needs to be fixed by handing over that responsibility to the private insurance industries too.  They will give us all a fixed voucher which, again, may help defray the cost of the most expensive health care ALL of us will need, but if it's not enough?.... That's yet another unpleasant thought. Again the size of government decreases, but the financial burden on OUR families increases. That's the Republican choice.

Republicans have chosen to boost the military budget over the objections of the military brass.  The mild-mannered Mr. Ryan immediately discounted their objections famously saying, "We  don't think the Generals are giving us their true advice." He later walked this back, but didn't back off from his budget proposal. 

Republicans have chosen to place a new consumption tax that will hit the lower and middle classes much harder than the affluent upper class.  How does $900 per year sound?  At the same time, Republicans have chosen to give themselves an historic tax cut.  In addition to the tax cuts enacted by President Bush, they will 'reform' the tax code to the tune of a 1.7 million dollar per household windfall for the .1% to $238, 000 per household for the 1%.  This is to be paid for by closing as yet undefined tax loopholes and budgetary assumptions, the so-called "secret revenue sauce" mentioned by Mr. Krugman and others. Remember Mr. Goodlatte's boast that the Ryan Plan makes tough decisions?  We're still waiting.

We the people are the "ignoramus." We fall for the common sense, non-specific, smooth sounding platitude, Mr. Goodlatte's specialty. We would all be better served by observing THIS platitude: "You can't cut spending without cutting spending!"

But Ryan wants to have it both ways: He wants to get the credit for cutting spending, but he doesn’t want to have to propose specific spending cuts. Oh, and he doesn’t want anyone to extrapolate what those cuts would be, either.

Of course, even Ryan’s supporters should see the problem here. If these cuts are too unpopular to detail, then they’re going to be too unpopular to pass. If the only way to defend Ryan’s budget is to beat back any attempts to make it specific, then it’s an empty, useless document.

Mr. Goodlatte, take note. Follow Brent Holl