Jobarra
01-16-2008, 02:45 AM
*Updated 01/21/2008 - Rough Draft portion finished. rpfan2008 was nice enough to graphically design a document with the text.
Graphic document can be found HERE (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=96659)
*Work In Progress portion finished. Please see new thread.*
Rough Draft thread can be found HERE (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?p=988534#post988534)
As discussed in THIS Thread (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=89241), the U.S. Comptroller General David Walker has been trying to educate the public about the coming debt burden for all Americans since last year. A recent Glenn Beck (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-16u9x3tfE) show as well as Another Interview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS2fI2p9iVs)(Does anyone know where this youtube was pulled from? Looks like Mercola is the user which may be the Dr. Mercola that backed Dr. Paul awhile back, but I'm not familiar with him) show him discussing this problem and pretty much advocating Dr. Paul's positions. He won't endorse any candidate, but I'm pretty sure he wants this information out since it sounds like hardly anyone in D.C. is listening to him. Dr. Paul is the ONLY candidate who even thinks about this and the other candidates laugh at him when he brings up these points.
The original thought was to create a 'bill' type of document and mail it to voters around America. When they opened the 'bill' they would see something that looked like a bill and said they owed $400,000+. The document would then break out the total costs and go into how Dr. Paul would fix the problem. My thoughts with this(since I canvass right now) is to create a handout that just goes over the information and Dr. Paul's overall talking points to fix the issue. Then this could be handed out by canvassers as easy talking points that grab even decided(but not for Paul) voters' eyes. Others could probably easily change the document into the original thought of a 'bill' document, but since I don't have the time to run a chipin to mail these 'bills' out, I'll let someone else do that. FYI though, quite a few people I've talked with have said they wouldn't vote for a candidate that was related to something sneaky like that. If they were made to think it was an actual bill and then found out it was a political ad, they absolutely wouldn't vote for the candidate.
I want to create a document that is completely factual. Any errors that are found could put the whole document in a bad light which could be spun by the media to make it ineffective :(. My plan is to create the document in parts to allow for easy discussion with all on these forums and work toward a text that can be handed off to a graphic designer to create a finished product that can then be used by the grassroots. The problem is this needs to be designed yesterday so this will be some rapid development so that we can hopefully canvass/email this out before Feb 5th.
I will design as follows:
Quoted segments will be the actual document parts. Discussion questions and factchecking needs will be after each part. As these needs get done, I'll translate them into the quoted segments until we have one large text document ready to go.
Again, this is a work in progress and I'll try to note the last time it was updated. Anyone can help with this as long as you include your sources(reputable sources only). The sources are being given intermediate reference numbers. Once the document is completely together, I'll change to ordered numeric references.
Last updated: 01/17/08 6:02 PM
{Large Text here, maybe 5 times the regular font?}FINAL NOTICE?
{More Large Text}YOUR HOUSEHOLD HAS A FISCAL BURDEN OF $440,000 DUE TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
"I would argue that the most serious threat to the United States is not someone hiding in a cave in Afghanistan or Pakistan, but our own fiscal irresponsibility." - Hon. David Walker, U.S. Comptroller General [1]
According to David Walker, the U.S. Comptroller General, every U.S. household has a fiscal burden of $440,000. David Walker can be thought of as the head accountant of the United States Government and his office, the GAO(Government Accountability Office), has crunched the numbers and found that every household in the United States has a fiscal burden of $440,000 due to entitlement programs coming due over the next 20 years. [2]
According to Mr. Walker, the future benefits burden rose from $13 Trillion in 2000 to $38.8 Trillion in 2006, an increase of 197%!
Mr. Walker breaks this down further:
Future Social Security Benefits were $3.8 Trillion in 2000 and increased to $6.4 Trillion in 2006
Future Medicare Part A Benefits were $2.7 Trillion in 2000 and increased to $11.3 Trillion in 2006
Future Medicare Part B Benefits were $6.5 Trillion in 2000 and increased to $13.1 Trillion in 2006
Future Medicare Part D Benefits were only just created in 2003 and were $7.9 Trillion in 2006
"The Prescription Drug Bill was probably the most fiscally irresponsible piece of legislation since the 1960s. ... we've promised way more than we can afford to keep. Eight trillion dollars added to what was already a fifteen to twenty trillion dollar underfunding. We're not being realistic. We can't afford the promises we've already made, much less to be piling on top of them. ... We'd have to have eight trillion dollars today, invested at treasury rates, to deliver on that promise." - David Walker, US Comptroller General speaking on the Bill that created the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Medicare Part D) [3]
When the interviewer asked how much money we have today, Walker replied, "Zip!" while making a zero with his fingers.
Mr. Walker lays out the problems we are facing in a powerpoint presentation that he shows while touring the country raising awareness of this issue:
"Current Fiscal Policy is Unsustainable
The 'Status Quo' is Not an Option
We face large and growing structural deficits largely due to known demographic trends and rising health care costs
GAO's simulations show that balancing the budget in 2040 could require actions as large as
Cutting total federal spending by 60 percent or
Raising federal taxes to 2 times today's level
Faster Economic Growth Can Help, But It Cannot Solve the Problem
Closing the current long-term fiscal gap based on reasonable assumptions would require real average annual economic growth in the double digit range every year for the next 75 years
During the 1990s, the economy grew at an average 3.2 percent per year
As a result, we cannot simply grow our way out of this problem. Tough choices will be required"
Please note that David Walker does not endorse any candidate. These figures are only used to show the situation the United States is in under past and current policies. Tough choices need to be made to make sure that the government is fiscally viable in the future.
Which of the current presidential candidates can make these tough choices?
For over 20 years in the House of Representatives, Dr. Ron Paul has said no to spending and advocated common sense Constitutional government for preserving our way of life. He is the only medical doctor of all the presidential candidates and has watched as healthcare costs skyrocketed due to government intervention in healthcare. Ron Paul is referred to by many in Congress as "Dr. No" for his consistent 20 year voting record of voting against unconstitutional spending. Sometimes he is the only dissenting vote.
Ron Paul voted against creating Medicare Part D in 2003 [4] and instead cosponsored a bill (HR 2427 [108th Congress])allowing U.S. Citizens to buy cheaper drugs from outside of the US instead of the artificially high priced prescription drugs inside the US. This would have given money BACK to taxpayers instead of taking more from them.
"Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of HR 2427, the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act, because I believe it is an important bill that will benefit all Americans. As my colleagues are aware, many Americans are concerned about the high cost of prescription drugs. These high prices particularly affect senior citizens who have a greater than average need for prescription drugs and a lower than average income. Of course, some of these seniors may soon have at least part of their prescription drug costs covered by Medicare.
Medicare is already on shaky financial ground, yet will soon be subsidizing prescription drug costs. This is why Congress must address the issue of prescription drug costs. Of course Congress should respect our constitutional limits, and not further expand the role of government in the health care market.
Fortunately, there are a number of market-oriented policies Congress can adopt to lower the prices of prescription drugs. This is because the main reason prescription drugs cost so much is government policies that give a few large companies monopoly power. For example, policies restricting the importation of quality pharmaceuticals enable pharmaceutical companies to charge above-market prices for their products. Therefore, all members of Congress who are serious about lowering prescription drug prices should support HR 2427"
- excerpt from Ron Paul's speech for HR 2427 [108th Congress] [5]
In this excerpt from Ron Paul's Issues page on Healthcare[6], we see what a Ron Paul presidency supports:
"The federal government will not suddenly become efficient managers if universal health care is instituted. Government health care only means long waiting periods, lack of choice, poor quality, and frustration. Many Canadians, fed up with socialized medicine, come to the U.S. in order to obtain care. Socialized medicine will not magically work here.
Health care should not be left up to HMOs, big drug companies, and government bureaucrats.
It is time to take back our health care. This is why I support:
Making all medical expenses tax deductible.
Eliminating federal regulations that discourage small businesses from providing coverage.
Giving doctors the freedom to collectively negotiate with insurance companies and drive down the cost of medical care.
Making every American eligible for a Health Savings Account(HSA), and removing the requirement that individuals must obtain a high-deductible insurance policy before opening an HSA.
Reform licensure requirements so that pharmacists and nurses can perform some basic functions to increase access to care and lower costs.
By removing federal regulations, encouraging competition, and presenting real choices, we can make our health care system the envy of the world once again. "
If you have watched the televised debates so far, you may have noticed that Ron Paul speaks about monetary policy and the economy for nearly every question. While others on the stage laugh at him for his responses, he seems to be the only one that understands that bad monetary and economic policies are key causes of the issues we face today, from the increasing money supply(and thus increasing inflation) created by the unregulated Federal Reserve, to a foreign policy that is inconsistent with the founding fathers and is rapidly helping to bankrupt the nation. When the other candidates laugh at our nation's problems, you have to wonder why they are even running to be President. Knowingly though, we have seen these same candidates starting to mimic Ron Paul's ideas as his support has grown by leaps and bounds. Don't be fooled by those jumping on the bandwagon, Ron Paul is and has been the real deal for over 30 years.
Ron Paul has:
never voted to raise taxes.
never voted for an unbalanced budget.
never voted to raise congressional pay.
never taken a government-paid junket.
never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
not participated in the lucrative congressional pension program.
never voted to spend money out of the Social Security Fund.
returned a portion of his congressional office's budget to the U.S. Treasury every year.
As you can see, America needs to make some hard decisions right now in order to survive in the future. Ron Paul cannot do this alone. He needs the help of Congressmen who aren't afraid to take on the task of being responsible fiscally and change the way that the government operates by falling more inline with the Constitutionally defined government responsibilities. Please write your Congressman with your concerns about this looming problem. If your Congressman won't listen, elect one that will. Please also help elect Ron Paul as President in 2008.
SOURCES
[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS2fI2p9iVs 00:54 - 01:08
[2] http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d08353cg.pdf
[3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS2fI2p9iVs 05:26 - 06:11
[4] http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h108-1
[5] http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/document.php?id=627
[6] http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/health-care/
Please take time to review the following additional sources of information about Ron Paul:
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/ - Ron Paul's official 2008 campaign website.
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/ - Issues page on Ron Paul's official website.
http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/ - A collection of speeches and Congressional newsletters by Dr. Ron Paul.
Created by the Ron Paul Grassroots - Not Affiliated with any Official Political Campaign
Graphic document can be found HERE (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=96659)
*Work In Progress portion finished. Please see new thread.*
Rough Draft thread can be found HERE (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?p=988534#post988534)
As discussed in THIS Thread (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=89241), the U.S. Comptroller General David Walker has been trying to educate the public about the coming debt burden for all Americans since last year. A recent Glenn Beck (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-16u9x3tfE) show as well as Another Interview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS2fI2p9iVs)(Does anyone know where this youtube was pulled from? Looks like Mercola is the user which may be the Dr. Mercola that backed Dr. Paul awhile back, but I'm not familiar with him) show him discussing this problem and pretty much advocating Dr. Paul's positions. He won't endorse any candidate, but I'm pretty sure he wants this information out since it sounds like hardly anyone in D.C. is listening to him. Dr. Paul is the ONLY candidate who even thinks about this and the other candidates laugh at him when he brings up these points.
The original thought was to create a 'bill' type of document and mail it to voters around America. When they opened the 'bill' they would see something that looked like a bill and said they owed $400,000+. The document would then break out the total costs and go into how Dr. Paul would fix the problem. My thoughts with this(since I canvass right now) is to create a handout that just goes over the information and Dr. Paul's overall talking points to fix the issue. Then this could be handed out by canvassers as easy talking points that grab even decided(but not for Paul) voters' eyes. Others could probably easily change the document into the original thought of a 'bill' document, but since I don't have the time to run a chipin to mail these 'bills' out, I'll let someone else do that. FYI though, quite a few people I've talked with have said they wouldn't vote for a candidate that was related to something sneaky like that. If they were made to think it was an actual bill and then found out it was a political ad, they absolutely wouldn't vote for the candidate.
I want to create a document that is completely factual. Any errors that are found could put the whole document in a bad light which could be spun by the media to make it ineffective :(. My plan is to create the document in parts to allow for easy discussion with all on these forums and work toward a text that can be handed off to a graphic designer to create a finished product that can then be used by the grassroots. The problem is this needs to be designed yesterday so this will be some rapid development so that we can hopefully canvass/email this out before Feb 5th.
I will design as follows:
Quoted segments will be the actual document parts. Discussion questions and factchecking needs will be after each part. As these needs get done, I'll translate them into the quoted segments until we have one large text document ready to go.
Again, this is a work in progress and I'll try to note the last time it was updated. Anyone can help with this as long as you include your sources(reputable sources only). The sources are being given intermediate reference numbers. Once the document is completely together, I'll change to ordered numeric references.
Last updated: 01/17/08 6:02 PM
{Large Text here, maybe 5 times the regular font?}FINAL NOTICE?
{More Large Text}YOUR HOUSEHOLD HAS A FISCAL BURDEN OF $440,000 DUE TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
"I would argue that the most serious threat to the United States is not someone hiding in a cave in Afghanistan or Pakistan, but our own fiscal irresponsibility." - Hon. David Walker, U.S. Comptroller General [1]
According to David Walker, the U.S. Comptroller General, every U.S. household has a fiscal burden of $440,000. David Walker can be thought of as the head accountant of the United States Government and his office, the GAO(Government Accountability Office), has crunched the numbers and found that every household in the United States has a fiscal burden of $440,000 due to entitlement programs coming due over the next 20 years. [2]
According to Mr. Walker, the future benefits burden rose from $13 Trillion in 2000 to $38.8 Trillion in 2006, an increase of 197%!
Mr. Walker breaks this down further:
Future Social Security Benefits were $3.8 Trillion in 2000 and increased to $6.4 Trillion in 2006
Future Medicare Part A Benefits were $2.7 Trillion in 2000 and increased to $11.3 Trillion in 2006
Future Medicare Part B Benefits were $6.5 Trillion in 2000 and increased to $13.1 Trillion in 2006
Future Medicare Part D Benefits were only just created in 2003 and were $7.9 Trillion in 2006
"The Prescription Drug Bill was probably the most fiscally irresponsible piece of legislation since the 1960s. ... we've promised way more than we can afford to keep. Eight trillion dollars added to what was already a fifteen to twenty trillion dollar underfunding. We're not being realistic. We can't afford the promises we've already made, much less to be piling on top of them. ... We'd have to have eight trillion dollars today, invested at treasury rates, to deliver on that promise." - David Walker, US Comptroller General speaking on the Bill that created the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Medicare Part D) [3]
When the interviewer asked how much money we have today, Walker replied, "Zip!" while making a zero with his fingers.
Mr. Walker lays out the problems we are facing in a powerpoint presentation that he shows while touring the country raising awareness of this issue:
"Current Fiscal Policy is Unsustainable
The 'Status Quo' is Not an Option
We face large and growing structural deficits largely due to known demographic trends and rising health care costs
GAO's simulations show that balancing the budget in 2040 could require actions as large as
Cutting total federal spending by 60 percent or
Raising federal taxes to 2 times today's level
Faster Economic Growth Can Help, But It Cannot Solve the Problem
Closing the current long-term fiscal gap based on reasonable assumptions would require real average annual economic growth in the double digit range every year for the next 75 years
During the 1990s, the economy grew at an average 3.2 percent per year
As a result, we cannot simply grow our way out of this problem. Tough choices will be required"
Please note that David Walker does not endorse any candidate. These figures are only used to show the situation the United States is in under past and current policies. Tough choices need to be made to make sure that the government is fiscally viable in the future.
Which of the current presidential candidates can make these tough choices?
For over 20 years in the House of Representatives, Dr. Ron Paul has said no to spending and advocated common sense Constitutional government for preserving our way of life. He is the only medical doctor of all the presidential candidates and has watched as healthcare costs skyrocketed due to government intervention in healthcare. Ron Paul is referred to by many in Congress as "Dr. No" for his consistent 20 year voting record of voting against unconstitutional spending. Sometimes he is the only dissenting vote.
Ron Paul voted against creating Medicare Part D in 2003 [4] and instead cosponsored a bill (HR 2427 [108th Congress])allowing U.S. Citizens to buy cheaper drugs from outside of the US instead of the artificially high priced prescription drugs inside the US. This would have given money BACK to taxpayers instead of taking more from them.
"Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of HR 2427, the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act, because I believe it is an important bill that will benefit all Americans. As my colleagues are aware, many Americans are concerned about the high cost of prescription drugs. These high prices particularly affect senior citizens who have a greater than average need for prescription drugs and a lower than average income. Of course, some of these seniors may soon have at least part of their prescription drug costs covered by Medicare.
Medicare is already on shaky financial ground, yet will soon be subsidizing prescription drug costs. This is why Congress must address the issue of prescription drug costs. Of course Congress should respect our constitutional limits, and not further expand the role of government in the health care market.
Fortunately, there are a number of market-oriented policies Congress can adopt to lower the prices of prescription drugs. This is because the main reason prescription drugs cost so much is government policies that give a few large companies monopoly power. For example, policies restricting the importation of quality pharmaceuticals enable pharmaceutical companies to charge above-market prices for their products. Therefore, all members of Congress who are serious about lowering prescription drug prices should support HR 2427"
- excerpt from Ron Paul's speech for HR 2427 [108th Congress] [5]
In this excerpt from Ron Paul's Issues page on Healthcare[6], we see what a Ron Paul presidency supports:
"The federal government will not suddenly become efficient managers if universal health care is instituted. Government health care only means long waiting periods, lack of choice, poor quality, and frustration. Many Canadians, fed up with socialized medicine, come to the U.S. in order to obtain care. Socialized medicine will not magically work here.
Health care should not be left up to HMOs, big drug companies, and government bureaucrats.
It is time to take back our health care. This is why I support:
Making all medical expenses tax deductible.
Eliminating federal regulations that discourage small businesses from providing coverage.
Giving doctors the freedom to collectively negotiate with insurance companies and drive down the cost of medical care.
Making every American eligible for a Health Savings Account(HSA), and removing the requirement that individuals must obtain a high-deductible insurance policy before opening an HSA.
Reform licensure requirements so that pharmacists and nurses can perform some basic functions to increase access to care and lower costs.
By removing federal regulations, encouraging competition, and presenting real choices, we can make our health care system the envy of the world once again. "
If you have watched the televised debates so far, you may have noticed that Ron Paul speaks about monetary policy and the economy for nearly every question. While others on the stage laugh at him for his responses, he seems to be the only one that understands that bad monetary and economic policies are key causes of the issues we face today, from the increasing money supply(and thus increasing inflation) created by the unregulated Federal Reserve, to a foreign policy that is inconsistent with the founding fathers and is rapidly helping to bankrupt the nation. When the other candidates laugh at our nation's problems, you have to wonder why they are even running to be President. Knowingly though, we have seen these same candidates starting to mimic Ron Paul's ideas as his support has grown by leaps and bounds. Don't be fooled by those jumping on the bandwagon, Ron Paul is and has been the real deal for over 30 years.
Ron Paul has:
never voted to raise taxes.
never voted for an unbalanced budget.
never voted to raise congressional pay.
never taken a government-paid junket.
never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
not participated in the lucrative congressional pension program.
never voted to spend money out of the Social Security Fund.
returned a portion of his congressional office's budget to the U.S. Treasury every year.
As you can see, America needs to make some hard decisions right now in order to survive in the future. Ron Paul cannot do this alone. He needs the help of Congressmen who aren't afraid to take on the task of being responsible fiscally and change the way that the government operates by falling more inline with the Constitutionally defined government responsibilities. Please write your Congressman with your concerns about this looming problem. If your Congressman won't listen, elect one that will. Please also help elect Ron Paul as President in 2008.
SOURCES
[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS2fI2p9iVs 00:54 - 01:08
[2] http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d08353cg.pdf
[3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS2fI2p9iVs 05:26 - 06:11
[4] http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h108-1
[5] http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/document.php?id=627
[6] http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/health-care/
Please take time to review the following additional sources of information about Ron Paul:
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/ - Ron Paul's official 2008 campaign website.
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/ - Issues page on Ron Paul's official website.
http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/ - A collection of speeches and Congressional newsletters by Dr. Ron Paul.
Created by the Ron Paul Grassroots - Not Affiliated with any Official Political Campaign