CPI Chaining Is Unpopular

[octoberlib]

In addition to the substantive objections that members of Congress may have to any kind of fiscal deal, you should never forget about the politics part of politics. Cutting Social Security benefits slightly is wildly popular with Pete Peterson, Pete Peterson's son, the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, and a broad array of groups funded in whole or in part by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. But as today's Washington Post poll shows, it's broadly unpopular with the American people since as a pure cash transfer it's essentially a waste-free program and since retirement programs—unlike targeted programs from the poor—gain public support from white ethnocentrism rather than losing support.
Obviously any deal would be a bipartisan deal, but "bipartisan cover" isn't everything it used to be. Republicans and Democrats alike—including all the leaders of both parties—backed TARP in 2008, and pro-TARP Republicans and Democrats were both hit by their general election opponents in 2008 and 2010 for their trouble. A Republican who votes to cut Social Security benefits will be hit for cutting them in order to cut taxes on the rich, and a Democrat who votes to cut Social Security benefits will be hit for cutting them in order to finance a spending binge on lazy welfare moms.


http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2012/12/18/chained_cpi_slowing_growth_of_social_security_benefits_is_unpopular.html

[woo me with science]

1. Representative government

We don't have it anymore.

Nothing coming out of Washington even vaguely resembles what the people have repeatedly said we want.

Nothing. On austerity, on war, on the police/surveillance state...we are ruled, not represented.

They don't give a damn what we think; we are profit spigots, and nothing more.

Have we had enough yet, America?

[bluethruandthru]

2. +10000 n/t

[Luminous Animal]

3. +1

[TDale313]

4. Sadly, so true. n/t

[octoberlib]

5. +1

[DeSwiss]

6. 1. Agree

2. Agree
3. Agree
4. Agree
5. Unknown, so far -- the answer is an emphatic NO!

....and it continues to this day.

[BuelahWitch]

8. The government represents the rich and the corporations

The rest of us are just peons that they throw crumbs to every so often.

[kath]

9. + a brazillion -

- I said something similar in an earlier thread.
It becomes more and more and more clear that representative government is GONE in this country.

We have corporate one-party rule, where two parts of the party play "good-cop, bad-cop" with each other.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

10. Yep.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

7. K&R

[jsr]

11. Cut corporate welfare. Cut the MIC and Big Brother programs.

Just let the Bush tax cuts expire.