Obama hits Ryan plan once again in weekly address

[ProSense]

Obama hits Ryan plan once again in weekly address

by Susan Gardner

To restore fiscal responsibility, we all need to share in the sacrifice–but we don’t have to sacrifice the America we believe in.

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For those of us hoping that President Obama would continue to follow up on his Wednesday fiscal policy speech that made Paul Ryan cry, we can rejoice.

This morning's weekly address adds a few upper cuts, most squarely aimed at the monstrosity of Ryan's plan that passed the House yesterday with zero—ZERO—Democratic votes. Mr. President, take it away:

Now, one plan put forward by some Republicans in the House of Representatives aims to reduce our deficit by $4 trillion over the next ten years. But while I think their goal is worthy, I believe their vision is wrong for America.

It’s a vision that says at a time when other nations are hustling to out-compete us for the jobs and businesses of tomorrow, we have to make drastic cuts in education, infrastructure, and clean energy – the very investments we need to win that competition and get those jobs.

It’s a vision that says that in order to reduce the deficit, we have to end Medicare as we know it, and make cuts to Medicaid that would leave millions of seniors, poor children, and Americans with disabilities without the care they need.

But even as this plan proposes these drastic cuts, it would also give $1 trillion in tax breaks to the wealthiest 2% of Americans–an extra $200,000 for every millionaire and billionaire in the country.

I don’t think that’s right. I don’t think it’s right to ask seniors to pay thousands more for health care, or ask students to postpone college, just so we don’t have to ask those who have prospered so much in this land of opportunity to give back a little more.

The president went on to discuss savings and cuts carved out in the budget agreement reached eight days ago with Republican Speaker John Boehner, most notably defense cuts and health care cost controls. And then he hit hard with the same message about tax reform he made earlier this week:

We’ll reduce spending in our tax code with tax reform that’s fair and simple–so that the amount of taxes you pay doesn’t depend on how clever an accountant you can afford. And we should end the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, too. Because people like me don’t need another tax cut.

This address is full of good stuff—not simply pointing out the need for the wealthy to share more of the responsibilities for keeping this country funded, but alluding to how the system currently works (no matter what the official tax rates) to the benefit of the rich.

The full transcript can be found beneath the fold and on the White House website.

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[ZombieHorde]

1. Recommended, but haven't the poor sacrificed enough? nt

[indepat]

3. The middle class/poor should not have to sacrifice an iota more until large corporations and the

uber-wealthy have matched their cumulative sacrifice since the gipper's early days: their shameful 22-year free-ride at the taxpayers' teat should be paid back in sacrifice with interest added before the middle-class/poor are asked to sacrifice again. :patriot:

[The Wielding Truth]

2. We can't return to the nightmare of republican rule. Stop Ryan's

foolish and heartless fix.I applaud the president for pushing reason to the forefront.