Mr Griffiths says "Republicans like Ryan want to return America to this disgraceful time." Rep. Ryan is not proposing that seniors be denied health coverage. He has plans to make Medicare a private entity, not a government entitlement program. Articles like this try to create class warfare and get votes for Democrat candidates. I'm hoping it doesn't work.

Why do Liberals always thing everything is affordable as long as someone else is paying the bill?

Conservative republicans are unbelievable in their ignorance toward Social Security. Conservatives are constantly helping BILLIONAIRES with bailouts, off-shore tax havens, and Big Oil subsidies, yet the conservatives tell taxpayers that have worked hard all their lives and PAID into the Social Security System all their working lives that they are “greedy” for now collecting the benefits from a system they paid into. Such hypocrites the conservatives are.

Amazing. Out of three comments, all three are negative, only one rebuts Mr. Griffiths commentst with any kind of a contrasting view, and one is a personal attack.

I can think of fewer things than I would rather see my tax money spent on than healthcare. People act like the money is going to provide medicare to people in Australia. We are using our tax dollars in a way that is providing a service for ourselves. We all (hopefully) are going to get old. First your grandparents, then your parents, aunts and uncles, then you. Nobody gets out alive. These tax dollars that come back to us in a form that is tangible...that you can see. It helps us to stay healthy, and when you get sick, doesn't make you cut pills in half because you can't afford them.
We are spending more than a billion dollars a month in Iraq and Afghanistan. Does anybody really think that money is going to save more lives in America, than helping people afford doctors and hospitals ?

It is most disheartening to see extremist views featured on the Brick Patch. Whoever Mr. Griffiths is, he parrots the fact-free "Progressive" line that anyone who opposes their agenda wants to kill seniors and babies, and deny women cancer screenings, all in order to ship cash to the obscenely wealthy and the oil companies.

If you remind them that the current Administration in Washington had total control of the government for 2 years, and used that time to push through an unconstitutional, clumsy, amateurish jumble and call it health care reform, the very first feature of which was to take, listen up now, half a TRILLION dollars away from Medicare, then you're just a .........! Fill in the blank. Moron, hater, racist, corporate pirate, homophobe, religious extremist, etc.

I would not want to see articles from the other extreme any more than I want to see this.The other Party has it's share of equally extreme and ill-informed advocates whose rantings add nothing to the moderate middle-of-the-road majority's search for sensible solutions to the nation's problems.

At what point did defending Social Security and Medicare become an "extremist view"? Although, there are those on the right that have adamently opposed Social Security and Medicare from the beginning, now that's extreme. As there were also many that saw FDR and the New Deal as extreme. There were those on the right that said the GI Bill was a socialist program, were they extreme? The truth is that anyone that defends workers, unions, seniors, women's rights, or child labor laws are considered extreme by the conservatives.

Defending the programs are one thing, your article clearly does not do that. Your article was carefully constructed to bash republicans, lie and give factless information to the ignorant and drive fear into the hearts of seniors making them think they're going to be cut off at the knees. You wrote an attack article plain as day and no matter how you try to spin it, anyone with a 5th grade level of reading comprehension knows what it says.
Maybe you should have written a non-biased article with a good amount of fact thrown in. Just sayin'...

Let me also add that you even took artistic liberties with the title of the bill created by Ryan: "Ryan introduced a sequel to his earlier assault on Medicare as he put forward his Path to Prosperity, Medicare-Killing fiscal plan."

Did he truly call it "Path to Prosperity, Medicare-Killing"? Come now, tell me you didn't make that up for the sole purpose of stirring the pot?

Although I enjoy readng the back and forth comments, I still wonder why the Patch decided to feature such a partisan article. Is this an indication of the editor's politics? Or will the Patch look around and locate a right-wing whacko to complain about Karl Marx and interracial marriage, and call the result "Balance"?

I hope not!
Wait - I like creative writing... can I do it? <giggle>

“Conservatives define themselves in terms of what they oppose”.
George Will

Oh what a tangled web the Republicans weave, but it is clear that the 2012 Election Cycle is really ALL about the future of Social Security and Medicare. The Presidential Election is actually secondary to the far right hatred for Social Security and it is time for Seniors to realize that fact. Even if Pres. Obama is re-elected, he is only in office for another 4 years, but Social Security will remain for the rest of our lives unless we make the mistake of allowing the Republicans to divert funds and starve both Social Security and Medicare to death. The 2012 election is a referendum on the continued survival of both Social Security and Medicare. The far right has hated both of these programs from the beginning and now they feel they have put up an adequate smoke screen to allow them to sabotage and dismantle Social Security right under the noses of the millions of seniors that depend on both these programs for a secure future. If Seniors allow the Republicans to dismantle Medicare and Social Security it will be the biggest mistake of their lifetime.

JR - I didn't mention republicans for the sole purpose I was commenting on Mr Griffith's article and nothing more. But you know what? Even though someone took artistic liberties with the name of the health care bill and called it Obamacare, it's a far cry from adding in something so erroneous as "Medicare Killing". More spin from someone who has so much hate he can't stay on track of what someone is talking about. Don't let the spin make you too dizzy sir.

Mr. Griffiths, you are so wrong. This year's election is about the economy, not Social Security and Medicare. And just so you know, I'm an independent voter, not some sheep who would follow a party line because she is too blind to think for herself.

I'm not trying to paint the right as the perfect party, I've commented on YOUR ARTICLE and it's content, nothing more. It's sad you don't understand that and continue to keep your spin going.

FYI - if Obama gets re-elected, the economy is going to get worse and more homes will become vacant. It won't be pretty.

Oh you are so right.... it's all George Bush's fault.

I'm glad you agree with me. :)
I do like your dog picture though. I like them much more than most people.

On one side we have people defending the pseudo-left and the other the radical right.

Isn't today April Fools day? It's fitting because you all look like fools to me.

I'm not defending anyone. So sad that I have to continue to repeat myself.
All I did was make obvious what this article was implying.
My comments had nothing to do with politics yet those replying to me seem to think I am.
Again, let me be clear...I was commenting on the article, not politics.
If it were some cockamamie article written by a far right author I would feel the same way and point that out.

Why is this so hard for you all to understand?

Gene Sperling: Paul Ryan Medicare ‘death spiral" http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/74222.html

Paul Ryan’s budget: Should the poor pay for deficit reduction?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/paul-ryans-budget-should-the-poor-pay-for-deficit-reduction/2011/08/25/gIQAxawWPS_blog.html

Ryan’s budget frames 2012 election around Medicare
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/03/23/ryan%e2%80%99s-budget-frames-2012-election-around-medicare/

Griffiths are you kidding. Social Security constructed the way it is now is doomed to fail. You have NO idea what you are talking about. Read a book once in a while and stop spewing you political garabage.

You are nothing more than a political hack attempting to move a liberal big government agenda forward. I read what you write and laugh, whether it is about the teachers union or your plea to have civil politics while at the same time spewing more liberal propaganda in the same article. None of what you write is based in fact. You can post all the websites you want, they are editorial base and not based in fact. Here is one for you, the GAO and the former United States Comtroller General from 1998 to 2008, David Walker, both say Social Security is dooomed if not revamped. There findings are based in fact not propaganda that you continually quote in this blog. Your sources are slanted and not based in fact.
Thats ok. Time will tell, to keep the Social Security as is will signal the end of it as it and the county goes bankrupt. Here read a book that is researched factual with sources and research cited:

Comeback America: Turning the Country Around and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility. By David Walker

Is this the same David Walker that advocates RAISING TAXES to address the long-term deficit? Maybe the far right doesn't like that part of his book, so they ignor it. Maybe you should read that part of his book again. No, I am not kidding about Social Security and Medicare, it must, and it will, become the core issue of this election cycle, especially if radical republicans in Congress like Paul Ryan continue to push the killing of Medicare under the guise of a budget proposal.

At Bob Griffiths- You're nothing but an liar or or just plain dumb. Spewing lies about the Paul Ryan plan that will give YOUNG people choices and those currently depending on Social Security & Medicare will be unaffected (except that his plan with put the programs back on the road to solvency rather than bankruptch and rationed care as you President has.) Quit your lies. People do your own research on this topic and don't listen to radical partisan like this man.

http://blog.american.com/2012/03/paul-ryans-new-budget-offers-a-path-to-prosperity-and-solvency/ - 79k

http://blog.heritage.org/2012/03/20/first-reactions-to-ryans-path-to-prosperity-a-blueprint-for-american-renewal/ - 65k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILJDudUpct0
Illegal Aliens Caught Voting and Stealing Elections In Florida In Vast Numbers

Didn't the Obama budget just go down in flames 414 to 0? That means ZERO democrats voted for it. What does that tell you? Then there is the little matter of the democrat-controlled senate which has not passed ANY budget in 3 years!

Welcome to the future, where all your decisions are made by someone else, and any flimsy excuse can be used a weapon. But wait, there's more:

"While we are unable to comment on individual cases, we would like to assure patients there is a procedure GP practices need to follow before they can remove patients from their lists.”

Even the hospitals and doctors are not free to think and act independently. They have their overlords as well.

Well brother, you asked for it.
Surgery bans elderly patient over her carbon footprint - Telegraph
www.telegraph.co.uk
An elderly woman was ordered to find a new GP because the “carbon footprint” of her two-mile round trips to the surgery where she had been treated for 30 years was too large...

Here ya go:
http://www.citizenlink.com/2012/03/22/u-s-house-votes-to-eliminate-obamacare-panel/ - 38k
The REPUBLICAN controlled House of Representatives voted to eliminate the board created to essentially DENY CARE TO MEDICARE PATIENTS. It will, however, face an uphill battle to get enough votes to repeal it in the DEMOCRATE controlled Senate. Of course the DEMOCRATE President will veto it if it does pass. So the "Extreme" Leftwing is responsible for the rationing of care that will result if the panel is allowed to exist (along with the entire Obamacare law). Vote Republican to increase chances of repealing the devastating Obamacare law. More to come.

http://youtu.be/ieT6cymsldM - More on Obamacare - please share with other since the "so'called media" isn't doing it's job but rather acting as a cheerleader for the left.

More infringement on our rights by the party of Adler:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKbn1MdV79s&feature=share
Talk about extreme!!

Sorry, the link above didn't contain the rebuttal link
http://youtu.be/astY6xIKJuA

A. The entire Doocy comment was not played. B. The comments by Hannity were all facts so what's the big deal. No one is supposed to mention all the muslim pandering and the American apology tour. Not to mention bowing to the Saudi King and now assisting the Muslim Brotherhood into power in Egypt, funneling 1.5 BILLION of our tax dollars to them and meeting with them in the White House (I'm sure there just a peace loving bunch). That was only the tip of the iceberg. As I said you as well as his other followers will suffer along with the rest of us if he's re-elected. Let me know if you find anymore typos.

anyone notice a GOOD QUALITY DOCTOR post a sign up saying " beginning April 1st, our office will only be accepting CASH or Debit."... i'd like every1 to have what they were promised, as well as each American who cannot afford to fix an important medical issue -Get some help.. but sadly nothing in in obama's plan helps a majority of people.... and dont knock FOX NEWS Brother... Your watching Commentary programs, so your gonna hear sum1's opinion...(atleast they always have 2 sides to argue it) i and @ 3pm & 7pm is an actual News program with Shepard Smith if u just want facts... if u were really "COOL" you would always watch RED EYE @ 3am!!! Take Care & Spike ya Hair
haters

@Rick Molinia :)

http://usjf.net/2012/04/barack-obama-was-a-foreign-student-american-media-threatened-into-silence/

http://kleinonline.wnd.com/2012/04/08/obama-doing-business-with-the-devil-white-house-meeting-with-muslim-brotherhood-a-dangerous-escalation/

Bob, you're just regurgitating the typical bleeding heart liberal rhetoric. If anything is "medicare killing" it's the mess of healthcare legislation that Obama and friends rushed through. How do you really expect us to pay for this system. Wait, I know already. "Tax the rich!" Sure, that's a great idea, let's see how these policies work out.. Obamacare... Don't get sick ! This article is hypocrisy at its finest.

The recently passed social security payroll tax cut extension is a disaster. It was a bad idea to start with in December 2010 when Pelosi, Reid and Obama rammed it through during the lame duck seesion, and it is again after Boehner's concurrence!

If the "160 million" working people who are getting this tax cut don't pay it, who do the politicians think will pay for SS? The unemployed? Students? Those on welfare? The disabled? Students?

I just read some of these comments. Griffiths you are in la la land. You quote a book that was mentioned by another poster and you forget that 95% of the book is about the reform of medicare, Social Security and the IRS then and only after the reform does David Walker advocate for tax CHANGE NOT REVENUE RAISING. CHANGE THE TAX CODE AND REFORM ENTITLEMENTS first. You and your liberal leftist don't like that part of the book so like every thing else you take it out of context.
You did not read the Ryan budget just the liberal propaganda about it. It does not kill any program. It protects those on the programs now and decelerates the growth of these entitlement programs. Again you are a propaganda spewer nothing more. Wake up we can not collect enough taxes to catch up to the growing deficit. Spending has to be reformed before taxes are raised.

Tax the rich ok Griffiths lets see the facts not the BS you spew:
White house says 22,000 make more than 1 mil
other sources say 100,000 make more than 1 mil
Politco says 225,000 make more than 1 mil

So lets take 1 million from each of these

White House number 22 bil
Others number 100 bil
politico number 225 bil
at 2pm today the debt number for last month was released it was 200 billion. Taking a milliion from the highest number of earners of one million covers one month of our national debt.
Our debt has increase 792 billion from 10/11 to 3/12(real numbers, facts not liberal propaganda) Our total debt is:

15.6 TRILLION . You can not collect enough taxes to pay that. Spending has to be cut.

Liberal politicians dont have a solution so they play bait and switch and say certain people make to much and they dont pay enough to those that do not make as much. They put up smoke screens and make the electorate think they have solutions.

I dont think that people making 1 million are going to limit the opportunities my children have. You know what is going to limit there opportunities 15.6 trillion in debt and counting!

and by the way Fiscal Responsibility aside, isnt it nice that we are becoming China's B****** .

Anyone who hasn't figured it out by now will obviously never figure it out, as agendas or partisan babble are more important than people, as is wildlife, etc. I plan on using my energy to help change the NJ Sex Offender Laws. Pediphiles, if i dare say. Tier 3s who are the worst offenders, have offended multiple times, and have been statistically proven to repeat their sick practices. However, in the State of NJ their rights are more important than the children they victimize. They are allowed to live near bus stops and schools or anywhere else for that matter, just let them know your here. The police force is only allowed to leave a notice at your door, stating that a Tier3 offender has moved in..no other information. I'm not talking about some 18-25 year old that was smitten with a teenagers charm (Tier 1) Real offenders, but they go to rehab and are called sick and can't be helped, you think. Move the sick one's to your neighborhood. Don't sell drugs by a school though, don't bring a gun near a school or anywhere else for that matter. Drop your gun at McDonald's that you may need to protect your family. Trade it in for a happy meal. Too many guns too, I'm sure the guy holding up the place came for a happy meal too..or maybe he shot the clerk and took the guns and the happy meals. Blah, Blah, Blah. Check out FL law on the subject..hint hint

Were is Bob. I guess when fact quoting time comes he disappears.
Here is a profile of a million dollar earner:
Small business owner with approx 10 to 20 employees
Payroll of approx 550 to 750 thousand not including his income( he pays payroll tax on this) and since these employees are productive citizens are taxpayers his business and payroll allows the government to collect their taxes. No business no payroll no taxes to collect.
Provides heath ins for approx 5-8 full time employees at approx 65,000 per year
Pays into SSI for his employees and into unemployment ins fund(last time I checked this was a tax)
Pays on his 1 million in income an average marginal tax rate of 21 percent
If his deductions are too high winds up pay AMT which is a higher tax
Pays 15 percent on any capital gains from investments
Pays 15 percent on qualified dividends he earns
In NJ pays apprx 12,000 per year in property taxes
Pays corporate taxes depending how his business is structured. .....
Depending on the type of business he or she can be subject to a multitude of other annoying taxes and fees.
Now lets take a close look at things.
47 percent of the population pays NO taxes to the Federal government and citizens that collect some type of entitlement is approaching 50 percent of the population. Of this 50 percent who knows how many really cant make a living and how many just dont want to. Yeah but the guy or gal making 1 mil creating jobs needs to pay more. Get real.

"We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future" - Franklin D Roosevelt

"We can afford all that we need; but cannot afford all that we want" - Franklin D Roosevelt

Mr. Griffiths,

I am a 36 year old, Hispanic male. People that think like you believe that people like me must believe what you do also. So let me tell you what "I" believe without any "outside" interference...
1) I believe that people that have worked their entire life paying into a "broken" system should have no change to the status quo.
2) I believe that "forcing" me and my generation to continue paying into a broken system is ridiculous.
3) Allow me to "Opt Out" of said broken system and put "MY OWN MONEY" to work for my own future.
4) I've been paying into this system since I was 16 years old. That's 20 years. Everything I have paid into it so far... KEEP IT!!! Just let me out now!

Same old tired democratic talking point. I remember as a kid listening to my dad and uncles argue the same issue--republicans are going to starve the elderly and children--take away your SS-bla bla bla.. Democrats are cowards--they know these programs are in trouble yet do nothing in order to keep the voting base. That is so much worse than anything Ryan has proposed...

@ tp just because someone states an opposing viewpoint that doesnt automatically make them a "liar" and "plain dumb" . isnt "tp" actually tim o connor who was banned from the patch for constantly using personal insults and racial comments? as for ferad gibson you can always opt out just don't collect your social security when you retire. very easy to do

and jr you are correct . hannity is the worst there is on tv. this week alone he had sarah palin as co host. all those conservatives who claim to be so smart actually voted for someone who had to write "lower taxes" on the palm of her hand. so you can see where theyre all coming from.

No Lacey Taxpayer--we cannot "opt out" of SS--and to say he could choose not to collect what he was forced to put in is not being serious. How about letting us invest ourmoney the way we wish--it is our money-correct?

bob people have been paying into social security for decades .and the many people who did are counting on social security to be paid into by those who will collect it later. ss is secure until 2036. until then and we have a better answer this is it. just because you don't feel like it anymore doesnt mean you can stop paying social security. you know what i pay almost half my paycheck in taxes every week. i,m tired of doing that too. i,m simply not going to pay taxes anymore . lets see how that works out for me and since you think its a novel idea why don't you refuse to pay all taxes as well.? its time for you to put the grown up pants on and stop tearing away at the basics millions of seniors and disabled count on to survive.

and by bob i mean bobby migliccio

I don't know who this is but please dont tell me to put on my big boy pants--I've been thinking for myself for a few years thank you. As for your typical rant on how your SS will be taken away in some way please know this--both of my parents were disabled--they relied on both SS and medicare--so I am not tearing away anything from anyone. To say we should not in some way reform these programs now because as you said "they are fine until 2036" is just a cop-out. We can insure that current benefits are paid while strengthening it for the younger generation and making sure it's solvent. And enough with "we been paying for decades"---so have people my age....

"The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office says in a report to be released Monday that the $8.3 billion the administration has earmarked for quality bonuses to Medicare Advantage insurance plans would postpone the pain of cuts to the plans under the new health care law. Most of the money would go to plans rated merely average."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/23/government-auditors-call-for-end-to-8-million-medicare-bonus-program/#ixzz1ss5Maa31

Elected officials in Washington receive a large salary, full benefits and a large pension all because we, the people elected them. If they had to pay for their own benefits, did not take a pension and put that money back into the social security and medicare program, it would fix the problem. They are elected to serve the people both young and old. Government "welfare" needs to end

bob g read something so i take it youre voting for romney who was 47th out of 50 states in job creation as gov of mass. and bn do you actually believe that the keystone pipeline will lower gas prices? lol it will raise gas prices as reported in trans canada's own 2008 report. by by passing the midwest and exporting oil overseas from tax free zones in the gulf it will raise gas prices . its amazing how you guys never get the memo.the only oil america will see from keystone is the oil it leaks from substandard steel pipes made in india. how many americans are working in india on this pipe?

earth to project moonbeam how can you manage to get it so wrong everytime.? despite what sean hannity told you to think the budget that was voted down was the budget that was from this past feb. obama has made major changes to a new version of it and dems are going to submit it when complete. moonbeam you better check for a carbon monoxide leak in your apt. no one could be this daffy without being starved of oxygen to the brain. lol