Diane Rehm hosted her usual "Friday News Roundup" today during which a 30-yr-old teacher-turned-entrepreneur called in. As he owns his own business now, he pays for his own health insurance in addition to sending in 3% of his income to fund Social Security. He said like many in our generation he's happy to pay into the social fund because he feels a social obligation to do so. He goes on, "...but if voters can't extend a public option to people like me, people in my generation who are healthy, why should we continue to fund theirs in the form of Medicare." He goes on to say his wealthy mom on Medicare had surgery and actually asked to pay for more of it and was denied. Effectively this young man paid for the procedure. The current health care system is so screwed up and needs to be reformed. But... you know... just say no!!
Some day someone is going to have to cut entitlement benefits while also raising taxes. It seems unethical to me that most Baby Boomers simply refuse to recognize or accept this. They will keep kicking that can down the road until they get theirs and then pass away leaving younger Americans with the fallout. I'm completely open to paying higher taxes (and waiting longer to collect any, if any, social security). It's the right thing to do for the nation, especially when combined with cost-cutting measures in Washington, DC. Presumably the right wing would riot in the streets if this was asked of us by our government though. It's un-American to ask people to pay taxes or something. How different is the spirit of anti-reform tea-baggers than the spirit of sacrifice and service to country evident during the World War II years. The government was asking people to grow their own food, to go without creature comforts in order to help secure the nation and its troops. Now it's "keep your dirty government paws off my Medicare"! Come on, Boomers, work with us.
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