Comments on: Obama taking page from Jerry Brown’s playbook?

By: RR, Senile Columnist

RR, Senile Columnist — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:59:46 +0000

Re #9: I don’t save pennies, I give them to beggars.

By: Susan Harnisch

Susan Harnisch — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:52:56 +0000

Fantastic! Everything counts, like every penny counts. This is how to rule!

By: Ohjeanne

Ohjeanne — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:02:48 +0000

the Sacramento bee has a link that shows yearly wages of state employees.
instead of typing in a name, use the drop down and select over $300,000.

on a furloughed year look at all the ones who got $200,000 and way up, raises instead of cuts.

why?

By: John W

John W — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:58:50 +0000

Re: #3 and 6

Unlike Elwood, I would care alot if Medicare and SS ended tomorrow. That said, it simply is not true that you have paid for Medicare. Contributed, yes. Paid for, no. According to something I read yesterday, the typical couple (not individual) going on Medicare this year will have contributed roughly $119,000 to Medicare and receive about $350,000 in benefits. At $50k gross wage income for an individual, the annual contribution, including employer share, would be only $1,450. So you can do the math. Those payroll taxes go exclusively to pay for Medicare Part A, the hospitalization program. In about 10 years (maybe less), the Part A trust fund will have been entirely paid back, and the program will have to rely entirely on payroll taxes, which will fall way short of costs, because of both demographics and the fact that health care costs rise faster than wages from which the payroll taxes come. Your Medicare Part B premium (doctor services) covers only 25% of Part B costs. General fund revenues pay the other 75%. Same thing for Part D (prescription drugs). If you’re in Medicare Advantage, the government subsidy is even higher.

By: Elwood

Elwood — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:24:18 +0000

@ #3 Quagmire (an excellent description of the O’bummer administration)

My you certainly do have a lot of anger, don’t you? Who knew that you were paying for all those entitlements?

I could care less if Medicare and SS ended tomorrow.

So who’s the dumbass now, dumbass?

By: John W

John W — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:12:41 +0000

One idea that seems to be floating out there is to change the index used to calculate everything from cost of living adjustments for Social Security and government employee pay to tax bracket indexing. What I like about that is that it affects almost everybody but is also gradual with no sudden shock effect. It may not be enough to deal with the long-term debt but would be significant. Curtailing tax bracket indexing wouldn’t affect super-wealthy people who derive most income from capital gains and dividends, since those are currently taxed at a very low flat rate. Still have to find some way to deal with Medicaid and the portions of Medicare that are not covered by payroll taxes and premiums. As I recall, there were no automatic Social Security adjustments until LBJ, and no indexing of tax brackets until Reagan. Tax bracket indexing probably had a greater long-term impact on tax revenue than the rate cuts. I can remember being subjected to a 49% marginal rate at about $50k income before the Reagan cuts went into effect.

By: Terri Main

Terri Main — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:00:38 +0000

You know as a “state worker” in the community college system, I’ve never had a school issued cell phone, I get one laptop computer every five years or so. As for “swag” my door “plaque” is a printout of my office hours on a card. If I want any polo shirts, t-shirts, etc, I buy them myself. That’s the way it has ALWAYS been for 30 years. What state employees get all those other perks? OIC, probably aids to members of the legislature, cabinet, executive branch. Certainly not the foot soldiers: teachers, police, fire, health officials, Cal-trans road workers.

I think it’s right that those priviledged few are having to live like the rest of us, but don’t give the impression that ALL state workers get free travel, cell phones, etc. Because most of us DON’T and NEVER HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: quagmire

quagmire — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:58:20 +0000

wtf is an entitlement? i hope you’re not referring to SS and medicare. i pay for those programs with every payroll check. oh oh oh, you meant the retirement packages, health plans, and gobs of money that get thrown at even single term rep’s in congress receive.
@elwood- you’re one of hose, “keep yer gov’t hands off my medicare” guys, aren’t you…… dumbass

By: Elwood

Elwood — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:18:37 +0000

Cell phones? Cars? Travel?

Chump change.

Cut entitlements. But wait, don’t the recipients vote dimmiecrat?

We can’t do that!

By: Jen K

Jen K — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:11:15 +0000

Andrew Cuomo called for across the board spending cuts in NY w/in WEEKS of taking office. Why has Obama waited THREE YEARS to do this?!?!