Watch Out for Panels and I Don't Mean Trucks

Now the GOP has this great idea of cutting Social Security benefits and Medicare to reduce the deficit. Many of the Tea Party activists believe it will do no harm and teach the tax and spend Democrats a lesson. Here's the real God's honest truth. If Congress makes large cuts in Social Security and other benefits for our elderly, those cuts might create real death panels. Imagine councils that might have to decide who will die of starvation or disease and who will get the government benefits.

However, most of the GOP legislators and candidates are so wealthy they don't have to depend on Social Security and Medicare to survive. Those benefits, which they collect as well as we, just pad their wallets while they wait for their monthly stocks/bonds dividends and political stipends.

The GOP has also recommended cutting education dollars for public and charter schools to reduce the deficit. This is another time worn idea that makes no sense when the National Education Association (NEA) informs us our education system is running way behind other world powers. Don't our lawmakers read the news papers? Many of our nation's students can't read at an eighth grade level even after they graduate from high school. That's the level one needs to read a news paper. But the GOP lawmakers don't care because their kids go to private schools. And they certainly don't want a literate electorate.

Nope, the only problem our legislators are concerned about is how to get reelected. We all know they will promise anything to keep their phony-baloney jobs. These ideas to reduse the deficit are the same old cures offered by the GOP every year since Reagan was elected. Robbing the middle class and the poor to fix congressional mistakes just doesn't work. Stop cutting programs that are essential for our country to survive only to pacify the radical right.

August 2nd is coming up in twelve days. Please call your Senators, Mark Pryor and John Boozeman. Let them know what you want.