Marcus is a twit. When I see her byline I move on immediately.
Regarding TANF ('welfare'), the "cash caseload" was slashed but other
benefits to the poor have increased (EITC especially). I am not
saying
the system was
improved, only that the natural dynamic of $$ expansion was not
thwarted
by reform. We forget spending on Medicaid has grown substantially
too,
supplemented by SCHIP. What has also expanded among entitlements has
been social insurance, not least because of G. Bush.
I wouldn't go shouting it from the housetops, but the right-wing fear
of ANY health care reform bill growing in cost is not irrational.
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jim Devine
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 7:15 PM
To: Progressive Economics
Subject: Re: [Pen-l] Coming unhinged over health reform?
Ruth Marcus writes:
> ... But lets assume the critics on the
> left are correct, and that insurers are only pretending to be
unhappy
> with the Senate bill in order to lure lawmakers into passing itat
> which point (actually, in 2014) theyll be able to pounce on
millions
> of new customers.
Marcus doesn't understand politics at all: the insurers are pushing
against the health-insurance reform bill because the more they push,
the more it's compromised in their favor. They aren't "pretending to
be unhappy" with the bill. They _are_ unhappy, because it's not as
good as it could be for them. And they know that they can do better.
> ... History teaches that, once in place, entitlement
> programs tend to become more generous, not less. The approach to
> programs that do not work as intended is to lubricate their
operations
> as Congress does bestby spending more money. ...
Entitlement programs get more generous over time? how about welfare?
AFDC became much _less_ generous when it morphed into TANF. And
Congress has been been very good at cutting civilian programs when
they feel like it.
--
Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own
way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante.
_______________________________________________
pen-l mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
_______________________________________________
pen-l mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
