Missing the mountain for the molehill

Reader comment on: Laughing at Schumer

Submitted by ben (United States), Feb 4, 2010 11:18

As fun as it is (and I did love Collins' column, particularly the quip about the whaling earmark being done on a dare) to bash earmarks, they are a minute portion of the budget. Rising healthcare costs are what make all projections of budget deficits so depressing. Even social security represents a small fraction of what our government is on the hook for paying out in the future. Without healthcare reform, wasting time on entitlements is just a distraction. The Senate health bill would lower the deficit by 1 TRILLION dollars according to the CBO (which the Republicans cite when the information is favorable to their arguments, but not otherwise). This 1 TRILLION doesn't count potential savings from the various pilot programs that could potentially save money and then be taken to scale. Why are deficit hawks opposing health reform? It make NO sense.

Note: Comments are moderated by the editor and are subject to editing.

Comment on this item