Shrub takes on actuaries with his "irrefutable logic"

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

http://www.cbpp.org/1-4-05socsec.htm



Tax Cuts & Drug Benefit will Cost at Least Five Times as Much as Projected Social Security Shortfall

Excerpt: "In a statement at his press conference December 20, President Bush said his Administration had already begun tackling the long-term budgetary costs of Medicare, with the enactment of the Medicare prescription drug bill. The drug bill, the President implied, would ultimately reduce Medicare costs. The President's comments were made in response to a question as to why he was taking on Social Security now and not Medicare, when the budgetary pressures from Medicare will be far ...." (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

[Career Prole]

1. The pResident's comments were made in response to a question...

Uh oh...who didn't get the press packet? Medicare is already fixed and the pharmaceutical giants wouldn't lie about an important thing like that!
On to Social Security!
More fixin' to do there. Fixin' stuff is hard work!

[Eric J in MN]

2. Buhs's Medicare Prescription Drug Plan doesn't lower

out-of-pocket costs for seniors, because it doesn't control prices.

When most seniors suddenly have more money to spend on prescription drugs, the companies will raise their prices proportionally, unless something is done to prevent that natural market reaction (such as a law preventing drug companies who participate in the program from raising prices on exisitng prescription drugs faster than inflation.)

But there is nothing in the bill Bush got passed to stop companies from just raising prices.