Town Hall Attendee Calls Out GOP Rep. Charles Bass On 'Divide And Conquer' Medicare Cuts

[democracy1st]

Run time: 05:10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghnstYr3dZg   Posted on YouTube: April 25, 2011 By YouTube Member: ThinkProgress2 Views on YouTube: 279   Posted on DU: April 26, 2011 By DU Member: democracy1st Views on DU: 1466

 
Rep. Charles Bass (R-NH) was the latest recipient of this town hall anger. At an April 20 town hall in Hillsborough, Bass was peppered with questions by constituents who were opposed to the Ryan plan and concerned about what what it would do to Medicare. In a video posted on YouTube, several members of the audience are seen asking why Bass was proposing handing future seniors over to the insurance industry. One attendee pointed out that what the Republicans are doing is pursuing a “divide and conquer” strategy by eliminating Medicare for future generations while keeping it for current seniors:

WOMAN: Despite all we’re hearing about Ryan and Medicare, there’s a 10 percent reduction in the taxes for the wealthiest Americans. My feeling is this whole thing about saying 55 and under or under 55 is a way to divide and conquer because their benefits will be cut and then we as older people will, there will be anger fomenting against us. A generational gap will start where the younger people are told you’re playing for these Cadillac plans these older people how is that fair. Because we’re older the thought is we won’t speak up and won’t tell congress this is not acceptable. All generations have to stand together and say we need this social safety net. The bigger part of the problem is the commercial insurance industry.

BASS: Well first of all the tax part of the budget is revenue neutral. <...> The tax reduction is not a reduction in taxes on the wealthiest Americans, it’s a reduction of corporate tax rate so that we’re competitive around the world <...>

WOMAN: No, this is –

BASS: Very few companies, we tax foreign income, companies keep foreign income offshore. <...> The quickest way to turn this deficit down is to turn this economy around <...> off this federal system, so that the deficit goes down. We’re in this situation now here we’re bumping along unless we do something to stimulate real growth in this economy <…> Who’s going to pay the bills? It’s going to be the younger people, that’s the real generational war, they’re going to say we’re not gonna pay 50, 60 percent of our income to subsidize the rest of the population older <...>

WOMAN: I agree, you guys are setting it up!


http://thinkprogress.org/2011/04/26/town-hall-charles-bass/

[The Wielding Truth]

1. The woman brings up division and Bass perpetuates it. What a jerk!

[bjobotts]

2. It's a Republican deficit.Let those who prospered most from it pay fair share in taxes

[bjobotts]

3. Then the younger generation won't be paying for excessive CEO bonuses and corporate profits with the

their taxes. Lying creep

[Angry Dragon]

4. Off with his head

an old French saying

[bjobotts]

5. We have the highest corporate tax rate in the world but they don't pay that amount if they pay any

thanks to corporate loopholes these corps make the highest profits in history but get tax refunds. Exxon/Mobile...$19 billion in profits in 2010 and got $150mil back from Irs. Same with GE and over a 100 top profit making corporations...including the banksters we just bailed out who turn around and gave their CEOs over $130 billion in bonuses. See how they lie.

By "competitive" he really means that workers get no minimum wage, kids can work and do what ever they are told...no benefits...no healthcare or safety regulations...and no corporate regulations on pollution or anything else. When you're willing to work without any benefits for slave wages then you are competitive with the world. See how they lie...corporate owned and operated republicans...all of them or leadership kicks them out of office.

[democracy1st]

6. +1 good to see people speaking out isn't it.