BCT Editorial – 1/1/06

This page was last updated on January 1, 2006.

Poor house; Editorial; Beaver County Times; January 1, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“The need for entitlement reform is now, before the baby boom generation hits retirement and blows an even bigger hole in the federal budget.”

[RWC] In this context, I believe you’ll find “entitlement reform” means tax increases to the editorial author.

“Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid accounted for more than $1 trillion of the $2.2 trillion spent in the 2004 budget year by the federal government. And it’s only going to get worse.

“In the short run, spending on Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly, is set to increase with the introduction of a drug benefit in January. The federal government estimates it will spend about $724 billion over 10 years to provide the Medicare drug benefit.

“Those billions are going to look like pennies in the long run once the boomers, who account for one-fourth of the American population, start to retire.

“Unless significant changes are made in all three programs, our nation is headed for the poor house.”

[RWC] I believe “significant changes” mean tax increases to the author. I could be mistaken, but I don’t recall the Times taking a position advocating a spending cut for so-called social programs. Indeed, the Times usually advocates more spending then hypocritically whines about deficits.