There are a number of things you might admire about this fella, Paul Ryan. He is the congressman who heads up the budget committee in the House. He is the guy who put together the plan – released this week – to reduce our humongous deficits by over $4 trillion. A mere $4 trillion, over ten years. 
One thing to admire is that he did not attack the other side. Maybe you saw where he did. I did not. He did not lambaste the big spenders. He did not spit out inflammatory language.
He did not say this deficit problem came from the Democrats. I like that. Because both parties have spent like there was no tomorrow.
I admire Ryan because he tells us there is no tomorrow. Not unless we change our ways. He tells us the truth. The truth is we cannot afford Medicare and Medicaid. Not the way they are structured now. Not at the speed with which they are expanding. We cannot afford them. Case closed.
Now there are some who deny this. We can always tax the rich more, they tell us. We can tax businesses more. Right. If you shine the lights of truth on these arguments they wither. Higher tax rates will lead to a slower economy and less money coming in. Less money coming in and more people out of work will only make our problems worse.
Besides, anything you will gain from taxing the rich and business more is peanuts. Compared with the money in the gargantuan Medicare and Medicaid programs – peanuts. Whacking the defense budget is peanuts compared to these programs.
Imagine your school has three classrooms and two gigantic gyms. The school board wants to lower its heating costs. To lower those heating costs they have no choice. They have got to lower the heat in the gyms. Lowering the heat in the classrooms is peanuts by comparison.
Medicaid and Medicare are the equivalent of the gyms.
I admire Paul Ryan because he tells the truth despite the tomatoes flung at him by demagogues. I call them that because they know the truth as much as Ryan does. They know we cannot hope to pay for these programs as they now are. They know these programs are bankrupting the country.
So, do they say “We agree with the goal, but disagree on some of the ways to get there.”? No. They tell us millions of seniors will starve. Grannies will be dumped in the street outside hospitals. And all that blather.
I admire Ryan because so few of our politicians have had the gumption to pick up this can. This can that thousands of pols have kicked down the road for decades. Our President just gave it another boot in his latest budget. He was afraid to tackle it because he has already done enough unpopular stuff for five presidents.
Ryan says he expects both parties will get together later this year with a plan to reform Social Security. I admire the fact that he can still dream on. I could be wrong about this. But asking politicians to play around with Social Security before next year’s election?  Does not seem likely to me.
Onward, Congressman Ryan. More truth please. We can take it.   
From Tom ... as in Morgan.                  

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