Chainsaw cuts in social security make mockery of budget and may be even unconstitutional

 The old mantra of the GOP, cut federal services and personnel because they are bankrupting our country, is on steroids with the indiscriminate mass Musk chainsaw cuts. That has been the GOP rationale for cutting taxes to the rich as far back as the 1930s.  The theory is that the very rich invest money to increase commerce, and the new taxes resulting will bring down the debt and deficits.  The theory continues that the prosperity it fosters will trickle down to the struggling masses.  It has never worked as the theory he promises anywhere in the industrialized world.  It is the same BS as it ever has, except the numbers in 2025 are staggeringly large and the old fiscal conservative GOP has shut its mouth in loyalty to Donald Trump..  Both Democrats and Republicans share guilt for raising debts and deficits, but what the Trump regime is trying to do is dramatically more.  Trump is seeking 1.6 trillion in government cuts to offset 4 trillion in tax cuts. The math itself is revealing. there is a big gap betweewhat at best could be cut and the hit to the treasury would exceed even if t all works as the Trump regime plans.. The 1.6 trillion is to be taken from the hide of social and human and  that benefit lower income brackets, like social security and  Medicaid, under the cover of only cutting waste, fraud and abuse. 

The attorney general of Arizona has launched an information-gathering activity to record consumer complaints about Social Security. The DOGE cuts of staff providing customer service is so severe, the state AG of a state full of retirees is taking action. In a form developed by the AG is the word "unconstitutional".  What could that be?  What could be the basis of a suit? I wonder if a clause in the Constitution could be the one to which the Constitution is involved.  https://www.azag.gov/socialsecurity

Likewise, the AG in Michigan is beginning to gather information and evidence that could lead to a lawsuit by AGs to save Social Security's consumer access and service. Attorney General: AG Nessel Launches Form for Reporting Social Security Disruptions

State budgets will be hard-pressed to make up for other chainsaw cuts to Medicaid. In Colorado, the proposed budget is already showing a deficit, much less make up for the harm the federal Medicaid cuts would do to its citizens. The medicaid cuts could cost 458,000 Coloradans health care coverage, per a recent study as cited in the publication Colorado Politics. State budgets are already stretched so that it would be very difficult to make up the loss due to chainsaw cuts.

 https://www.coloradopolitics.com/news/medicaid-cuts-could-cost-458-000-coloradans-health-coverage-study-claims/article_2803985b-b1f5-5f94-830a-870ba55d0e82.html?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=COPO%20Afternoon%20USE%20414&utm_content=COPO%20Afternoon%20USE%20414+CID_175994c87ac75c991557de56f4eb8a87&utm_source=campaign_monitor_email&utm_term=Medicaid%20cuts%20could%20cost%20458000%20Coloradans%20health%20coverage%20study%20claims

Musk's attack on the "administrative state" is the opposite of trying to  faithfully execute laws Congress passed, especially given the failure of Musk to document any significant evidence of "waste, fraud, and abuse". Instead, wholesale indiscriminate cuts appear to kneecap social services ability to deliver services  in order to reduce any federal government spending to make the tax cuts to the rich to appear less onerous on the national debt.   

The U.S. Constitution, specifically in Article II, Section 3, requires the President to "take care that the Laws be faithfully executed." This means the President, and the executive branch as a whole, must ensure laws passed by Congress are implemented and enforced.  Per Google AI.

So much has already written about this so  here are a few pertinent sources.

https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61172

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/tax-cuts-are-primarily-responsible-for-the-increasing-debt-ratio/

https://ncrc.org/cbs-news-50-years-of-tax-cuts-for-the-rich-failed-to-trickle-down-economic-study-says/#:~:text=See%20More-,CBS%20News:%2050%20Years%20Of%20Tax%20Cuts%20For%20The%20Rich,Trickle%20Down%2C%20Economic%20Study%20Says&text=But%20the%20analysis%20discovered%20one,economic%20growth%20and%20low%20unemployment.%E2%80%9D

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/07/us/politics/trump-economic-plans-debt-costs.html

Major Trump campaign promises evaporate. The list keeps growing. updated 12 29 2024 1/11/2025

 

Major Trump campaign promises and other rhetoric voters relied on have evaporated even before Trump has been sworn in. The list keeps growing. First, Trump could roll back grocery prices, but he knew or should have known he did not have the power to do it. Tariffs will raise prices to consumers, passed on to them, despite every economist in the world telling him that he was wrong: China would pay for them, he claimed. Now he says he"can't promise it consumer won't pay". Other issues that have already been backtracked or neutered are the Biden crime family-related prosecutions, the ending of H-1B visas, and the immediate ending of the Ukraine war (before he was even sworn in).

No surprise here. Gullible voters traded in a democracy to a wannabe dictator/oligopoly for the price of eggs (symbolic for grocery prices.) Let's see how that plays out.

Gullible voters? Trump thinks he could play you. Grisham: Trump ‘knows he can basically say anything and his base will believe’   His concept of common sense is what promotes him and his oligopoly of the rich, not the same as the rest of us.  Modern day dictators have gained the power they seek because they have used modern technology to spin and mind control their way to their position. "The central goal remains the same: to monopolize political power. But today’s strongmen realize that in current conditions violence is not always necessary or even helpful. Instead of terrorizing citizens, a skillful ruler can control them by reshaping their beliefs about the world. He can fool people into compliance and even enthusiastic approval. In place of harsh repression, the new dictators manipulate information. Like spin doctors in a democracy, they spin the news to engineer support. They are spin dictators. How Do Dictatorships Survive in the 21st Century? | Andrew Carnegie Fellows | Carnegie Corporation of New York

Trump Is Walking Back His Biggest Campaign Promises Before Taking Office This article contains documentation regarding cutting government spending, ending the war in Ukraine, and reducing grocery prices.

Here is what Trump is promising to do on Day One: Here are things Trump has promised to carry out on Day 1 of his presidency

Trump vowed to declare a national energy emergency as soon as he takes office — here's how he might do it     Bottom line: not much he can do other than reverse the LNG limit on exporting liquified natural gas.  We already have a surplus of oil over demand, so increasing drilling would have no immediate impact.  The same goes for building new refineries and pipelines.  He does not have the power to roll back environmental laws by executive order. He can lobby Congress to do so or not honor the Paris climate accord, but that is symbolic  and no guarantee given the narrow margins in the House. Price of gas at the pump is mostly determined by foreign oil cartels via their set price and drilling quotas of members. Even if we increase drilling, that is likely offset by reducing drilling elsewhere as part of the cartels' attempt to keep prices they want by controlling the supply. MUFTIC FORUM BLOG: The BS of "drill baby drill"; makes unnecessary useless

In shift, Trump downgrades soaring rhetoric on campaign promises Interesting that this article called his lies campaign soaring rhetoric. Not only does he backtrack on bringing down grocery prices, or tariffs impacting consumer prices, he also is backtracking ending Ukraine war immediately. Trump says Russia-Ukraine peace may be harder than Middle East

This one went south: the Biden Crime family. The FBI informant confesses he lied about Hunter and his father being bribed by a Ukrainian energy company. https://apnews.com/article/alexander-smirnov-guilty-plea-biden-informant-fbi-62a3b7acce0345303f812ca6d0206b10

Under pressure from his oligarch pals, he also just backtracked on certain visas extended to tech related foreigners(H-IB Visas) in spite of his promises. Trump says H-1B visa program is 'great' amid MAGA feud over tech workers

Left on his agenda are gas at the pump prices (He does not control oil per barrel prices; the international cartel does; "drill baby drill" was a great campaign slogan, but unattached to reality.) Stopping inflation is another empty promise. Tariffs will raise consumer prices; labor shortages will also be caused by mass deportations and add to inflation. Stay tuned on these issues and promises.

Trump was poised to inherit a strong economy. Then things got rocky and he added to the uncertainty.

MAGA will not feel this now. Just wait until the predictions come true to those who voted for Trump because they wanted lower grocery and gas prices and blamed Biden for inflation. Then they will get it.... or at least "we told you so" will have some meaning. Until then, this is just laying the groundwork to be able to say, "We told you so." Trump will try to excuse or blame others as he always does when things go south. The resistance needs to keep his feet to the fire and stick the blame on him when that happens: DJT

Here is the benchmark by which to judge Trump's measure of his success: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/is-donald-trump-inheriting-the-best-economy-in-history/ar-BB1rfC8Z?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=b5ba93218a514cd38504c43abdda7e04&ei=7

Pardoning the patriots of January 6? JD Vance says people who committed violence at the Capitol riot 'obviously' shouldn't be pardoned Is off script or is this a signal of Trump backpedaling.

msn.com

Trump was poised to inherit a strong economy. Then things got rocky and he added to the uncertainty

The GOP makes a Faustian bargain and sells its soul

Version of this published in the Sky Hi News December 13, 2017
https://www.skyhinews.com/news/muftic-gop-makes-faustian-bargain-sells-its-soul/
Update: April 2018: Evangelical Christians are doubling down in their support of Trump in spite of his
high profile immoral behavior from Access Hollywood to Stormy Daniels because he supports their long list of political agenda that advances their religious convictions. https://www.thenation.com/article/why-evangelicals-still-support-trump/

Revised December 8, 2017
You may have heard the term , " a Faustian bargain". It means when someone sell one’s soul to the devil to get what they lust after.  The GOP sold its soul for tax reform, setting precedents for years to come. In  Alabama’s Senate race regardless if Judge Roy Moore wins or loses ( election results are unknown as this is being written), Faust’s bargain lives on. With their support of Moore and their tax reform bill, Donald Trump, the Republican National committee and almost all of the GOP lost any credibility as the guardian of fiscal responsibility and with caring about the safety and credibility of women in the workplace.

Why Faust? The greatest work in German literature, Faust, a play in prose and poetry, was authored  in the late 1700’ and revised through the early 1800’s by  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  He tackled a basic human dilemma,  a conflicted man  frustrated with failures in life

making a choice between doing what he knows is  moral or losing  out on other personal goals after which he lusted.  In Goethe’s play,  Faust   makes an arrangement with the devil: the devil will do everything that Faust wants while he is here on Earth, and in exchange Faust will serve the devil in Hell.  Faust , with help of the devil, pursued his seduction of his love, Margaret/Gretchen, who in turn killed her mother who opposed their affair . That tragedy is just for starters.  Faust's themes have resonated in opera and drama and have become an icon for the kind of dilemma humans have faced in life and in politics. It is that kind of Faustian bargain that will haunt the GOP for years.

The Republican National Committee  and Donald Trump reversed their  prior opposition to Moore. The RNC  put a million dollars into his campaign and  lost any holy than thou  moral authority in endorsing Judge Roy Moore in Alabama. Moore had been credibly accused of sexual violation of teenagers. Even the GOP Senatorial leadership caved, pontificating that it was up to the good people of Alabama, but, playing both sides, they would have an elected/seated Moore face their ethics committee, of course while or after the tax "reform" bill votes.  The exception: Colorado's Sen. Cory Gardner, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, who said the NRSC would never support Moore .Gardner voted for the Senate tax "reform" bill version. Most of the GOP still gave the public  rationalization of the party’s continued support of Moore as his vote was needed on tax "reform". The "reform" bill is highly unpopular, polling with 35% approval.

The GOP has forever weakened their ability to use debt and deficits as an argument against supporting or expanding the social safety nets. They have forever wounded their reputation as budget/deficit hawks by approving a tax "reform" that would add one trillion dollars to the national debt. Nearly all independent experts agreed, including Congress' own experts.

Expect the GOP  to make the deficit hawk argument again when the service on the debt eats up so much of the federal budget, they have no choice but to cut medicare, medicaid, and social security and force it to be privatized or cut benefits, House Majority Leader Paul Ryan's goal all along.    Democrats will then be able to throw back in the GOP’s  face the GOP does not care about the debt so why should they?

http://www.weeklystandard.com/cory-gardner-the-nrsc-will-never-endorse-roy-moore/article/2010758

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/11/30/senate-gop-tax-plan-would-fall-1-trillion-short-of-trump-administrations-promises-congress-tax-analyst-says/
http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-gop-tax-reform-bill-poll-cbs-2017-12 https://www.salon.com/2017/12/07/paul-ryan-aims-for-medicare-medicaid-social-security-cuts-in-2018/

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/363356-mcconnell-no-change-of-heart-on-roy-moore

Warning to the GOP: don't overplay your hand in the March fiscal cliff

In the winter of 1995-1996 there was a death with repercussions lasting a decade. The deceased was the Newt Gingrich Republican Revolution.

It was a self-inflicted wound. The weapon used to commit suicide was the shutting down of government for days, used as a GOP bludgeon in arguments over the budget. So angered were the voters that in the next election cycle, Bill Clinton was re-elected easily.

In 2011, the GOP used the debt ceiling as a bargaining chip again and the economy took a measurable dip. In 2013, the debt ceiling, continuation of the resolution to fund government, sequestered spending cuts, and raising the debt limit unite in a perfect storm of entangled issues in March. The GOP should know from past experience if they overplay their hand, they risk a public backfire and a dent in economic growth.

The compromise avoiding the fiscal cliff on Jan. 2, also delayed debate on sequestered spending cuts for 60 days. The GOP is threatening to use disapproval of raising the debt limit and shutting down government as bargaining chips to get their way. They think they have a hot one, too. Hot, indeed.

What they may have done is set up the possibility of some of the most important Supreme Court decisions of the past 125 years, addressing the fundamental question of the separation of powers. Just how far does the GOP want to take their “leverage?” Are we now headed for a constitutional crisis, too? Do they really want to default on our loans if we do not raise the debt ceiling and imperil the economy to get their way over the debt ceiling? A wiser Newt Gingrich called this strategy a “dead loser” last week. Or is this just more brinkmanship bluffing?

While not precluding reduction in spending or more revenue enhancement, the president made it clear in remarks Jan. 2 he would not allow the GOP to use the debt ceiling to get their way on future spending cuts. The president staked his legal claim that Congress voted for the expenditures and he had the obligation to pay bills as they came due. That is indeed a major constitutional issue the Supreme Court could decide: Can Congress keep him from his duty as the executive branch to pay bills Congress had already authorized?

The president could also choose to tap the 14th Amendment, daring the GOP sue him and throw the issue to the Supreme Court. The president could continue to make good on payments on bonds (treasury notes) even if Congress forbids him from doing it. At issue is the 14th Amendment to the Constitution regarding the executive's power to pay bonds as they came due. Legal experts are divided so the outcome could be risky for both parties.

The question is not whether the debt problem should be tackled: Both the GOP and the Democrats know it must happen to avoid a credit rating downgrade or future economic problems. The issue is how. That “entitlements” need trimming is also acknowledged by both sides of the aisle and the Pentagon budget also needs close scrutiny. It is a matter of coming up with ways acceptable to a bipartisan coalition large enough to get it through Congress.

The GOP is laboring under a questionable belief they have the public mandate because they were re-elected to be the majority in the House. Some 2011 gerrymandering resulting in more safe districts for conservatives may have been greater factors. Public opinion polls in November 2012 showed more than 60 percent supporting balanced taxing and cuts. Public opinion also counted in the mid-90s when the GOP shut down government and the Republicans paid the price in the next election.



This is my column that appeared in the www.skyhidailynews.com today

For more, go to  www.mufticforumespanol.blogspot.com

GOP: SAME TUNE, JUST WORSE

My column appearing in the Sky Hi Daily News on line edition May 17 2011 (note: in my submission to the newspaper, I did not call Boehner a bonehead.  I do consider the policies he supports to be boneheaded...but the editor repositioned the word in published version.  I have a great deal of respect for the
difficult tasks with which John Boehner is confronted and the adroitness he has demonstrated in meeting the challenges)

Now that the Bin Laden takedown is already fading to Page 2 and birthers have lost credibility, the economy is a cause cèlébre once again as the GOP sits down with Vice President Joe Biden to make the effort to hammer out a compromise.

Did John Boehner, speaker of the house, commit a bonehead move when he kicked off GOP strategy at an economics forum May 10? He raised the ante for conditions to agree to increase the debt limit while ignoring other serious plans. Hopefully this is only a position strengthening exercise prior to negotiations. Surely Republicans are not so irresponsible they would risk crashing the economy if they failed to get their way 100 percent. 

The Boehner address reminded me of that old camp sing song: “same song, second verse; could get better but it's gonna get worse.” 

He renewed the idea of holding the debt ceiling hostage on terms that were more of the same as yore, adding zeros to some figures and including some twists that others had long ago dissed . 

The prior GOP hostage deal was that they would lift the debt ceiling only if the president would present a “serious debt reduction plan.” 

The president proposed one, but the Republicans said it was only a speech that had not been put into an introduced budget bill and, in any case, included tax increases . They further upped the ante by adding cuts to current budget discussions to the hostage list.

Republicans probably hoped you would not remember that the Obama proposal would reduce the deficit by nearly the same as the plan House Republicans just approved without destroying Medicare as we know it. 

The key provision of the Obama plan, a trigger to force Congress to approve a plan to reduce the deficit if no progress was made by 2014, was simply blown off by Boehner because it did not rule out tax hikes, it kicked the can down the road, and he wanted to be specific about cuts now.

Boehner raised the hostage terms from cutting billions to cutting trillions in the long term, demanding more cuts than the amount the debt ceiling is raised.

Read Boehner's lips: “No new taxes.” Only cuts are acceptable. This is in spite of Obama's plan proposing $3 in cuts for every one dollar in tax hikes. The Simpson-Bowles debt commission and the gang of six in the Senate, including some heavy weight Republicans, came to the conclusion we could not reduce the deficit significantly without some tax increases

Boehner kept the Ryan plan on the table — the unpopular proposal House GOP members are all on the record as approving — which would substitute guaranteed Medicare benefits with vouchers that contain no guarantees they would keep up with escalating costs. The GOP still plots to kill “Obamacare,” thus eliminating health care cost containment provisions of the law, removing the $400 billion it saves to the Medicare system, and restoring the donut hole in drug benefits charged to seniors.

However, Boehner toned down support for the Ryan proposal by saying that everything is on the table except tax increases. What he put on the table was a warmed-over dinner: revival of the old GOP proposal to cut Medicare benefits to the wealthy. This is no more than a riff on the old GOP tune. 

Bonehead Boehner may have committed his insistence on Republicans being specific about what additional cuts they intend to make to meet their upped ante. Could it be they do not want more poster children of GOP heartlessness for Democrats to exploit?

Another bonehead move is that the hostage Boehner insists on holding to the debt ceiling issue is feeble. Republicans dare not execute it because it would wreck the economy, at least according to most economists. Most Republicans understand the risk and do not care to have it haunt them in 2012.