GOP Offers to Throw Middle Class, Elderly Over the 'Fiscal Cliff'

            It is certainly apparent and acknowledged all throughout this country that we are heading towards a fiscal dilemma. This dilemma, of course, is referred to and recognized as the fiscal cliff. The lack of sensible choices made by the government has driven our economy into a downward whirl as this fiscal cliff approaches. It is common knowledge that Democrats and Republicans are faced with reaching a compromise to avoid this fiscal “cliff” and to reduce America’s budget deficit. The Republican parties view has been made apparent in the last few weeks in which they basically counter offer the President’s suggestion by proposing everything the American people rejected in last months election.

            The GOP (or Republican Party) first aimed at attacking our health care system, obviously very similar to what Romney proposed. They want $800 billion in a so called “tax reform”. This reform while certainly lead to the cutting or removal of the tax stipulations that motivate and support health care coverage by employers. They also want to heighten the age as to when you can file for medicare to 67. This would cause a great deal of misery and stress to many 65 and 66 year olds who would be forced to seek healthcare on the open market. By suggesting that they also repeal the new health care law, the elderly would have absolutely no help in the process of finding their own healthcare. I personally find it despicable because these are the people who truly need healthcare the most, as both my grandmother and grandfather would both be affected by the Republican proposal (as would thousands of others).  The author discusses data he studied that said health care costs begin to skyrocket for works as they move from age 55-65 and the cost from this would indeed make companies less likely to hire and of these possibly unemployed older workers. Cuts in social security benefits that have been proposed would also severely affect disabled Americans and children on Social Security. We are taught that this is the land of equal opportunity and that our government is in support of the multitudes of people that inhabit our country, and the GOP suggestions seem to argue quite the opposite.

            This 800 billion dollar “tax reform” that they propose is not only affecting areas such as health care but is also likely to directly hit cuts to current deductions in class that are at this time helping middle class Americans keep their head above water. Being apart of a middle class family, I despise the proposal and believe that the 1% that hold more money to themselves than the remaining 99% should be hit with some type of tax reform instead of pushing towards reforms that affect middle class families, most of whom make up this entire country and put forth their hard work for large corporations.  They are interested in large reductions in funds to antipoverty programs, leading to an obvious large increase in poor and often unemployed Americans.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/gop-offers-to-throw-middl_b_2239402.html