Quoted Text

Tonko’s effort on Medicare fails in
House session
    A budget amendment from U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, aimed preventing Medicare’s privatization and protecting seniors from the threat of rationed care, failed in committee on Wednesday afternoon.
    During the Ways & Means Committee meeting, Tonko argued that a spending plan being advanced by the Republican majority in the House created an inadequate voucher program and would lead to rationing of care.
    “It will end Medicare,” he argued.
    In response to this perceived threat, Tonko introduced an amendment that would prevent Medicare from being subject to privatization or spending caps that would limit benefits and service.
    The proposed amendment failed by a vote of 22-16.
    Tonko said that if the plan ever became law it would create instability in the Medicare program in 2012.
    “This puts the entire system at risk,” he said.

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01908&AppName=1

Hey, look at that, Congress is actually doing something Constitutional.  Go figure, Paul Tonko is against it.

By the way, by doing this, it would reduce, if not eliminate one of the taxes taxen out of millionaire's paychecks. Oh, wait, that's everybody's paycheck, not just the millionaires (unless only millionaires pay FICA (Federal Insurance CONTRIBUTION act) taxes.  

Then, the local people and churches would have additional money to help pay for the elderly's healthcare, and maybe even help pay the home taxes, without an additional cut for "in-law" apartments.

Medicare does it's own rationing and the standard SUCKS.....but we still have the 'atleast' feeling as a podium puck