The Ryan Choice: "A Collective Gasp from Wisconsin"

ROBERT KRAIG, robert.kraig at citizenactionwi.org, www.citizenactionwi.org
Kraig is executive director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. He said today: "Paul Ryan is a smooth politician, but beneath the optimistic rhetoric, genial demeanor, and wonky reputation, the substance of his budget proposals would have devastating consequences for the freedom to have a fair shot at the American dream and establish a secure life for our families.

"Like Mitt Romney, Congressman Ryan claims that his radical budget proposals are needed to reduce the national debt. Under the guise of the discredited trickle down approach to the economy, Ryan's budget actually slashes federal revenue by $4.6 trillion in order to give massive new tax breaks to the wealthy. Under Ryan's budget the average millionaire, who already pays $129,000 less in taxes due to the Bush tax cuts, will get an additional tax break of $265,000. To pay for these new tax breaks to the wealthy, Ryan proposes unprecedented cuts such as student loans, school lunches, research and development, investments in infrastructure, and other commitments to giving everyone a fair shot at the American dream.

"To pay for these new tax breaks for the rich, Ryan proposes to turn Medicare into a voucher program that will shift new costs onto seniors while further enriching the health insurance industry, and slash Medicaid in half which will causes 14 to 27 million moderate-income Americans to lose their health care and long term care.

"One example of the Romney-Ryan approach is their proposal to raise the Medicare eligibility age to 67, while also repealing health care reform. Without the guarantee that people with preexisting conditions can purchase insurance at an affordable cost, 66 and 67 year-olds would be at the mercy of health insurance industry. The result would be millions of seniors in their early retirement years forced to go without coverage when they are likely to need it most, greatly increasing their risk of early death or losing all of their hard earned retirement savings to medical bills. This is much too high a price in freedom and security to pay for unnecessary and undeserved tax cuts for the wealthiest among us."

MATT ROTHSCHILD, mattr at progressive.org, progressive.org
Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine, which is published in Madison, Wisconsin. He said today: "When Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan as his running mate, there was a collective gasp from Wisconsin.

"The far right of the business class in America seems to like the aw-shucks, basset-eyes, folksy Wisconsin frontman. But President Obama hasn't been firm on defending Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, so the contrast is not as great as many people are saying.

"Paul Ryan is the boyish face of primitive capitalism. He is a cover for some of the crudest cuts to the safety net and sneakiest money grabs for the wealthiest."

Video of Ryan backing TARP: