wrote in message
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On Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:48:17 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:

The CBO is non-partisan and both sides of the isle refer to it.

Medicare is fixable, and it's been amended several times. Republicans
called
that program communism also, but I don't see too many of the Teabaggers
willing to give up the benefits.

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The problem is they can only project the effect on the budget based on
the fantasy numbers the congress sends them. Things like saying they
will actually cut Medicare by a half trillion. That will be "fixed" by
eliminating the cuts.


Umm... I don't think Congress sends them numbers. They send them
policy/law
statements. The CBO interprets the statements and makes a judgement about
numbers.

True but Congress knows what number will come out of CBO when they
frame the question and CBO is not allowed to question the scenario
congress sends them.

?? They "frame" the question by using the language of the law. The CBO can't
question the scenario because it's not within their purview to do so.

As I said earlier, based on what congress said about the cost of
Medicare and what actually happened.

In 1964 the estimate was Medicare would cost $12 billion by 1990. It
was really $107 billion. When you are off by almost an order of
magnitude that is not really an estimate, it is a fantasy or being
less generous a lie.

Yet, times change. No entity could possibly know the future in that much
detail. It's been nearly 50 years since 1964.

Let's see how this actually works out. To start with there are already
at least 6 states suing over constitutional issues so this bill as
passed. Then you still have the reconciliation vote coming. Who knows
what deals have to be made to pass that.
I am as much worried about the back room deals and the pork that will
show up on other bills to get these votes as I am the bill itself.
Those are the ones you really have to be a "thomas junkie" to even
find.

This is true for just about any contentious legislation. Nothing new. That
requires a different effort to clean up.

There will be a bill to rename a post office in Fumbuck Mississippi
with a $300,000,000 bridge to nowhere in it so that congressman would
vote for this. Multiply that by the three dozen votes they had to
wring out and you are talking about some money. That is just how the
process works.

I agree. Better still, it looks like some in the press are actually looking.
It'll get easier as time passes.

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Nom=de=Plume