When all else fails, doomsayers — like George Thomas (no relative, thank God) in his May 26 letter, “Growing fear is shrinking our vision” — resort to Democrat tried-and-true fear tactics. He states “Politicians (read: Republicans) want to exclude the poor, infirm, and the elderly … to balance the books.” He distorts Rep. Paul Ryan’s, R-Wis., superb problem-solving plan to save Medicare from certain bankruptcy into what Thomas calls his “compassionate vision (no details) vs. a dreary bookkeeping task.” Never mind that the Ryan plan keeps the present Medicare provisions for everyone over 54 years of age; that generous subsidies are included for those under 54 who become poor or infirm when they are elderly; or, that Medicare will remain viable for decades to come.
I, too, came out of the Navy after World War II to find the beginnings of the present welfare state under FDR and cheered on by such as Thomas who states that all that was and is needed is money — lots of money, to guarantee every person unearned benefits. Thomas wonders why taxpayers aren’t rushing to be taxed into oblivion to pay for his “vision.” Could it be that such a “vision” is precisely what has brought our nation itself to the verge of bankruptcy? Think about it.
Robert K. Thomas
La Center
