Buying Votes With Tax Payer Money

[Au165]

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/08/seema-verma-mark-meadows-drug-card-plan-427950

This is absolutely insane. Nothing like stealing $8 Billion from the Medicare trust fund to try and help buy an election while doing nothing to fix the actual systemic issues with drug prices. The most insane part of this is he had a deal with drug companies a while back that would have lowered out of pocket costs but it all fell apart because he demanded they kick in billions to essentially pay for this exact thing so he could send these out before the election. Essentially, since the drug companies wouldn't help him pay to bribe voters he is making Medicare.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

We’ll just claim that $8B as a loss on our taxes. No biggie.

[BigPapaKain]

(10-09-2020, 11:38 AM)Au165 Wrote: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/08/seema-verma-mark-meadows-drug-card-plan-427950

This is absolutely insane. Nothing like stealing $8 Billion from the Medicare trust fund to try and help buy an election while doing nothing to fix the actual systemic issues with drug prices. The most insane part of this is he had a deal with drug companies a while back that would have lowered out of pocket costs but it all fell apart because he demanded they kick in billions to essentially pay for this exact thing so he could send these out before the election. Essentially, since the drug companies wouldn't help him pay to bribe voters he is making Medicare.

Using tax payer money to pay for someone else's medical care?! THAT'S SOCIALISM GRUMBLE GRUMBLE GRUMBLE

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

Sounds about right.

At the risk of someone going "nice whataboutism", buying votes with tax dollars is legitimately a problem with both sides. Basically the entire D Primary was a one-up contest of who was promising the most free shit.

Maybe once everything crashes from both parties spending endlessly, there will finally be a return to fiscal responsibility. Doubtful, but maybe.

Either that, or the country will just fully and openly embrace that finite money is a seemingly meaningless concept these days when a budget doesn't seem to matter, debt doesn't seem to matter, and increasing spending doesn't seem to matter. Coronavirus? Throw trillions of fiat dollars at it.

[Benton]

(10-09-2020, 11:53 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Sounds about right.

At the risk of someone going "nice whataboutism", buying votes with tax dollars is legitimately a problem with both sides. Basically the entire D Primary was a one-up contest of who was promising the most free shit.

Maybe once everything crashes from both parties spending endlessly, there will finally be a return to fiscal responsibility. Doubtful, but maybe.

Either that, or the country will just fully and openly embrace that finite money is a seemingly meaningless concept these days when a budget doesn't seem to matter, debt doesn't seem to matter, and increasing spending doesn't seem to matter. Coronavirus? Throw trillions of fiat dollars at it.

I agree,both sides do it. In this instance, though, taxpayers get nothing for it.

No new bridge, no coal terminal,  nothing but throwing a few bucks in drug company pockets.