| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Yang, AthD\h.c" |
| Date: |
01 Apr 2004 12:51:21 AM |
| Object: |
A ***** in Bush, Americans Get Screwed |
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/03/16/EDGVQ5JUJU1.DTL
Bush's Medicare Deceit
AFTER FIRST covering up and then misrepresenting the facts about the new
Medicare prescription drug benefit, the Bush administration is now
shamelessly working to further mislead the public by staging phony "news
reports" about how well the law will work.
Last November, during the heat of the congressional debate on the law, the
White House reportedly threatened to fire a top Medicare official if he told
the truth about the cost of what President Bush described as a $400 billion
Medicare bill.
Medicare's chief actuary, Richard S. Foster, said it was clear from the
start that the actual cost would be substantially more -- as high as $534
billion. And, he said, the White House was aware of that in June, five
months ahead of the debate.
Although, by law, the actuary is charged with providing nonpartisan counsel
to lawmakers, Foster said he was silenced by the White House to prevent
Congress from getting the true figures. Threatened with "severe'' personal
consequences, he was instead ordered to withhold the information, even if
Congress asked for it.
Absent the damning cost data, the bill (bitterly contentious even among
Republicans) barely eked by, passing in the House, 216 to 215. With cost as
the sticking point, the likely outcome would have been reversed, if all the
facts had been known. Democrats had argued that the law didn't significantly
help seniors and gave drugmakers too much clout. Republicans said seniors
didn't gain significantly from the much costlier plan.
In order to sell the complicated and skimpy plan to seniors, the Department
of Health and Human Services is paying actors to pose as journalists in
bogus TV "news'' reports. Videos have been sent to TV stations, along with
government-prepared scripts for news anchors to read. The idea is to make
propaganda appear to be unbiased news during prime-time viewing.
It's a covert effort to exploit both the press and public. Coupled with the
misinformation about the bill, it paints an alarming picture of a White
House unconstrained about using deceit.
Repeatedly manipulating data to stifle honest debate, stirs up disquieting
recollections of another White House, disgraced by lies and dirty tricks.
--
Yang
a.a. #28
AthD (h.c.) conferred by the regents of the LCL
a.a. pastor #-273.15, the most frigid church of Celcius nee Kelvin
EAC Econometric Forecast and Socerey Division
Proudly plonked by Lani Girl and Crazyalec
The Bush 'balanced' budget: 1.2 trillion and worsening
The Bush 'economic' policy: -3 million jobs and counting
The Bush Iraq lie: -598 GIs, one friend's co-worker's son and mounting
Having Bush ***** up my country: Worthless
.
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