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Growing debate over 'makers and takers' in America
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Questions over impact of growing entitlements
- Duration 5:25
- Date Jan 25, 2013
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Questions over impact of growing entitlements
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The commitments we make to -- shot.
Through Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security these things do not -- aren't initiative -- strengthen us.
They do not make us a nation of takers -- Three -- to take the risks that make this country great.
Most President Obama this week during his inaugural address trying to deal with recent debates over -- makers and takers in this country.
The president defending entitlement programs saying they are essentially a hand up and not a handout.
And now there are growing questions over the true impact of the explosive growth of these programs and what's it is having on our country impact it's -- Training now Ben Ferguson he's the host of the -- show and Geneva Ganske who he's former political advisor to New Jersey senator Frank Lautenberg and -- Fox News contributor.
So -- look at the statistics -- there was an interest in peace yeah by Dick Nicklaus ever step in the Wall Street Journal recently he talks about how.
We in 1960 social welfare programs accounted for less than a third of all federal spending today.
Accounts for nearly 23 of federal spending welfare spending is nearly twice as much as defense justice and everything else Washington does.
Combined.
It's -- it's incredible I mean you look at these numbers and you look at our united -- government.
And what we really are now as we are a big country that takes from workers.
And gives to those that do not want to work and and there's a big difference between those that are disable.
Because that's what you're gonna hear Barack Obama others talk that well we're helping people that need help.
I'm in favor of that.
But when you've got 8%.
Of men in their thirties who are opting out of going to -- just -- they don't want to go.
And then we pay for them not to work.
I mean that's it that's a huge problem in this country because we are now allowing people to make bad decisions which is what's great about America -- the fact that I can choose not to work is what's awesome.
But the problem is I'm now as a worker held accountable to take care a human being.
Who is being an idiot who is not disabled and that's what sucking us dry here is we made it acceptable for you to not work.
And someone else pays for and we're gonna run out of mother I don't know.
Other question -- -- that there are abuses of the system but as far as let's just say Social Security Medicare.
I mean I know our viewers always say look that's not an entitlement -- paid -- and everybody that it's a paste of C is also the security and Medicare well I am paying I'm paying into the system right now when it's time.
I'm gonna get -- back becoming yeah I sure am but -- I -- So fingers crossed gonna get paid back but yeah.
-- huge difference here between it -- -- tour -- alluding to but we're talking of entitlement programs here that that that cost a lot of money.
It is primarily Medicare.
Which I pay for every single week with -- it comes out of make payroll -- up the payroll taxes Social Security which I paid for.
And Medicaid which quite honestly pays for the majority of people here in nursing homes all of whom also paid into the system that -- Isn't big is the big number well -- -- not according to this article I mean he according to this Wall Street Journal -- he says only a third of the Americans receiving these is this money's.
Our senior -- targeting Social Security Medicare uses the rest are so called means.
He had an entitlement when that he gave -- that -- but honestly -- -- -- people think -- -- people who are just living of the government -- Medicaid.
His for the majority of people going to nursing home for example so you know these are our grandparents user but that my grandmother all the -- -- go ahead -- But I'm in favor of your grandmother getting the money that she paid into.
The problem now as you have people that -- figure out how to work the American system and they got a doctor they say my back hurts and they say well okay.
Then what try a couple of different treatments they got -- still not better or even better than that.
The number one claim a forty year olds that are going on disability is mental anguish of I'm just -- sad well guess what.
-- be sad and go to work I mean.
That's abusing the system when we allow people to claim that they're just too sad to go to work.
That has nothing to do -- mental health.
And we see these numbers skyrocketing over the last decade with how many people are signing up this -- that's when you know it's a loophole and we're not fixing it I don't understand why.
They did more mistake not and I I'm except accepting Medicare Social Security from this for the purposes of this discussion -- but they're using more of a stigma of taking.
You know welfare of taking disability checks when maybe it was questionable about whether you truly needed -- deserved it has that.
-- removed.
You know I don't know if we're talking about them in -- mental health I think we just learned and we've been talking about and this show and other shows for weeks now that mental health is something that's not a joke you know I I wanna address that before you go to work with making I -- I haven't blown me away.
But I will also say this.
I don't know where you think this massive explosion in the federal debt is because of people who refuse to work.
-- sitting home eating bon -- and you know they're -- in -- say hey see you people that may be few people like but the majority of this you know these -- summer program you are going to paper legitimate people seniors and others -- -- into the system.
For now retired and frankly at about those people have health care they -- so I have those held I held at paragon -- -- of course.
You know I've ever run has the -- up we're coming up -- -- -- but that there's no question we need some reform I mean they're gonna have to raise the retirement age for the younger folks like us.
And -- something because either way we're right gonna run out of money so.
We're gonna get that's just as you're gonna get that Medicare technically I think their fingers crossed I -- Juli thank you thank you.