The poet William Stafford set himself the task of writing a poem a day. When someone asked him what he would do when his poem-of-the-day wasn't very good, he replied "I simply lower my standards." In order to increase output, the bar here is set at a low level - the point of this is to have some fun with current events and politics. I welcome contributions and comments. Now you can also follow Doggerelo on Twitter (@doggerelo). Because of continuing medical problems, I'm no longer able to post a poem-a-day. I'll continue to post poems, but at a reduced frequency, so please stay tuned.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Ryan Wants America to be More Like Europe


As argued in an article in The Economist, Paul Ryan’s proposal to fund programs like Medicaid by a system of block grants to states would have the effect, over time, of reducing federal support for these programs compared to the present system.  States hit hard by the recession would have difficulty making up the difference and would likely respond by increased taxes, budget cuts or cutting back on the number of Medicaid recipients.  This closely mimics the situation in Europe where austerity measures have further weakened the economies of countries that were already in trouble and threaten the European economy as a whole.  The present role of the federal government in transferring funds from richer to poorer regions in the US helps to smooth out these regional differences.  The Ryan budget would do the opposite and, in effect, Europeanize our economy.    

The Ryan budget plan
Is thought to be American
But its effects will shore up
Trends that make us Europe. 

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