advertisement

Excerpts from recent Wisconsin editorials

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jan. 13

Paul Ryan's decision to say 'no' leaves him in a good spot

After months of speculation, it wasn't surprising in the end that Paul Ryan chose to forgo a run for the presidency: The Janesville Republican has spent a career getting to the chairmanship of the influential House Ways and Means Committee and wasn't about to risk his reputation trying to do two big things at once. The congressman decided that he couldn't both run for president and take on the demanding job of running the powerful committee, which handles tax legislation, entitlements and health care policy. It's a wise choice.

Despite declining to enter the presidential theater, Ryan remains one of his party's most innovative and thoughtful voices on fiscal and economic matters.

"I am where I am. I like where I am," he told the Journal Sentinel's Craig Gilbert. "I feel like I can have a huge impact on the course of the debate in this country."

We have disagreed with Ryan from time to time; we think his incessant demand to "repeal and replace" Obamacare, for example, voiced in the Gilbert interview, is not only shortsighted but just plain unrealistic. It's not going to happen anytime soon. But the congressman is a thoughtful conservative who, like his mentor, the late Jack Kemp, is an ideas machine, especially in the areas of entitlements and tax policy.

The nation's laws in both areas need serious reform. This nation's government has not fully accounted for the coming burden of baby boomer retirements on Medicare and Social Security, which is a fiscal tsunami against which the nation right now is not well-defended. Corporate taxes remain too high and companies have to spend millions sorting through the dozens of loopholes to lower their effective burden to a competitive level. The tax law for individuals is nearly indecipherable. Can anyone actually do their own taxes anymore? There has to be a better way, and we hope with Ryan's leadership, Democrats and Republicans alike can work to find it.

"If we get it right in Congress, I think that can also help us win the presidency," Ryan told Gilbert. "In the intervening two years, Republicans need to show who we are."

Indeed, they do need to do that. And if that means following Ryan's lead by offering smart, workable plans that can attract bipartisan support, the GOP will deserve credit. But if it means simply saying "no" to anything the president or his party propose and offering nothing of substance themselves, well, then that will deserve a different response.

We will support Ryan when we can; oppose him when we must. But there is little question that Wisconsin's influence in the federal government is enhanced by his new position.

___

Leader-Telegram, Jan. 12

Wealth gap not just liberal whining

Just-released figures leave no doubt that there is a canyon-wide wage gap in this country. Less clear is what if anything to do about it.

Income 2012 tax numbers parsed by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation tell the story:

- The top 1 percent (1.3 million filers) paid a greater share of income taxes (38 percent) than the bottom 90 percent (122.4 million filers), who paid 30 percent.

- The top 1 percent of taxpayers earned 22 percent of the nation's total adjusted gross income and paid 38 percent of income taxes.

- The top 50 percent of all taxpayers (68 million filers) paid nearly 96.7 percent of all income taxes, while the bottom 50 percent paid the remaining 3.3 percent.

These numbers don't tell the whole story. Millions of young people in high school and college work part-time jobs and file tax returns, which puts them in the bottom 50 percent of earners, but that doesn't mean they're all poor. Same for the semi-retired. It might be more instructive to know how many people working full time compare with the top 1 percent.

Still, the contrast is stark. Democrats generally say these numbers cry out for a fairer system that includes raising the federal minimum wage, expanding social programs and putting more money into education so more people have an opportunity to move into the top 50 percent of wage-earners.

They also believe President Barack Obama was right to tackle health insurance reform so those in the bottom 50 percent don't face "get sick-get bankrupt."

Republicans generally believe, as Mitt Romney put it, that we need more "makers" and fewer "takers." That is, the solution is not to ask the rich to pay even higher taxes, but to encourage business startups and growth through less taxation and regulation that drives jobs and investment overseas.

The answer lies in the middle, which seems obvious. Too much wealth in too few hands buys political power, which in turn gives those at the top the ability to write the rules even more in their favor. Conversely, too much wealth taken from the rich and "redistributed" can tilt government from a vehicle for fairness into an all-powerful entity that stifles personal independence and entrepreneurship.

Unfortunately, Congress is locked in a zero-sum game between fringe elements of both of the aforementioned views with little interest in sitting down, actually looking at these numbers and seeking policies that move us toward a middle ground.

World history is replete with examples of failed nations whose governments either made everyone dependent or whose policies wiped out the middle class.

We have always been able to chart a course that distanced us from either extreme, but it's hard to argue that the numbers listed above aren't tilting us nervously in the direction of too much wealth in too few hands.

___

Wisconsin State Journal, Jan. 14

Congress agrees Obamacare should improve

The president's sweeping health care law isn't going away anytime soon - not as long as the Democrats have veto or filibuster power.

So the bipartisan goal in Congress should be to improve, not undo, what's popularly known as Obamacare.

That's actually what happened last week on the first day the 114th Congress convened. The Republican-run House voted 412-0 to exempt veterans from Obamacare's employer mandate. The GOP-led Senate then moved the bill to a key committee. Just as significantly, the White House indicated its support.

The apparent agreement to refine Obamacare is small but potentially significant. The American people should encourage more cooperation from their leaders in Washington to improve outcomes for patients while making health care truly affordable far into the future.

"With a new Congress, and if the president is willing to work with us, we have an opportunity to end the stagnation in Washington and make our government work for the people again," said U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Illinois, a key sponsor of the change. U.S. Reps. Sean Duffy, R-Weston, and Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Menomonee Falls, are co-sponsors.

The tweak should be good for veterans and small business. Veterans will no longer count toward the Obama-care requirement that companies with 50 or more employees must provide health insurance to workers.

Veterans already can get medical coverage from the Defense or Veterans Affairs departments. So including them in the Obamacare tally was redundant. And not counting them could make veterans more attractive as job candidates for some employers.

At the same time, the change will give small business owners a little longer to expand and succeed before offering insurance.

About the only downside is that the cost to taxpayers may increase slightly if more workers at small businesses receive subsidized health insurance through the Obamacare exchanges, rather than relying on employers for insurance.

Nonetheless, Congress' unanimous support for the bill suggests it makes a lot of sense. And assuming it becomes law, the bill will build momentum for further adjustments to improve what's officially called the Affordable Care Act.

Not everything Congress passes will be approved, of course. Some Republican-backed bills will quickly trigger vetoes, especially if "repeal and replace" is the stated goal. Yet President Barack Obama should view GOP proposals on health care with an open mind, especially if they enjoy bipartisan support.

Several Wisconsin representatives, for example, introduced legislation last year giving medical experts better access to Medicare data. With better data, analysts should be able to find more ways to improve health care delivery while controlling cost.

Obamacare has tried to alter payment incentives so health care providers are rewarded for the quality - not quantity - of their care. But more progress is needed.

Obamacare should allow plans to offer fewer benefits. That would lower cost and pull more young people into the system. Washington should simplify rules on health savings accounts.

America's health care system is still too expensive and complicated. Last week's vote should prompt further agreement toward a cure.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.