Comments on: Parents, pigs, and pythons http://themoderatevoice.com/10006/parents-pigs-and-pythons/ An Internet hub for moderates, centrists, and independents, with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, and right Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:01:28 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: GreenDreams http://themoderatevoice.com/10006/parents-pigs-and-pythons/comment-page-1/#comment-41167 GreenDreams Wed, 03 Jan 2007 22:31:58 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/2007/01/02/society/parents-pigs-and-pythons/#comment-41167 I wasn't being snarky, CS. My parents taught us fiscal discipline, and practiced it. But they were easily seduced by the nonsensical notion that we could get a tax break, increase military spending, run up the debt and somehow it would all be just fine; 'morning in America'. They should have known better and so should you. Every additional dollar of debt becomes part of the Bush "Birth Tax." That new baby owes $30,000 and baby's share of the interest (and yours) is $4,400 this year. So when you're paying your taxes, just remember how much of the tab is the direct result of the selfishness of everyone who voted for these criminals. I wasn’t being snarky, CS. My parents taught us fiscal discipline, and practiced it. But they were easily seduced by the nonsensical notion that we could get a tax break, increase military spending, run up the debt and somehow it would all be just fine; ‘morning in America’. They should have known better and so should you. Every additional dollar of debt becomes part of the Bush “Birth Tax.” That new baby owes $30,000 and baby’s share of the interest (and yours) is $4,400 this year. So when you’re paying your taxes, just remember how much of the tab is the direct result of the selfishness of everyone who voted for these criminals.

]]> By: CStanley http://themoderatevoice.com/10006/parents-pigs-and-pythons/comment-page-1/#comment-40933 CStanley Tue, 02 Jan 2007 20:33:39 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/2007/01/02/society/parents-pigs-and-pythons/#comment-40933 Greendreams, I must have missed the part where anyone claimed that our parents generation was selfish or that we shouldn't care for them, or the part that had anything whatsoever to do with the wealthy getting wealthier. The post I read by polimom was pointing out some obvious demographic trends that are putting some middle aged and middle class folks in a financial bind. Greendreams,
I must have missed the part where anyone claimed that our parents generation was selfish or that we shouldn’t care for them, or the part that had anything whatsoever to do with the wealthy getting wealthier. The post I read by polimom was pointing out some obvious demographic trends that are putting some middle aged and middle class folks in a financial bind.

]]> By: GreenDreams http://themoderatevoice.com/10006/parents-pigs-and-pythons/comment-page-1/#comment-40930 GreenDreams Tue, 02 Jan 2007 20:09:50 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/2007/01/02/society/parents-pigs-and-pythons/#comment-40930 We are the richest country on the planet. We can afford to take care of our elderly, our children and our precious planet. It seems the selfishness of your parents (I'm probably their age) deciding to just use up all the resources and pass on the debt to you; is matched by your selfishness of wanting only to take care of yourselves. You know, voting to shift even more wealth to the already wealthy isn't going to help. How many here are in the top 0.5% who won't be saddled with the debt we've taken on for you? Trickle down doesn't work (but damn. trickle up sure does). We are the richest country on the planet. We can afford to take care of our elderly, our children and our precious planet. It seems the selfishness of your parents (I’m probably their age) deciding to just use up all the resources and pass on the debt to you; is matched by your selfishness of wanting only to take care of yourselves. You know, voting to shift even more wealth to the already wealthy isn’t going to help. How many here are in the top 0.5% who won’t be saddled with the debt we’ve taken on for you? Trickle down doesn’t work (but damn. trickle up sure does).

]]> By: Polimom http://themoderatevoice.com/10006/parents-pigs-and-pythons/comment-page-1/#comment-40906 Polimom Tue, 02 Jan 2007 17:32:39 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/2007/01/02/society/parents-pigs-and-pythons/#comment-40906 As long as Ed T brought it up, this is from the pbs Frontline article: <blockquote>The projected insolvency dates for these government benefit programs are 2040 for Social Security and 2018 for Medicare, according to the 2006 Trustees Report for the two programs.</blockquote> 2018? As long as Ed T brought it up, this is from the pbs Frontline article:

The projected insolvency dates for these government benefit programs are 2040 for Social Security and 2018 for Medicare, according to the 2006 Trustees Report for the two programs.

2018?

]]> By: Ed T. http://themoderatevoice.com/10006/parents-pigs-and-pythons/comment-page-1/#comment-40903 Ed T. Tue, 02 Jan 2007 17:07:52 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/2007/01/02/society/parents-pigs-and-pythons/#comment-40903 What complicates things even more is that we have this little thing called Medicare which is *supposed* to help with health care costs for the elderly, and in some cases they still have some sort of health care benefit from their former employer(s). So, in the end it will be a great big shouting match between the insurance companies, each arguing that someone *else* should be paying the tab. What complicates things even more is that we have this little thing called Medicare which is *supposed* to help with health care costs for the elderly, and in some cases they still have some sort of health care benefit from their former employer(s).

So, in the end it will be a great big shouting match between the insurance companies, each arguing that someone *else* should be paying the tab.

]]> By: Polimom http://themoderatevoice.com/10006/parents-pigs-and-pythons/comment-page-1/#comment-40901 Polimom Tue, 02 Jan 2007 17:02:26 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/2007/01/02/society/parents-pigs-and-pythons/#comment-40901 I think it's still a task for the children, generally speaking. However, the structure of the family is rather different today, both demographically and economically. Also -- We no longer have the June Cleaver mental model; June's working now, and probably will still be working when her parents can no longer live on their own. June also had her kids later -- which means she's still saving for their college as she approaches fifty or so (you can just call me June if you're tired of Polimom). Caring for elderly parents isn't as simple as just giving them a bedroom, of course. As a result (according to the LA Times article), people are missing work to care for their parents (in various ways) at the staggering cost of $33 billion per year <em>now</em>... and we've hardly begun to hit the peak of the problem. I think it’s still a task for the children, generally speaking. However, the structure of the family is rather different today, both demographically and economically.

Also — We no longer have the June Cleaver mental model; June’s working now, and probably will still be working when her parents can no longer live on their own. June also had her kids later — which means she’s still saving for their college as she approaches fifty or so (you can just call me June if you’re tired of Polimom).

Caring for elderly parents isn’t as simple as just giving them a bedroom, of course. As a result (according to the LA Times article), people are missing work to care for their parents (in various ways) at the staggering cost of $33 billion per year now… and we’ve hardly begun to hit the peak of the problem.

]]> By: CStanley http://themoderatevoice.com/10006/parents-pigs-and-pythons/comment-page-1/#comment-40892 CStanley Tue, 02 Jan 2007 16:13:45 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/2007/01/02/society/parents-pigs-and-pythons/#comment-40892 bellisaurus, I think that you have a good point, but still the increase in longevity and rising standards of healthcare have made eldercare more of a burden. That's not to say that the younger generation shouldn't bear this burden, but that it is wise to acknowledge that we're being caught in a crunch. We want to be responsible for planning for our own golden years, while also facing rising costs of caring for our parents (who perhaps didn't plan as well as they should have: but this may be due to overreliance on social security as well as lack of foresight about how long they would live). And another factor: our unwillingness to live in multigenerational settings. Today's retiring baby boomers don't want to live in their kid's spare bedroom, and their kids weren't raised to accept this as the norm either. Maintaining two households is always a greater financial burden, but we're not generally willing to adjust our ideas of standard of living. bellisaurus,
I think that you have a good point, but still the increase in longevity and rising standards of healthcare have made eldercare more of a burden. That’s not to say that the younger generation shouldn’t bear this burden, but that it is wise to acknowledge that we’re being caught in a crunch. We want to be responsible for planning for our own golden years, while also facing rising costs of caring for our parents (who perhaps didn’t plan as well as they should have: but this may be due to overreliance on social security as well as lack of foresight about how long they would live). And another factor: our unwillingness to live in multigenerational settings. Today’s retiring baby boomers don’t want to live in their kid’s spare bedroom, and their kids weren’t raised to accept this as the norm either. Maintaining two households is always a greater financial burden, but we’re not generally willing to adjust our ideas of standard of living.

]]> By: bellisaurius http://themoderatevoice.com/10006/parents-pigs-and-pythons/comment-page-1/#comment-40889 bellisaurius Tue, 02 Jan 2007 15:51:11 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/2007/01/02/society/parents-pigs-and-pythons/#comment-40889 Wasn't care of the elderly once a task for the children? I think it's always been that way for my family. I wonder if it's true for most others, or more interestingly, if that idea has changed since social security was begun. Wasn’t care of the elderly once a task for the children? I think it’s always been that way for my family. I wonder if it’s true for most others, or more interestingly, if that idea has changed since social security was begun.

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