The past several years have been particularly discouraging for the conservative movement. They have not only been getting hammered at the polls, but they have had an identity crisis. The crisis: the GOP has suffered from flawed and nonexistent leadership. Finally, there may be some hope in the form of a little known (but this is changing) Wisconsin Representative - Paul Ryan.
Ryan is currently serving his sixth term in Congress representing Wisconsin’s first congressional district. He is currently the ranking member of the House Budget Committee and is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee. The Ways and Means Committee oversees tax policy, social security, and healthcare laws. Ryan has been dubbed by conservatives as “the man with a plan”. His plan is called: “A Roadmap for America’s Future”; and the plan can be found at the following website: http://www.americanroadmap.org/.
Ryan is the ideal choice to be the head of the GOP because his expertise in congress covers our most dire national issue: Debt. Our national debt will adversely affect our economic growth, the unemployment rate, the value of the dollar, inflation, taxes, national security, and just about every other key economic metric. If our debt is not controlled, the United States could be the next Greece. It certainly does not hurt that Ryan is also young, good looking, fit, and an articulate orator – essential characteristics for being both a successful and savvy politician (aka Barack Obama).
One key element leading to our massive national debt is entitlements. Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, low income housing, and welfare make up over half of our national budget. For Social Security and Medicare, Ryan’s plan is to preserve the current system for anyone that is currently over 55 years old. For anyone younger than 55, social security benefits will be trimmed. First, the retirement age will be increased over time to keep up with higher life expectancies. Secondly, Medicare and Social Security payouts and benefits will be minimized for wealthier individuals. For those younger than 55, when they retire, they will be given a capped Medicare payment to purchase the plan of their choice. Ryan has been working in a bipartisan effort to get support for his plan. This explains why the Ryan plan is a good compromise and a positive step in the right direction. Yes, the Ryan plan falls short of true conservative reform, which would create a privatized contribution system instead of the currently flawed benefit system. But this proves that Ryan can compromise for the good of the nation.
Ryan’s plan to simplify the tax code is another step in the right direction. His plan calls for a one page income tax sheet with just two tax brackets: 10 percent and 25 percent. His plan would end capital gain taxes and reduce taxes for corporations so they can hire people, grow, and compete globally. Once again, this is a compromise, and falls short of the ideal goal of implementing a fair tax and eliminating the need for the IRS.
For healthcare reform, like most conservatives, Ryan proposes choice and competition to bring down healthcare premiums and expenses. His plan would call for a system of tax credits so people can afford healthcare insurance.
Furthermore, the Congressional Budget Office has declared the Ryan plan would reduce entitlement spending and help lead to a balanced budget in the long term. However, the Democrats refuse to look at or listen to Ryan’s plan.
Ryan has ruled out running for President in 2012, which is probably a good idea since most do not know of him or his work. However, Ryan would make an excellent Vice Presidential candidate because of his fiscal expertise. Besides, his name on the ticket could turn Wisconsin from blue to red.
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