http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/2011/07/means-testing-the-gops-surprising-class-warfare/ Informed reflection on the events of the day Wed, 15 Jul 2015 17:00:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4.23 http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/2011/07/means-testing-the-gops-surprising-class-warfare/comment-page-1/#comment-14972 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:45:00 +0000 http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/?p=6625#comment-14972 This is an interesting issue. I suspect that you are right. The Federal Government offers a numbers of types of insurance: unemployment insurance; Medicare (health insurance); Social Security (retirement insurance); flood insurance, and their may be others. Each involves the contribution through fees (taxes) for the expectation of a paid benefit. If the Federal Government chooses to default on its obligations (some would argue that unless major changes are made in most entitlements, the government will default, it is just a matter of time), then confidence in honoring its obligations falters. This is the major problem. The Constitutional “taking” of real property is severely restricted, and requires compensation to the injured party. I’m not sure how this applies to private property. Means testing for people in the existing programs is a default of obligations, and is dangerously close to the concept of a taking. I think that this is why both parties are moving slowly on this one. My recollection is that the Democrats have resisted dealing with the issue; and the Republications have had some proposals for people under the age of 55.

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