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**Opperioav** · 03-10-2009, 03:41 AM

But the CBO is obviously full of ****.

I'm questioning the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, not the CBO. Why couldn't you have found an actual CBO or GAO projection? I know they exist, since I was briefed on them last year.

edit: No wonder those projections looked a lot like the ones CAP uses...

According to New York Times reporter Matt Bai, CBPP is one of three left wing think tanks funded by the Democracy Alliance. The other two are the Center for American Progress and the Economic Policy Institute.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_...icy_Priorities

edit 2: This report from the CBPP doesn't seem to disagree with me...

The main sources of rising expenditures are rising costs throughout the U.S. health care system and
demographic changes, with health care costs playing the larger role. Together, these two forces will
cause the “big three” domestic programs — Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid — to grow
considerably faster than the economy. Collectively, these three programs are projected to grow by
slightly more than 13 percent of GDP between now and 2050.

All other programs, including all domestic programs other than the “big three,” are projected to
grow more slowly than the economy in coming decades and consequently do not contribute to the
projected rise in deficits and debt. Of particular note, entitlement programs outside of the “big three”
are projected to grow more slowly than the economy. Common pronouncements that the nation’s
fiscal problems result from a general “entitlement crisis” are thus mistaken.

Why exactly can't a cut in Social Security expenses (one of the "big three") be used to limit the growth in overall entitlement spending down by counteracting the rise in healthcare expenses?

03-10-2009, 03:41 AM	#18
Opperioav Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 381 Senior Member	But the CBO is obviously full of **. I'm questioning the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, not the CBO. Why couldn't you have found an actual CBO or GAO projection? I know they exist, since I was briefed on them last year. edit: No wonder those projections looked a lot like the ones CAP uses... According to New York Times reporter Matt Bai, CBPP is one of three left wing think tanks funded by the Democracy Alliance. The other two are the Center for American Progress and the Economic Policy Institute. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_...icy_Priorities edit 2:** This report from the CBPP doesn't seem to disagree with me... The main sources of rising expenditures are rising costs throughout the U.S. health care system and demographic changes, with health care costs playing the larger role. Together, these two forces will cause the “big three” domestic programs — Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid — to grow considerably faster than the economy. Collectively, these three programs are projected to grow by slightly more than 13 percent of GDP between now and 2050. All other programs, including all domestic programs other than the “big three,” are projected to grow more slowly than the economy in coming decades and consequently do not contribute to the projected rise in deficits and debt. Of particular note, entitlement programs outside of the “big three” are projected to grow more slowly than the economy. Common pronouncements that the nation’s fiscal problems result from a general “entitlement crisis” are thus mistaken. Why exactly can't a cut in Social Security expenses (one of the "big three") be used to limit the growth in overall entitlement spending down by counteracting the rise in healthcare expenses?
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