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Congress

Saturday, December 1, 2012

The Fiscal Cliff: What Deal Would You Cut?

Massachusetts Democrats in Congress want to avoid cuts in benefits as part of any deal, but proposals such as raising the eligibility age for Medicare are still on the table. What would you do?

As Congress negotiates a deal to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" on Jan. 1, Massachusetts' congressional representatives have voiced their opposition to any cuts in benefits such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, the Boston Globe reports.  However, there are proposals still on the table that would change those benefit programs, including linking Social Security benefits to a more conservative inflation index that would slightly reduce annual increases, or raising the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67. The Globe reported that while the Bay State's legislators were united against changes to Social Security, there's some wiggle room on Medicare. Rep. Ed Markey opposes raising the Medicare eligibility age; Rep. Michael …

Ajax

6:58 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012

I have a buddy who worked a couple years for state government and now he has lifetime health insurance from the state. Absolutely no common sense when it comes to spending. No wonder the government is broke.   more ›

Thursday, February 16, 2012

MBTA Service Could Face Washington Threat

House Republicans aim to restructure federal transportation budget.

While local groups argue with the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority about potential reductions to bus and ferry service, a proposal in Washington could worsen conditions for T riders. A Salon.com opinion piece reported this week that House Republicans have proposed a transportation bill that would eliminate the Mass Transit Account from the Federal Highway Trust Fund. Such a change could sharply impact the MBTA. “The House transportation bill represents a giant step in the wrong direction for transit systems all over the country,” said Rep. Mike Capuano. “The dedicated funding stream for mass transit projects, which has been in place for decades, is being eliminated. This will mean less money for public transit projects everywhere. I won…

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