If government programs were subjected to the same fraud and unfair-trade-practices standards that prevail in the private sector, many politicians and government bureaucrats would be serving lengthy prison sentences.
Martin L. Gross reminds us that the congressional Republicans who pushed for Medicare Part D (prescription drug benefits for all Medicare recipients) in 2003 spread fundamental untruths about the program.
“Analysts” testified repeatedly that the program was absolutely necessary and would cost about $400 billion over 10 years.
They knew, in fact, that the actual cost would be much higher. But Republicans were trying to ensure reelection in 2004 and thought they could get more senior-citizen votes by pandering.
Almost immediately after Part D was enacted, the “analysts” admitted that costs would be at least $530 billion– –about one-third more than they claimed earlier.
Source: Martin L. Gross, “National Suicide” (2009) p. 212.
