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Sunday, December 31, 2017

Paul Ryan's Retirement Trial Balloon Pops Into Full Congressional Golden Parachute


Although the recent story from Politico about a "retirement" trial balloon pushed apparently by Rep. Paul Ryan's closest confidants seemed to generate only eyerolls and shrugs, I tend to think that Ryan will retire soon after he is sworn into office in 2019.

Outside of the more typical political maneuvering we should expect regarding a GOP power vacuum or Ryan's lame-duck status (if it's true), the timing of his planned retirement, as explained in the story, soon after winning again (assuming) in November 2018, gives me reason to believe he will quit.

Politico Except:
More recently, over closely held conversations with his kitchen cabinet, Ryan’s preference has become clear: He would like to serve through Election Day 2018 and retire ahead of the next Congress. This would give Ryan a final legislative year to chase his second white whale, entitlement reform, while using his unrivaled fundraising prowess to help protect the House majority—all with the benefit of averting an ugly internecine power struggle during election season.

For a guy who spent a great portion of his long miserable career in congress preaching collectivism vs individualism, makers vs takers and conspiring to collapse Social Security, push corporate sponsored legislation designed to lessen employer's contributions into private pensions, bust unions and their pension requirements, shrink public employees benefits and pensions, block grant Medicaid and blame government-funded future obligations for mounting national debt ...when Paul Ryan is sworn into office in early 2019, he will be eligible for full government-funded congressional benefits and early retirement at age 50. That amounts to $139K a year for the rest of his life.

Funny how Politico skipped that part.

But the irony and karma to that prospect is just unbelievable.

It's a very fitting comeuppance for those who have elected him again and again. That Paul Ryan will go out with a bang exploding "entitlements" while he pulls the cord on his baby-soft fully-vested early retirement congressional parachute. A fully funded pension from a government he helped put $20 trillion in debt and teetering on insolvency.

Bravo Mister Congressman Paul Ryan. Bravo. That will be your greatest achievement!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great comments. A whole lot of reasons to be outraged by Ryan. I hope he would retire, but would rather his exit be forced by the election of someone who really represents Janesville people.

So if Ryan leaves Congress, comes back "home," will the Ryans continue to be treated as just-regular folks, like ordinary neighbors? I just hope folks really see and take to heart the bad that Ryan is.

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