Social Security should only go to those who NEED it

[DisneyBamaFan]

One of the big problems with SS is that it was expanded to include things that were never intended nor funded - such a Medicare. That and the fact that the money was never invested and was put into the general fund to handle other government obligations is simply criminal.

Those of us retired and nearing retirement have planned on using SS as a part of retirement - if they gave me back everything I invested with a reasonable return, I'd be happy. Don't take money from us for decades (46 years for me), tell us you're investing it for us into a retirement fund, then renege on the whole thing. If they take SS away there’ll be an insurrection. I've fought in 3 wars already, one more makes no difference to me.

Consider this, what would your reaction be if the government took away all of your retirement savings (and other savings too) in order to fund their various and sundry bailouts? It’s what you’re suggestion for SS.

If it meant saving America for my children, I'd do it in a second...

 

[S. C.]

Let me ask a serious question. If you knew, for a fact, that the continued existence of SS would end up destroying this country, would you still feel this way? Would you still want the money, even at that cost?

Purely a hypothetical question...

Do you honestly believe that SS will be the financial fall of this country? What about all of the pork spending that the government has done thru out the years and are STILL doing? This goes a lot deeper than SS.

Your guilt trip is not working on me. Get congress to not take all of their money/bonus's/freebies that they get from the backs of all of us hardworking taxpayers then we can talk.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Do you honestly believe that SS will be the financial fall of this country? What about all of the pork spending that the government has done thru out the years and are STILL doing? This goes a lot deeper than SS.

Your guilt trip is not working on me. Get congress to not take all of their money/bonus's/freebies that they get from the backs of all of us hardworking taxpayers then we can talk.

I ask a hypothetical question and you divert. I posed it as a hypothetical question. Will you answer it?

 

[S. C.]

If it meant saving America for my children, I'd do it in a second...

But see thats the thing. Just like a PP said, government would take the money and spend it some pork package or one of their freebies!

 

[S. C.]

I ask a hypothetical question and you divert. I posed it as a hypothetical question. Will you answer it?

The question was not asked of me. You were asking that of another poster.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

The question was not asked of me. You were asking that of another poster.

You chose to respond to my post by attacking the question instead of answering it? I don't mind your question, but it is the answer to mine that I am interested in. Tell you what - you answer my question and I will answer yours...

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

But see thats the thing. Just like a PP said, government would take the money and spend it some pork package or one of their freebies!

If that is the case, then you will live to see America collapse...

 

[S. C.]

You chose to respond to my post by attacking the question instead of answering it? I don't mind your question, but it is the answer to mine that I am interested in. Tell you what - you answer my question and I will answer yours...

Need a bit longer to come up with a response I see. Good try though!


Have a nice day.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

Social security was enacted in 1935 when life expectancy was 61.7 years.

Today life expectancy us almost 78 years.

It seems as if the retirement age kept moving up - SS would not be in this mess.


Running some basic numbers- if I made $75,000 a year for 40 years I would have paid into SS $229,000.

If I retire at 65 and live to be 77 (under US life expectancy) I would receive more than $275,000.

I have been paying in and if its not there for me - so what? Do not sweat the small stuff.

To demand to be taken care of and paid MORE than you ever put in the system - but, but, but - sounds like some of you like socialism if it benefits you.

(yes I am aware of the actual definition of socialism - but I am using it in the DIS definition)

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Need a bit longer to come up with a response I see. Good try though!


Have a nice day.

Nope, I have it ready to roll. I just want to see if any of the baby boomers would do what is necessary for their children and grandchildren if it really came down to it. Or do they want their pound of flesh, no matter the consequences. It seems that you have answered my question. Let's see if I get any others. I have a pretty good idea, from the posts in this thread, what they will look like...

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Do you honestly believe that SS will be the financial fall of this country? What about all of the pork spending that the government has done thru out the years and are STILL doing? This goes a lot deeper than SS...

Do I believe that it is now more complicated than just SS? Absolutely. But do I think that the removal of SS and Medicare would give the government enough time to resolve the rest of our problems? Absolutely.

Remove the current $850BB+ in SS and Medicare expenses from our budget and we are almost there, even in a horrible economy. And when you consider that this number will grow every year, peaking at over $2TT per year in about 15 years - yes, I believe that it could save our currency.

You also have to factor in the change in the mindset that the elimination of these programs would represent. None of the elderly would be willing to sacrifice unless everyone had to do so - so almost all social handouts would end. Essentially, a decision by the baby boomers to give up SS and Medicare, with stipulations that these other programs also end, would save our country and put us back where we were financially over 40 years ago.

No promises about what would happen 30 or 40 years later, but a lasting change would take place...

 

[ntsammy5]

If it meant saving America for my children, I'd do it in a second...

To answer your original question, like I said I've been in combat in three different wars, and I've already shed blood (literally) for my country, so if that were the option, yes I would give it up. But everyone else would have to give up something just as meaningful.

 

[S. C.]

And how much is Obama's stimulus package costing? And how long will it take our grandkids/greatgrandkids/ great great grandkids etc to pay for it?

 

[S. C.]

Social security was enacted in 1935 when life expectancy was 61.7 years.

Today life expectancy us almost 78 years.

It seems as if the retirement age kept moving up - SS would not be in this mess.


Running some basic numbers- if I made $75,000 a year for 40 years I would have paid into SS $229,000.

If I retire at 65 and live to be 77 (under US life expectancy) I would receive more than $275,000.

I have been paying in and if its not there for me - so what? Do not sweat the small stuff.

To demand to be taken care of and paid MORE than you ever put in the system - but, but, but - sounds like some of you like socialism if it benefits you.

(yes I am aware of the actual definition of socialism - but I am using it in the DIS definition)

And if you were able to invest that money yourself instead of being forced to turn it over to your government how much would that $275.000 be worth?

BTW: most of us do not consider $275k small stuff. Congrats to you that you are that wealthy

 

[eliza61]

Let me ask a serious question. If you knew, for a fact, that the continued existence of SS would end up destroying this country, would you still feel this way? Would you still want the money, even at that cost?

Purely a hypothetical question...

Hey I ask that about that stupid Iraq war all the time... God knows it's been destroying the country since it started. So I guess if we are going to stop programs that are destroying the country that would be first on my list, way before social security.

OT I know, sorry

 

[JDinCO]

To answer your original question, like I said I've been in combat in three different wars, and I've already shed blood (literally) for my country, so if that were the option, yes I would give it up. But everyone else would have to give up something just as meaningful.

HOOAH!!!

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

And how much is Obama's stimulus package costing? And how long will it take our grandkids/greatgrandkids/ great great grandkids etc to pay for it?

If things don't turn around, they won't. Our currency will go through a period of hyper-inflation, making the debt seem like small potatoes...

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

To answer your original question, like I said I've been in combat in three different wars, and I've already shed blood (literally) for my country, so if that were the option, yes I would give it up. But everyone else would have to give up something just as meaningful.

Thank you - only one war for me, but I am with you. 10th Mountain Division...

 

[S. C.]

If things don't turn around, they won't. Our currency will go through a period of hyper-inflation, making the debt seem like small potatoes...

Then take it up with congress!







Or are you one of them?

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Hey I ask that about that stupid Iraq war all the time... God knows it's been destroying the country since it started. So I guess if we are going to stop programs that are destroying the country that would be first on my list, way before social security.

OT I know, sorry

More than SS today? Agreed. More than SS over the next 15 years? Not even close.

I agree that we cannot afford to be in Iraq now. We should tell them that they have to fund our entire effort with oil proceeds or pull out now. We cannot take care of the rest of the world when we are in the middle of a crisis like this...