"People retiring today are part of the first generation of workers who have paid more in Social Security taxes during their careers than they will receive in benefits after they retire. It's a historic shift that will only get worse for future retirees, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. "
"For the early generations, it was an incredibly good deal," said Andrew Biggs, a former deputy Social Security commissioner who is now a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. "The government gave you free money and getting free money is popular." LOL
If you want to be, press one. If you want not to be, press 2
Republicans are red, democrats are blue, neither of them, gives a flip about you.
Used to be you had 20 people paying in for every person receiving, now I think it is one to three.
Dirty little secret? Lots of people receiving social security benefits are much younger than 60.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
The other big issue with Social Security is that people live too long. Back in the 1930's most people didn't live until 65 and they were really wore down so they probably did need a pension.
Now a lot of people are in pretty good health and live 20 years past 65.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
on that note wrote: I am not worried about social security for me personally, I will make sure that I make enough or spend little enough not to need it. That's a program for the desperate. Seems like most around here have enough money to buy internet connections and time to post on them, that folks around here are not desperate either and should not be planning on collecting.
Though I appreciate the concern for the truly old folks, with no families to support them. I like having a program to support them. Too bad folks that feel like they paid in so they want money out even if they are stable - are taking that support for the desperate.
If you know a financially stable person on SS, guilt them to leave it for the poor, please.
It is interesting how it was such a good deal for the early collectors (less pay in more pay out)....this would be like everything, absolutely everything we are buying right now via govt. right - We are getting the great deal, we get to have multiple wars, all kinds of great programs, roads, airport security and all the stuff we just LOVE from the GOV....and future gens will pay for it, or simply suffer cause of it. Pretty cool...and perhaps evens it out...since we can no longer make things fair by actually making them fair, we need to screw each other equally to be equal these days. On goes the ratchet.
I agree with you for the most part... except I don't believe "fairness" can ever be achieved. I accept the reality that humans are like electricity and individually choose the path of least resistance. And if there iis money to be spent, the government will spend it... the Social Security "Trust Fund" is one of the biggest jokes ever played on the American people. There is no trust, and there are no funds.
The left is angry because they are now being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.
Anyone who is even pretending to be intellectually honest acknowledges that our soon to be $16 Trillion and counting (faster than ever before) national debt includes nearly $3 Trillion (in principle, with interest the amount owed is closer to $5 Trillion) that is owed to the theoretical Social Security "Trust Fund".
Let's also remember that Social Security pays for a lot of disability, and I have reported people who shouldn't have been on it. I hear horror stories about the hoops people jump through to get disability, but I sure don't here much about people, such as a former neighbor who was on disability for his bad back, but could spend up to 5 hours bent over a car engine. Well, maybe he couldn't get up. Same guy was up in a 40 ft tree in his back yard trimming it.
Also, people on Social Security disability with children, get a stipend for each of their underage kids. So it's going to a lot more than just old folks who have retired.
2wlady wrote: It took labor unions to get pensions.
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Maybe it was labor unions but essentially it was supply and demand of labor after WWII. To get workers companies had to offer pensions and medical care coverage. And most of our trading competition was in ruins like Germany and Japan.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
SSDI is heading for insolvency and bailout in only a few years. Another program that was expanded, set on auto-pilot and never fully funded. Our clever hard working politicians are ignoring it and kicking the ol can. The program costs are $132B + another $80B for the medicare they also qualify for and cost is growing faster than the economy. Ho Hum. No worries.
