As if there weren’t enough hot-button issues for debate in the 2010 midterm elections, Social Security is emerging as another one.
Democrats have been taking the offensive, apparently hoping to use the issue to their advantage as they fight to maintain control of Congress. They’re emphasizing the program’s popularity among Americans, their commitment to protecting it, and their contention that Republicans want to change Social Security to its detriment.
Social Security’s 75th anniversary is Saturday, and Democrats have tied some of their efforts to that milestone. President Obama, for one, talked about Social Security during his weekly address on Saturday.
“We have an obligation … to safeguard Social Security for our seniors, people with disabilities, and all Americans ”“ today, tomorrow, and forever,” he said. “But what we can’t afford to do is privatize Social Security.”
I’d love to see the data backing up the assertion of how popular SS is. Was that a poll of all the people receiving disability checks after they had hired lawyers to walk them through the process?
I can’t imagine folks like me who have paid in boatloads of money with no expectation of a return are too thrilled.
I think an independent commission ought to look at the platinum-plated
systems of pensions and medical that Congress has voted for
themselves. That would be a real eye-opener in this election year.
I have paid in “boatloads of money” and am getting a paltry return – but of this I am sure: Had SS been privatized, what money I put in would have been stolen years ago by the very guys exempt from paying the social security tax. And now their friends in Congress want to legitimize theft.
The ultimate privatized system would be the one I and millions of Americans have been using for years: savings.
Of course the joke may end up being on us. Having taken advantage of IRA’s and 401K’s, will Uncle Sugar end up confiscating that money to give me “income credits” or some other such nonsense?
Such theft on such a monumental scale could cause real civil unrest.
Exactly, Dan.
Capt. Deacon, and what would you do/have done if you were stricken with debilitating diseases when you were in your 30s? You know, before you could amass large sums in 401Ks? See, that’s what happened to me. I did have some savings but you can’t believe how fast that goes when you’re seriously ill and have to pay for your own (inadequate) insurance, med. bills, and living expenses.
Besides that, I know many people who were planning to retire but couldn’t after big drops in the stock market devastated their savings and investment accounts. And now, some older people who lost their jobs and can’t find new ones are having to file for SS earlier than they anticipated.
Once more we recognize we have a problem, once more everyone agrees that something needs to be done. And once more the Democrats resort to demagoguery and demonize any proposed solution and once more insure that nothing will be done until the system collapses.
#5, I will tell you what I did. For about 25 years of my career, I carried personal disability insurance and signed up for all the corporate disability insurance I could. As I got older, those payments increased (as did my savings). A few years ago, figuring I had become sustainable on savings, I ditched the disability insurance.
My point is not to poke you in the eye: rather, there have been and still are private financial planning solutions to these problems.
Many folks don’t use them because we are being trained to suck at the teat of Government from cradle to grave.
for goodness sake SS is a ponzi scheme, we’ve been over this many times (not that I expect Barry O. to have the courage to do anything about it):
http://www.americanthinker.com/2005/03/the_social_security_ponzi_sche.html
A Ponzi scheme that if practised in the private sector would put a person in prison for a real long time!