Big deal, when my sister’s husband died in December, she got his social security and her’s stopped. All said, she has $600 less in monthly income. They both worked hard all their lives, but in the end you only get to collect one social security income if one partner dies. It’s a good thing my sister didn’t count on social security to take care of all her financial needs, like too many do. They also owned rental properties that bring in more income than social security.
Too many baby boomers haven’t saved enough for retirement, the average is only $40,000…that’s going to be a pretty hard wake up call for a lot of people when they try to retire.

1. Their dependents get a lot of money from Social Security. About 1/3rd of all pay-outs go to widows and orphans.

2. Neither do people who have life insurance but DON’T DIE, while they’re paying for it.

3. We all benefit from a society in which old people don’t rot in the gutter.

Except for Max, he wants to rot in the gutter.

“IIRC, the age of 65 being chosen back when Social Security was begun was based, a bit, and cold heartedly IMO on the expectation that on average benefits would only be drawn for three years or so.”

Right in the measure. The first Social Security program that was set up to pay at 65 was in Germany, and it was created by Bismarck. He chose that age because the average German factory worker in his day only lived, on average, to be 40.

Adjusting the actuarial tables to take our longer life spans into account, you would be eligible for payment when you reached 108.

Bury our nation alive in debt to finance a pointless war.

Whatever you do, don’t conserve your financial resources.

Why don’t the conservatives just leave this country if they hate it so much. They want to bankrupt this country so they borrow billions of dollars and throw it down the toilet. They sell off our nation’s infrastructure to foreign nations. The work overtime in destroying our military. They make medical care more expensive because they don’t care if people get sick or die. They want to get rid of the education system because education is an investment in the future and they don’t want America to have a future.

Can anything think of anything positive the conservatives have done since they’ve seized power?

“Social Security isn’t a benefit program for millions of Americans who die before they collect one dime from the system.”

You’re wrong, of course.

Social Security is an insurance program. Ones surviving spouse might qualify for widows’ benefits. Ones minor children would get orphans’ benefits.

It’s part of the Republic Party’s Big Lie strategy too refer to Social Security as merely a retirement program.

A tax is a tax, by any other name.

What the heck does THAT have to do with the price of beans in China Ben?

At least as much as George’s “Lets don’t forget 911″

WRONG! Have you accountant do the math for you. Both Bush’s added huge OPERATING deficits to the debt.

American Way, the taxation of benefits has been cussed and discussed previously. From a position of “equity”, should not that portion of the benefits attributable to the employer’s contribution, together with the earnings on all contributions, be subject to income taxation, akin to private pensions? Perhaps a rule similar to that applied to Civil Service retirement payments, the first X years thereof be treated as a recovery of the amounts contributed by the (now retired) employee, with benefits received thereafter fully taxable?

Since social security payments are roughly based upon your life time earnings, that would be fair. Those that pay in the most, would get more in Social Security benefits. And stop taxing the benefits.

Not to mention, raising the age of eligibility is a lost benefit to baby boomer. Pretty soon you will have to be dead before you are eligible to collect.

And all of this because George had a hard on for Saddam Hussein.

Worst President Ever.

And the Republicans are going to nominate John W McBush as their candidate for president?

Perhaps McCain wants to take the title from Bush.

Steven, if we taxed ALL earnings for social security, and not just up to a certain amount, we might not need to raise the age of eligibility.

And if we fixed our health care affordability problems, we could delay the onset of medicare taking over the burden?

And Pleef?

“There’s no freedom like the freedom that comes with being in debt up to your ass.”

I didnt know you were a FARMER! hehehehehehehehe.

No, you’ just kick a future grandma into the street!

But (gasp) Steven! You’d have to admit there IS a problem with Social Security to post that!

PS: Percent of GDP is a joke. I’d like you to tell that to your credit card rep – when you decide NOT to pay your bill! We still have to pay the actual debt. (but nice try)

http://zfacts.com/p/318.html

This same figure rose sharply under Reagan, GWH Bush, and baby-Bush.

We will need to let the tax cuts on the richest Americans expire in 2010. We will have to raise other earners’ taxes and means test and raise the elligibility ages for Medicare and Social Security. Americans are living longer and working longer. These entitlement cuts can be made without kicking grandma into the street.

All these highly educated people don’t seem to be around when congress APPROVES the appropriation acts. Not one penny leaves the treasury without their vote.

What the heck does THAT have to do with the price of beans in China Ben?

Sorry, you can dance around it all you want. But the debt figures are from the US Treasury.

There was no surplus. If there was, he could have used it all to pay down the debt!