Posted on 02/12/2005 3:02:24 AM PST by thelastvirgil
Not sure if this is the right place or format for this, but the mods can move it, if not. Received a panicky e-mail message from my brother, last night. He says he has been talking to some "very smart" friends, in St. Louis, that tell him that social security reform will include cutting about half of social security disability recipients off the program.
He went on to say that, the Republicans (those meanies) were intent on kicking anyone off ssdi that wasn't confined to a hospital bed. He forsees having to get a janitor's job followed by slow starvation. He then asked me to click a link and sign an online petition to help stop ss reform. You guessed it: the link led directly to Moveon.org.
I sent him a link to factcheck.org, and tried to calm his fears. I explained to him that Moveon was a bunch of lying jerks trying to scare the hell out of folks that didn't know better, and that he should relax. That didn't help. He is convinced people are going to be driven to the poorhouse by Dubya's plan.
Anyone have any links to credible information that I might use in order to help my brother calm down? This is another reason that I hate Democrats: they peddle this fear to the uninformed, and only know how to scare people.
At least half of the ssdi folks I see should be off the program/
Alcoholic?
Drug addict?
Both?
Anyone who's not actually disabled should be kicked off SSDI.
I have a link to credible information on the status of SS, but if your bro' is absolutely committed to the fantasy that "SS should always be there", it'll probably throw him into a depression.
Most of the janitors in St. Louis are probably unionized and make a very good living, so what's the prob?
The "problem" is it's *work*. :-)
This was not the info I mentioned earlier, but...
Have him check out the Social Security Calculator (powered by The Heritage Foundation):
http://www.heritage.org/research/features/socialsecurity/
He'll plug in his age and it'll spit out a nice little comparison of what he can expect to get under the current SS system versus a Personal Retirement Account.
He forsees having to get a janitor's job followed by slow starvation.
Boy, did I ever misjudge Freepers. I asked a simple question and learned that my brother is either an alcoholic, a drug addict, crazy, or a con-artist. I am sincerely soryto have bothered you kind foks wiht my stupid question.
You can all go back to your Post Toasties, now. I hope that, tomorrow, nobody pisses in them for you. Obviously, someone did, today.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/02/20050210-1.html
"Each year we wait costs an additional $600 billion, which will continue to rise."
My problem is not with the coming pain. I realize the system is screwed and has to be fixed at some point. The sooner the better. My original post was intended to garner helpful information in order to be able to assist my brother for contingencies.
What I received, instead, was a bunch of self-appointed know-it-alls puking their frustrations all over me. I'd suggest these geniuses report any person they feel, legitimately, is on SSDI through fraud; they'd do us all a service.
By the Morons own volition they state that ONE of THREE plans used in the SS revitalization study (This is all based on IF's) may reduce benefits (they use 46%) but that is based on a percentage of benefits received in relation to contributions. Still, it is based on a presumption that there is a plan in place. There isn't.
Try the RNC
Contingencies?
No aspersions on your brother, but on the information he was receiving.
Bush will be very fair. However, if he can work, he will be legitimately kicked off. If he can't, he will stay on.
Everything is on the table though. I suspect your brother is capable of part time work, and that may or may not be on the table too.
Almost everyone I see on disability is capable of some level part time work. If nothing else, he can be a part time call center person working out of his home, the same way they work from India or the phillipines.
For someone on disability for a long time, the disability may be more in the heart and mind than in the body.
LOL, typical scare tactics of the left. No one knows exactly what social security reform looks like yet. There is only chatter right now, and for someone to say this is what Social Security reform is, is just blowing smoke to get people spun up.
If your brother is able to perform a janitor job, why is he on social security. All jobs have dignity and anyone who can work should. I am a professional with alot of experience and very good pay. If perchance I could not do what I do, I would do anything including sweeping floors rather than go on disability.
Where is the pride people used to have. It was a matter of great pride to my family that no one had ever had "assistance". Now I know some need it but it ought to be a last resort not a primary entitlement.
In additon, I think you are a provocative troll trying to prove how "mean" we are. So now you know, we are all mean and sarcastic. Tell your brother to get a job as a janitor and help him out so he doesn't starve. Isn't that what families are for? Or are you just looking for us to pay your freight.
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