Seniors gear up for fight

The Joplin Globe ^ | 1/2/04 | Wally Kennedy

[qam1]

Xer Ping

Ping list for the discussion of the politics and social (and sometimes nostalgic) aspects that directly effects Generation Reagan / Generation-X (Those born from 1965-1981) including all the spending previous generations (i.e. The Baby Boomers) are doing that Gen-X and Y will end up paying for.

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[ladyjane]

Social security is not a retirement fund. It was never intended to be a retirement fund. A lot of people are planning on using it as their retirement fund. The situation will only get worse.

[HungarianGypsy]

I was reading similar comments in my paper's opinion section. My first thought was, has the government ever done any program better that a private group? I assume that a half-baked job is considered "good enough for government work" for a reason.

[longtermmemmory]

This is going to be a PR fight more than a principle fight.

[HungarianGypsy]

Good point, lj. I thought Social Security was supposed to be a temporary fix. My husband says if it is offered and still around when he retires, he will collect from it, since he has paid into it all these years... but we are not going to rely on living on it.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

"It's not going in the hole."

Profound ignorance on display. Social Security is NOTHING BUT A HOLE which is getting deeper and deeper all the time.

[KC_for_Freedom]

"I would say do not privatize it," he said. "Don't mess with it at all, and put the money you stole from it back in it. If they would leave it alone, there would be plenty of money there. It's not going in the hole. It's the way they manage it."

The most vulnerable and easily fooled generation shows their concern at the same time they show their ignorance. They can't put back the money they stole from it because that is the money they are giving out to these AARP stooges. It is the way they manage it, but don't manage it better in my lifetime is what they are saying.

[philomath]

from the state of Kansas for his 25 years as a teacher

and guess who makes up the differnce between what he put in during 25 years and what he's taking out now?? of course most of the geezers want SS "strengthened": the "greatest generation" gets the greatest amount, right??? we get to play the Ponzi scheme so they can extract every last working dime before we collapse from carying them around. otoh, some at SS age see the problem and continue to earn their own ways, but not enough.....

[JoeV1]

I must have missed it in the AARP's condemnation of the Bush plan but isn't this all voluntary? Why on earth are those 2 folks quoted in the beginning of this story so worried? They wouldn't be able to become part of the new program anyway.

[KoRn]

Bring it on!! It's my money and I want to keep it, not flush it into a forced retirement program.

The DIMs say we can't "Break The Promise to our seniors".

Well, I never made any damned promises, and they shouldn't be promising someone else MY hard earned money!!!

[Turbopilot]

Some prime quotes:

"I can take care of myself, and that's what I'm going to do."

...even though I failed to make any effort to do so over a forty-year-or-so career.

Mark Peron, 21, a senior political science major at Missouri Southern State University, said he would not want a private investment account, because he feels that Social Security is the government's responsibility.

"The current system has a lot of flaws in it," Peron said. But I still think the government should be responsible instead of having the individuals do it all themselves. The government, I feel, would be more informed and better able to handle the situation with Social Security."

Not all us young people are such prime candidates for brain transplants as our friend Mark here. Note his choice of verb. I feel that the government should buy me an airplane and a Porsche. But I think I'd settle for them taking less of my money so I could save, invest, and buy them myself someday.

[dawn53]

Zollars, 79, retired in 1987. He has been living off his Social Security check and a pension he receives from the state of Kansas for his 25 years as a teacher.

Okay, this guy retired 17 years ago, at age 62.

He's ranting about the amount he gets from SS, and I'm not an expert on SS, but if you retire before 65, don't you get a "reduced" payment. So why didn't he work for 3 more years to get the full SS payment?

[GVnana]

If they would leave it alone, there would be plenty of money there. It's not going in the hole. It's the way they manage it."

That's the big delusion the Democrats will try to capitalize on.

[Ludicrous]

I don't understand why the AARP opposes SS reform. They are already collecting, so why should they care what the younger people do with their money?

Even their official statement makes no sense: "Taking some of the money that workers pay into the system and diverting it into newly created private accounts would weaken Social Security and put benefits for future generations at risk,"

Future generations won't need SS benefits if we are allowed to save/invest instead of having forced contributions to a dead-end program. Please...some AARP Freeper out there explain to me how am I supposed to secure MY retirement, when I am forced to contribute to YOURS? Obviously didn't bother to invest or save when you were in your earning years if you are now living on SS benefits.

[JoeGar]

Mark Peron, 21, a senior political science major ... said he would not want a private investment account ... "The government, I feel, would be more informed and better able to handle the situation with Social Security."

I suppose Peron majored in polysci because he cannot do math. SocSecurity is a guaranteed loser for a 21-year-old.

[kittymyrib]

Happily, the ignorant greedy geezers will soon have departed to receive their just rewards. They made out like bandits on their Social Security payments, having received much more than they put in. I am turning 65 this year. I don't want my children and grandchildren to have to contribute one more cent into this outrageous Ponzi scheme and would be happy to forgo a cent of this ill-gotten money. For all those idiots who trust politicians with their money more than the stock market of the USA, they deserve to have this non-existent "trust fund" go totally broke. By the way, are you aware that the Supreme Court has ruled that the US government is not obligated to pay its citizens one thin dime in Social Security? People who must rely on the federal government for a living have saved way too little for their old age. The least we can insist on is universal adoption of the federal employees' system that allows them to choose to put a portion of their retirement funds into bonds and equity funds, very low to no risk and a return of about 300% over what Social Security pays now. Any conservative who gives a cent to the socialist AARP needs to be slapped!

[daviddennis]

If I'd invested everything I put into SS, I would be rich by the time i retired, instead of pauperized by pathetic $800 a month benefits.

These people are fools.

D

[winker]

It was designed to hold families together and to give stability in uncertain times.

[CyberAnt]

What is it with these seniors ..?? Anything the President does to SS WILL NOT AFFECT THEM .. so what are they whining about ..?? It's beyond my comprehension.