AARP Poll: Appeal of Social Security Private Accounts Drops When Consequences Known

Du Quoin Evening Call ^ | 1/31/05 | John H. Croessman

[dirtboy]

But barely a quarter continued to support private accounts if it meant a lower Social Security benefit in retirement.

You don't suppose that AARP, while conducting this poll, negelected to mention that the trust fund is an accounting fiction, do you?

[qam1]

I don't believe this (Especially the Xer numbers) for second

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.

Freep mail me to be added or dropped. See my home page for details and previous articles.  

[SandRat]

AARP Poll: Appeal of Social Security Private Accounts Drops When Consequences Known AARP LIBERAL propaganda lies told.

[isthisnickcool]

AARP is technically a charity. It should not be.

[Brilliant]

I don't believe that there is any way that a poll like this can be conducted in a fair manner. Social security is not an easy issue to understand. You have to have a basic understanding of accounting and economics. Most people don't, which is why this issue is so easy to demogogue.

[Noachian]

Mrs. Asa goes onto say, "I don't see anything--any reason--to change it because once they change it, they'll want to change it again and there won't be anything left. That's my version."

Somebody should tell Mrs Asa that the government can change Social Security anytime it wants, but if she had her own retirement account the government couldn't touch it at all.

That's the problem with a government control retirement plan.

[thoughtomator]

I'm sorry, we are supposed to trust the AARP in this why?

[phoenix0468]

I want my SS dollars to do with what I want. SS is a socialist democrats lie that has been perpetrated for over sixty years. It is a sham program that puts people in poverty and sucks capital out of the economy. For anyone to think that SS is a viable program is completely ignorant of its past, present, and future.

[exnavychick]

Thanks for the ping.

I'd like to know the specific questions they asked in this survey, and the exact phrasing. My guess is that it was a steaming pile. A lot of "If x were to happen, with y as a result, would you support changing SS benefits..." or something along those lines.

[popdonnelly]

The AARP stays in business by scaring old people.

[traviskicks]

What if the question was phrased this way:

Would you support volunatary private accounts, which are estimate to give anywhere between 2-4% a year, or not have this option and continue to make 0-1% in the government sponsored accounts?

I don't think the above poll question is at all biased or untrue. But AARP won't dare ask it.

[phoenix0468]

Ok, here's the gist of SS. We are giving our hard earned money to an entity that is saying it will be wisely invested and safeguarded for our future. And, here is the track record of that entity. Since the implementation of SS it has gone over 5 trillion dollars in debt. It has unethically and possibly illegally diverted billions of dollars from SS in sham loans to the budget. It has put the burden of financing the retirement of millions of people on the next two or three generations after. And we think this program needs to be STRENGTHENED? B.S. this program needs to be scrapped quicker than I can say. "go away IRS."

I think I am going to be a bit sick thinking about how my money is being mishandled by our bloated, fiscally irresponsible legislature.

[dirtboy]

Would you support volunatary private accounts, which are estimate to give anywhere between 2-4% a year, or not have this option and continue to make 0-1% in the government sponsored accounts?

Or, perhaps this question:

Would you prefer that the government continue to spend the amount you currently pay into the Social Security surplus, or would you rather have that money in your own private investment account where the government cannot spend it?

[qam1]

I'd like to know the specific questions they asked in this survey, and the exact phrasing. My guess is that it was a steaming pile. A lot of "If x were to happen, with y as a result, would you support changing SS benefits..." or something along those lines.

I have little doubt it was a push poll. You can tell just by the way in the title they use the words "Consequences are known" they were definitely skewing the questions.

[savedbygrace]

Alternate heading:

A majority of senior citizens, who are most easily taken in by frauds and scams, support the federal government's Ponzi scheme, otherwise known as Social Security

[Mears]

I'm one old person who dropped my membership in AARP 10 years ago.

I think the problem with most young Americans(not all) is that they don't know how to save. It's the folks that can't save that want SS kept the way it is.

God forbid they would have to give up a luxury,small or large,to save for their future.

[skr]

Add to that, if given a choice, would you, upon your death, prefer that your family inherits nothing or that they inherit the balance of your private account?

[skr]

Which part of voluntary private accounts do these people not understand?

[Wolverine]

 

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WERE YOU COUNTING ON SOCIAL SECURITY? Simply enter your age and gender to calculate what an American worker of your same age and gender could expect to receive from Social Security.

By providing additional data, such as ZIP Code, earnings, and other information, you'll be able to generate a more detailed estimate.

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http://www.heritage.org/research/features/socialsecurity/

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WERE YOU COUNTING ON SOCIAL SECURITY?
Simply enter your age and gender to calculate what an American worker of your same age and gender could expect to receive from Social Security.

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Your Estimate. Calculating a worker’s rate of return for Social Security requires three key pieces of information about that worker: annual gross income, expected Social Security Benefits which are calculated based on earnings), and life expectancy (which estimates how long the worker will pay taxes and/or collect benefits).

The rate of return for today’s Social Security is calculated by comparing the amount of taxes paid by the worker with the benefits that he or she could expect to collect. The rate of return for Personal Retirement Account (PRA) compares Social Security taxes paid by the worker with value of their accumulated PRA at their age of retirement.   Finally, rates of return for monthly annuities are calculated by comparing taxes paid with the benefits received from the annuity. http://www.heritage.org/research/features/socialsecurity/Glossary/estimate.html

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