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Critics say Social Security deal would give billions to Mexicans
Houston Chronicle ^ | 1/4/2007 | MICHELLE MITTELSTADT

Posted on 01/04/2007 4:55:18 AM PST by markomalley

WASHINGTON — A confidential 2004 agreement between the United States and Mexico could require Social Security to pay billions of dollars in benefits to Mexicans who paid payroll taxes in this country, according to a senior citizens' group that forced the document's disclosure.

The Social Security Administration insists that the agreement — which has yet to be signed by President Bush and sent to Congress for consideration — would cost the retirement and disability fund a relatively scant $105 million annually for the first five years.

But the TREA Senior Citizens League, an offshoot from a group of retired military personnel, and some members of Congress contend the agreement opens the door to paying benefits to millions of Mexicans who have worked illegally in the United States, as well as their dependents, even if they now reside in Mexico.

(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Mexico; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aliens; illegalaliens; illegals; immigrantlist; mexico; socialsecurity; tinfoil
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To: HawaiianGecko
I agree with your assessment that this issue was handled as a international trade agreement, and was not subject to debate, but I contend that the congress can, if it has the desire to, carve this out and handle it as legislation if it desires to.

It can may Mexico a separate issue, but will likely violate international agreements if it does.

But Mexico is a different cat to skin, and I believe that because of the illegality of the worker, this issue can be handled differently from normal ex-pat rules and regs.

I think it should.

Not because I am anti-illegal. I am a backer of Bush's worker plan, however I believe this issue could be part of the negotiations on the coming agreement. When and if it occurs.

61 posted on 01/04/2007 7:07:04 AM PST by Cold Heat ("Ward!.........Go easy on the beaver"!)
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To: Cold Heat

may=make


62 posted on 01/04/2007 7:07:51 AM PST by Cold Heat ("Ward!.........Go easy on the beaver"!)
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To: stopem

I take you seriously. There are only a couple of choices. The one I mentioned or the other one which may be the truth, but will get you treated as though you are a nut. No one wishes to talk about that one because it is a sad thing and offers no hope.


63 posted on 01/04/2007 7:08:10 AM PST by dforest (Liberals love crisis, create crisis and then dwell on them.)
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To: kittymyrib
Should this be approved, everyone in the US should stop paying SS taxes and bring the system crashing down.

Please explain how you accomlish this?

SS taxes are automatically withheld from my paycheck. I never get a chance to "stop paying" except through death or retirement.

64 posted on 01/04/2007 7:10:45 AM PST by CurlyDave
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To: stopem
"Hope burns eternal"

Let's just hope we don't get burned in the process.

65 posted on 01/04/2007 7:13:09 AM PST by processing please hold (ROP and Open Borders-a terrorist marriage made in heaven.)
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To: stopem
It's not a matter of changing minds here.

The return of retirement taxes is a agreed upon international framework that is in place.

However, the issue can be used within a negotiated Mexico policy and affirmed.

Right now, there is no grounds for a veto and if there was one, it would mean nothing and would be a violation of international trade agreements that would put the matter in the World trade Courts. IMO........ They would force compliance, if we balk....I would think...

66 posted on 01/04/2007 7:13:14 AM PST by Cold Heat ("Ward!.........Go easy on the beaver"!)
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To: Wormwood

Here's another: $10 says W sends a copy of his signature over to Ms. Nancy BEFORE he sees the Donk legislation coming out of the House.


67 posted on 01/04/2007 7:13:18 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (BTUs are my Beat.)
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To: CurlyDave
Doncha just love hyperbole......LOL....
68 posted on 01/04/2007 7:14:54 AM PST by Cold Heat ("Ward!.........Go easy on the beaver"!)
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To: markomalley

Bump


69 posted on 01/04/2007 7:15:18 AM PST by Centurion2000 (Judges' orders cannot stop determined criminals. Firearms and the WILL to use them can.)
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To: Cold Heat

See now you had to go and get all detailed about it ;)
and state reality.


70 posted on 01/04/2007 7:15:30 AM PST by stopem (God Bless the U.S.A the Troops who protect her, and their Commander In Chief !)
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To: processing please hold

This doesn't make any sense, the Republican Congress and President Bush were all set to go ahead with PRIVATIZATION
of SS, can you see the illegals going for privatization?

So what happened to that great plan?


71 posted on 01/04/2007 7:26:09 AM PST by stopem (God Bless the U.S.A the Troops who protect her, and their Commander In Chief !)
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To: markomalley

Well, I'm old enough that a couple of years ago I went to the Social Security office to apply for my benefit. Not disability - the regular "you are old" benefit. For the record I am an American citizen - born and bred in Philadelphia and paid into the SS system all my working life.

So there I am sitting in the local waiting room of the SS office. And a large and completely filled waiting room it was - standing room only.

And guess what? I'm the only old lady there. Everyone else is young. Most of them are not dressed like me either. They are wearing turbans, head scarves, hipster type jeans, tattoos and speaking every language BUT English.

I felt really like the odd man (woman) out. It was obvious that the social security system as originally envisioned by its founders as a small retirement nest egg - to keep starvation from the door - has turned into something else entirely.

I personally know of a very elderly Russian couple who emigrated to the USA and IMMEDIATELY went onto SS. Never paid dime into it.

Well, my friends, this last little (big) booboo by the Bush administration was the last straw for me. I took down my Bush/Cheney sign from the back window of my car.

I have given up on this administration or even the prospect of a future Republican conress doing anything at all truly conservative or to benefit the country or to listen to their constituency. They've thrown their base away.

I have a feeling that with a democrat congress we really won't see any difference in policy. None at all.

P.S. - I suggest you take a trip to your local SS office and see who is sitting there.


72 posted on 01/04/2007 7:26:11 AM PST by Basheva
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To: processing please hold
Vicente Fox crowed about it at the time. it was all over the news, and then died....

I recall discussing it here to some degree, but it was buried in the immigration debate that was raging at the time.

I don't have any idea why it is reemerging as some sort of secret. The FYI request only gave us the paperwork, but we already knew most of the contents.

I don't like the way some congressmen have re framed this issue. It seems like a political ploy to get everyone stirred up again, and this sort of crap is directly responsible for the recent election losses.

But, by all means....Carry on!

It's more of a joke now. But I'm not laughing very much any more. Frankly, I'm sick and tired of the entire mess. It would be a Democrat kill shot to jam this up someones posterior. I would be elated to see it happen at this point.

The day we stop hating and attacking each other more than we despise democrats will be the day we take back the majority, but this is not going to happen anytime soon.

Unfortunately for all.......and the country.

73 posted on 01/04/2007 7:26:19 AM PST by Cold Heat ("Ward!.........Go easy on the beaver"!)
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To: Cold Heat

****The day we stop hating and attacking each other more than we despise democrats will be the day we take back the majority, but this is not going to happen anytime soon.^^^^

It seems to me it didn't help when we had a republican congress. What did we accomplish besides tax cuts - and even those are only temporary.

We basically got none of the items on the conservative agenda.


74 posted on 01/04/2007 7:28:56 AM PST by Basheva
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To: stopem

" I pray President Bush will NOT give in to the Dems and he will use a veto pen
on this abomination!"

It was President Bush's appointee, Jo Anne Barnhart the Social Security Administrator, who signed the Totalization Agreement with Mexico.

The GAO has disagreed with the SS departments assessment. The GAO has taken the SS dept to task for going to Mexico for only 2 days and signing this agreement. Go here and you will see some pros and cons regarding this matter. I know it is a long read but read the second paragraph if nothing else.

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03993.pdf


75 posted on 01/04/2007 7:29:51 AM PST by texastoo ("trash the treaties")
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To: Basheva

Those young people and foreigners you saw are all part of the Social Security Disability scam. It is essentially a welfare program and you need to have never paid a dime in.
In California it is the newest scam for welfare moms. They have found out they can draw more ss disability than welfare. Tell a doc you are chronically depressed, doc puts you in a therapy group and on meds. SS disability requires you continue taking the meds and visit a group therapy once a mnth....whoala you are on.

California even has its own tax payer funded ss disability program for illegal immigrants.

The whole thing is simply mind numbing if you think about it long enough.


76 posted on 01/04/2007 7:33:41 AM PST by sheana
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To: Basheva

Don't need to. I've seen my parents have to deal with SS for several years now. No thanks.


77 posted on 01/04/2007 7:35:05 AM PST by markomalley (Vivat Iesus!)
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To: Basheva
We did....

We got some good judges, but we only equalized the imbalance on the courts, and never got the chance to put it over the top.

Some might conclude that we did enough, some may not. I personally am satisfied. We did pretty well in spite of the failures and the courts need to be balanced.

The fact is, that we were not able to hang on to the majority and we will not get it back for the near future.

We were quite effective as a minority party and I think we will be again.

We need to get back into that gear, and we will.

Frankly, we never had the distinct majority needed to change policies to a great degree, and politically we could not stop the spending, so we spent on things we wanted and usurped the democrat domestic agenda, hoping it would buy us some votes.

It did not, because of a variety of things, but that is past and now we have our old jobs back.

I think we are actually better at this job then the majority one.

At least we rebalanced the courts, and that is a big thing.

78 posted on 01/04/2007 7:39:07 AM PST by Cold Heat ("Ward!.........Go easy on the beaver"!)
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To: Cold Heat
I recall discussing it here to some degree, but it was buried in the immigration debate that was raging at the time.

I have a vague memory of it as well. It was in '04 not long after I joined FR, I was reading a thread about why our 'leaders' were allowing such an influx of illegal aliens, the story was about how we, the U.S. needed money for our SS system. Many times I've tried to find that thread, but, to no avail.

Frankly, I'm sick and tired of the entire mess.

As am I.

The day we stop hating and attacking each other more than we despise democrats will be the day we take back the majority, but this is not going to happen anytime soon.

IMHO, I believe that's their plan, to have us attacking one another to take our eyes off what they are up too. It's a good plan, diabolically speaking, and it's working.

79 posted on 01/04/2007 7:45:09 AM PST by processing please hold (ROP and Open Borders-a terrorist marriage made in heaven.)
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To: processing please hold
and it's working.

Yes it is......

Politics 101!

Divide and conquer, misdirect by issue creation, usurp agenda by moving center then win majority..........govern left...

80 posted on 01/04/2007 7:49:31 AM PST by Cold Heat ("Ward!.........Go easy on the beaver"!)
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