Posted on 10/15/2007 2:18:55 PM PDT by trumandogz
WASHINGTON — The nation's first baby boomer applied for Social Security benefits today, signaling the start of an expected avalanche of applications from the post World War II war generation.
Kathleen Casey-Kirschling, a former teacher from New Jersey, applied for benefits over the Internet at an event attended by Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue. Casey-Kirschling, who now lives in Maryland, was born one second after midnight on Jan. 1, 1946, making her the first baby boomer — a generation of nearly 80 million born from 1946 to 1964, Astrue said.
Casey-Kirschling will be eligible for benefits after she turns 62 next year.
An estimated 10,000 people a day will become eligible for Social Security benefits over the next two decades, Astrue said.
The Social Security trust fund, if left alone, is projected to go broke in 2041, though Astrue said he hopes Congress will address the issue, perhaps after the 2008 presidential election.
The life experiences of those of us born after 1960 have been very different from those born before. We did not reap anywhere near the job opportunities and easy money that those born early did. We are more hardscrabble. We relate more with people born during the mid 60s through early 70s than we do with people born in the 40s and 50s. This does indeed matter. We, along with the true Xers, are sucking up the fumes of the true boomers. Call us slackers and whiners, but the fact is, our experience has been far darker and tougher.
Hey, I’m a 1959 baby and I don’t want to be a boomer either!
Excuse me for laughing but this is extremely funny.
Since I was born in June ‘45, I’m not a “boomer” but I still think it’s ok that you were born. Isn’t that generous of me?
I was born in 1966. IIRC that makes me among the first of Gen X.
Haven’t we gotten around to grinding you two into Soylent Green yet?
;-)
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What does that mean? there are more boomers with combat experience than any following generation, by the thousands and thousands.
Dont get me wrong, I don't feel comfortable leaving my daughter's generation to flounder. But I also don't feel comfortable reading a bunch of crap about how the boomer generation is irresponsible, not worth the food to feed them, blah blah blah. Waiting to see the stones fly and someone yell out LEPER!! Some comments are just stupid beyond measure and get my back up.
Instead many Baby Boomers pushed abortion on demand, and still consider it a "right," while they tried to make up the difference by importing Mexico's desperate underclass. My relatively tiny generation (born 1973) is squeezed in the middle, between the entitlements for aging Boomers, and a booming foreign born underclass. In short. Were screwed.
This is just damn near a certainty if the democrats take the white house and congress in '08.
No, you are not paranoid. They can’t stand the idea that anyone is not dependent on the Federal Teat, so they will make sure everyone is reduced to state slavery.
Your right, little difference ‘73 to ‘78, but by ‘84, when I got out of school, there was a major difference. Even the job shopping I did to get through school, ‘80 - ‘84 was pretty hardscrabble.
Actually, to be fair, I blame the WW2 generation and so called silent generation after them. The un patriotic element (typically, Red Diaper Babies) who were aged 25 - 45 during the war were also the initial wave of radicals. They led all the radical students and other vermin. There were also a few of this ilk in the following generation - the “Hawkeye Pierces” of the world - people who made fun of anti Communism during the 1950s and went on to be hippie wannabes during the 60s. The first wave of (1942 - 1955ish) Boomers had as a subgroup hippies, yippies, revolutionaries and freaks. Some of the latter born amongst them were the initial Yuppies - driving Beemers and snorting coke. When I entered the workforce, all of the senior individual contributors, many lower managers and a few mid managers were of course of that demographic. Suffice it to say, I’ve had a quite a learning experience during my now 25 year plus career (if you include the job shopping phase).
The frank answer to this abortion issue? I just don't know many girls who got abortions. In fact, had after doing the research, we find that boomers, far more numerous, appear to have far less abortions:
http://www.euthanasia.com/usstat.html
Using 1950 as a birth date, adding 20 years, well, it looks like it peaks in 1980-1990. Boomers were a bit old for abortions by then. Even though there were A LOT MORE of them. I've actually never met a boomer over the age of 35 that even considered an abortion.
I think it might be a certainty if a couple of the republicans take the white house in 08.
I was born December of 1963. My parents were born in 42 and 43. I don’t resent being lumped in with them, but it is odd to be considered in the same generation as ones parents. LOL, my husband was born in 49, so I guess it’s OK.
Here, here. Tis funny, us boomers got Xer’s for kids and they are naive enough to think we don’t know they smoked some weed and screwed around. Yep, Xers run around with angel wings and halos over their heads.
Oh, and poor misguided X’er that thinks we were bums, we BOOOMERS have paid more into the SS fund than any other generation has and probably will.
Now she, he, or it can sit the hell down and elect some politicians that will change SS for the better. And get used to us boomers, we are gonna be around awhile.
And an equal number with draft dodging experience. Prior to the 1960s, draft dodging was cause for tarring and feathering if not lynching. Now, we see high elected officials and CEOs who were draft dodgers.
My cohorts (supposedly 64-75) are too small to ever outvote that block.
Actually, unless you had kids when you were 16 or 17, your kids are probably not Xers. Xers’ parents are mostly Silent Generation, with the odd older Boomer in a few cases. My parents graduated from High School in the mid 50s. They were born during the Depression and were kids during WW2.
You Silents and we Xers have much in common. The generation ahead of us sets the scene and by the time they move on, we are too old to do very much. Pray that Gen-Y ends up being a great generation.
Whooee. I really loved your post. You summed up my sentiments pretty well. I was born in ‘58 and am considered a “Boomer.” I’ve never had a problem with it, but I really hate how people tend to pigeon-hole every individual into such a massive group as if everyone in this period of time, which encompasses nearly 20 years (I think it’s 1945 - 1961), would all think and act the same like we were programmed.
Frankly, in my opinion, I am thankful of the time period in which I was born, as well as that I was born in a country that even HAD a boom to begin with.
Just to name a few of the blessings:
1.Born in the USA (greatest country in the world, then and now - and I will continue to do my best to keep it that way).
2. Born in a time when medicine had made enough advances that I didn’t have to fear polio, or whooping cough, or measles.
3. Born in a time when parents believed in being married before bringing me and other babies into the world.
4. Born in a time when my childhood really allowed me to be a child. I read books like “Dick and Jane,” not “Jane Has Two Daddies.” Television was still in it’s infancy and the shows were made for families and families could sit around and watch and not want to run for cover.
5. Born in a time when teachers actually taught you things that you could use (like math, science, spelling, and grammar).
I could go on and on and on. I am so thankful and blessed.
I don’t know your own thoughts Hi Heels, but I salute you.
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