“But, but... I “paid in” to the “trust fund” all my life. “They” deceived me and I at least want my “contributions” back.”
I just thought I would get the obligatory nonsense defense of intergenerational theft out of the way early on this thread.
I’m also looking forward to the 57 ways that will be proposed for “fixing” the system, none of which would ever be adopted or would change the underlying moral problem. SS, Medicare, and a host of other unconstitutional programs need to go. Unfortunately, we lack the character as a people to save ourselves.
“we lack the character as a people to save ourselves.”
- Speak for yourself. - My husband, almost 68, and I, almost 65, paid OUR MONEY into the SS system for many, many years. We still work; still pay income taxes.
Yes. We made CONTRIBUTIONS, not “contributions”. We’re willing to make any adjustments necessary NOW to get things corrected; willing to work, willing to forego Medicare paying all our medical bills, willing to back off on collecting from the system until later years - although husband is already the 67 they’ve made noises about changing filing dates to due to increased lifespans they haven’t dealt with.
Actually, YOUR granny & grandpa paid into the system. Then in an “intergenerational theft” not then understood fully, YOUR granny & grandpa “drew” out of the system while WE were having hunks of OUR money drawn out of our paychecks, by force, but not that we resented it - although it was OUR money that we worked hard to earn. Just as much as YOUR money is YOUR money now.
See, we were YOUNG once, too, believe it or not. We worked hard, made good money, and paid YOUR granny’s & grandpa’s Social Security.
Tweak the system, fix it, quit RESENTING us. Quit electing these Democrat Socialists who delight in forming as many welfare queen voting blocs to bribe for votes as they can. HOP TO IT and shut up!
Fix: (at risk of being called a “Marxist”)
Mandate year to year break-even solvency. No borrowing, and no being borrowed from.
Achieve this by floating the retirement age, means testing, and SSI reform, in whatever combination proves politically palatable.
Option: surpluses that would lead to lowering the retirement age below a certain threshold could be rebated to the taxpayers, so baby-”busts” don’t unduly profit with early retirement when taxpayers don’t have the same hope.
would you have us beg on the streets?...we don't have any fancy pensions...
you bet I expect to get my contributions back plus more....
its totally unfair because we have STILL many elderly that never worked a real job who get SS, illegals getting SS, and Medicaid, and the so-called "disabled" who are pulling in fat SS checks...( I know really disabled people and this is not meant to disparage them...they need the disability money and deserve it)
its enormously tough for younger people today...thats' why I believe in the old ways.....seeing to it that your family is taken care of as much as you can...