Posted on 01/02/2011 10:24:47 AM PST by rabscuttle385
Seniors should be older before the receive Social Security and wealthy Americans should receive less benefits across the board, says Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
He made the argument in an interview on Sunday's Meet the Press, but it's a position Graham has advocated for on the stump in South Carolina, including a 2009 stop at The Citadel with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
"What I'm going to do is challenge this country to make some hard decisions," Graham said at the time, telling the crowd of cadets, Tea Partiers, and Graham supporters that they shouldn't give Congress a pass on the tough stuff.
(Excerpt) Read more at charlestoncitypaper.com ...
This is not first - it is in addition to. Means testing does not come close to the spending reductions required.
2 - if we were to acquiesce to the hard Left and officially remake this as a Federal Welfare Program why wouldn’t you demand that the Left admit that this was always a Socialist Program as a prerequisite because they KNEW it was going to implode eventually (this would have legs to the 0bama Care debate, right?) AND for the love of God ALSO demand that we can now STOP paying into this SS disaster and allow those of us who will no longer be eligible to opt out and put “our so-called” retirement funds into commercial investments in lieu of this ponzi scheme?
If you wait for the left to admit anything, it will never happen. These choices are no longer 'political' choices, there are no options left. Now is the time we need to focus on getting it done as the politics are now irrelevant (look at California - it is simple to see).
Read my lips, Mr. Graham. Flat tax applied to everyone that works in the country. No more free rides. And cut the IRS workforce by ninety percent!!! And....abolish all public service unions excepting “First Responders”!!! Turn the Post Offie over to FedEx & UPS, etc. How’s them apples? Got more if you want them!!!
REDUCE BENEFITS FOR FEDERAL POLITICIANS.
You know the ones who are spending us into bankruptcy? Yet keep giving themselves raises? While ripping on private business for doing the exact same thing (piss poor performance yet big bonuses)?
CAN YOU BE BIGGER HYPOCRITES?
Both questions are insightful.
I believe the issue of the debt and deficit are emergencies that must be dealt with right away. I would prefer to see an across the board cut of 25% in all Federal entitlements today, with additional 5 % cuts every year for the next 5 years AT LEAST. I believe that ANY cut is a good cut and will settle for whatever we can feasibly achieve politically.
The Left admits nothing. What I find so surprising is that "conservatives" are still advocating for continued...even increased expenditures in these programs under the guise it's due to them.
That's ignorance. SS was never a retirement program. Ever. It was always a welfare program.
It's the left that argues "you paid in so it's owed to you". It's a Marxist lie used to manipulate the ill-informed.
What needs to happen is that the government needs to hack, slash, and burn its expenditures and return the money to the people from whom it was extorted in illegal taxes, etc.
It's not the government's money that they can decide what to to with it to screw us.
At this rate, we'd better be learning to call each other "comrade".
You couldn't be more wrong, but at least you have enough integrity to keep you from denying that you are a fully behind EVERY PIECE of the left's agenda.
Before moving on to the approach *you* support let me tell you the approach *I* support:
-drug testing for anyone on welfare, food stamps, Section 8, WIC
-immediate cessation of any benefits for anyone breaking the law
-work required by everyone receiving benefits. Even if you can’t walk you can still contribute in some way.
-Begin reducing benefits to unwed mothers. Cut them drastically if they get pregnant again.
That’s just for starters.
Reduce benefits for wealthy congressmen.
There is a monetary price societies who value and respect life (and the quality of life) pays through taxation. This includes equal respect for ALL citizens, not just the young and healthy.
It's the profligate, criminal politicians that have abused our country's respect for human life by bankrupting and corrupting the SS system. Because of their class warfare (like Graham practices), many now HATE the aged and infirm, and if some are perceived by some commie as being "wealthy" they become hated by even some brainwashed conservatives...and they should be stripped of any security whatsoever.
Help for the aged through some sort of social security system here or in any civilized country does not necessarily make it "Marxist" as you imply.
For example, we also tax EVERYONE for public education because we value the lives of children. In other words, we want them to be schooled and successful as adults. Included in this education tax to help accomplish the universal education goal are millions of childless people who don't utilize the public school system at all. But forcing the taxation of the childless is "Marxist" in your view and we should get rid of the universal education program appelation and call it "welfare" for the children, which is what you want to call Social Security as you stated up-thread.
In the view of some of us, however, we EXPECT a nominal portion of our tax money to go to well-administered programs to further our respect for life and for the public welfare of the populace, young and old, as the Constitution commands.
The hang-up comes in how elected politicians administer the taxes we pay for these programs....wisely or corruptly.....and for decades now it has been corruptly and irresponsibly.
However, I think the country is waking up to the profligacy and the corruption. At least, I pray so. Also waking up to Libertarians who want no government social programs of any kind, whatever they are called.....and who flock to these threads like ants to a picnic table.
We started the job successfully in the November election by winnowing out a lot of crooks and socialists. We're also doing a damn good job right here on FR in exposing Graham and his ilk and spreading the words of truth.
Leni
Why not eliminate these programs and leave it to the states to replace them if they should choose to do so?
Entitlements and the charter to "print" money are a recipe for certain doom.
While I am no fan of Linsey Graham in general, he is spot on with this statement.
Ya, and all retired House and Senate members can’t receive retirement benefits exceeding Social Security benefits. Same restrictions as John Q. Public buddy!
Reagan advocated for the elimination of the Dept of Education.
My point of view is centered in the 10th Amendment. I believe states, who must balance their budgets, should implement any program they choose as long as it's not in conflict with the Bill of Rights.
However, to place these programs at the Federal level and combine them with the ability to borrow endlessly and even to print money to cover them is, I believe, the certain end of the Republic.
That's probably the best solution that we could get, however, I could think of a more just solution.
1.) Stop FICA collection.
2.)Cash everybody out based on real value and not the ponzi scheme value.
3.)Make everyone, across the board, pay for the ponzi scheme shortfall.
It will never happen of course. But anything else is a Marxist redistribution of wealth.
First off, SS Medicare will have to restrict the pool of beneficiaries.
Second off, chain migration immigrants who have not paid into the system MUST be first to have benefits cut in the system before ANY American worker or spouses of workers have benefits reduced in the system.
Third off, chain migration immigrants who have not paid into the system MUST be removed from the system before ANY American worker or spouses of workers are removed from the system.
Fourth, military budgets must be reduced before ANY social welfare net benefits are cut to taxpayers.
Fifth, military personnel, active, veteran and dependents must not receive cuts that exceed those of the civil population. The current injustice of the cut off age for dependents on TriCare being a lower age than ObamaCare must be corrected for any good faith dialog to move forward.
Sixth, the costs of illegal aliens, ponzi scheme pension obligations, bloated payrolls and predatory Wall Street bond underwriters on the budgets of municipal, county and state governments must be addressed as those deficits are causing the local and state governments to default on their bonds and default on their pension and medical benefits coverage plans.... leaving the Federal taxpayers through the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). The pension collapse tsunami has started... Federal pension programs will not survive is every sub-Federal pension program falls into receivership of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).
Seventh, the Tea Party needs to get real about their “consitutional view of Limited Government” because SS, Medicare, Medicaid, Military budgets, and Federal highway and transportation subisides that allow Americans to live suburban lifestyles must be on the chopping block equally to other programs.
Eighth, Lindsey the tart is the least liked Senator on both sides of the Republican party and both sides of the aisle when it comes to brokering real fiscal controls and reductions upon the American Federal budget.
Ninth, any and every media outlet, however small or large, that repeats verbatim Graham’s agitation or gives Graham a platform to repeat his newest propaganda... is an enemy of the people of this country and enemy of the continuing functioning of the North American economy.
Bingo!!
The real value of the so-called "Trust Fund" is $0.
>That’s probably the best solution that we could get, however, I could think of a more just solution.
>1.) Stop FICA collection.
>2.)Cash everybody out based on real value and not the ponzi scheme value.
>3.)Make everyone, across the board, pay for the ponzi scheme shortfall.
>It will never happen of course. But anything else is a Marxist redistribution of wealth.
I do like this idea in principle. I do also agree that it will never happen. That’s why I am willing to advocate things to prevent the coming train wreck.
What an ass.... this joker is! How about reducing the benefits to illegal aliens first jerkhead. Like they are more entitled to full benefits than people who have helped build and support this country AND voted in douchebags like you!
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