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I'm not posting this to elicit comments (although obviously I have no control over postings). Just thought y'all should know that at least one viable ? presidential candidate would like to start cutting benefits immediately.
Thanks Lenora - I hadn't seen that either. One thing is for sure, Social Security, once considered a third rail that politicians would never dare touch, is certainly now on the table.
I would love to know what changes would have taken place if the "almost" deal that Obama and Boehner discussed had come to fruition.
Jus when I was concidering getting a lawn sign and contributing!
I am so frustrated.
I will not vote fro Romney to keep the BO from being reelected. That is settling to me.
I am going to earnestly start looking at 3rd party candidates.
I am so frustrated.
I will not vote fro Romney to keep the BO from being reelected. That is settling to me.
I am going to earnestly start looking at 3rd party candidates.
Then throw your vote away and give Obama another four years. I would vote for MICKEY MOUSE
Social Security is already being trimmed. In a few not too obvious ways. First - there are the subsidy reductions to Medicare Parts B and D (the latter started in 2011 - part of the ObamaCare legislation). Both are deducted from your Social Security. They kick in at $85k modified adjusted gross income for singles - and $170k MAGI for couples. Modified adjusted gross income includes just about everything - soup to nuts. From earned income to pensions to investment income (including income from muni bonds) - etc. I suspect that an easy way to trim SS costs is to lower these limits - or let inflation do its job (since these numbers aren't indexed for inflation).
Another way is not to let SS keep up with inflation - especially inflation in health care costs that affects older people more than younger ones. That is pretty much going on now IMO - mostly as a result of how the COLA for SS is computed.
A third way is to let demographics run its course. In 20 years - lots of older baby boomers - and younger people in my husband's generation (forget what it's called - he was born in 1945) - who tend to be whiter and have fewer children than other groups in this country - like the growing Hispanic population - will be dying and virtually all of my parents' generation (except a few in the Guinness book of world records) will be dead. That will bring about a fairly significant change in voting patterns IMO. And you'll be seeing political ads that are the exact opposite of ones like this (I happen to hate this ad - because I think people - including older people - should be trying to work together to change the system so that it will work - not going around threatening politicians):
BTW - just to put my cards on the table. I am what you might describe as an old Rockefeller Republican with a libertarian streak. I enjoy listening to Ron Paul - although a fair amount of what he says is nonsense IMO (then again - I always like to listen to Barney Frank when Ben Bernanke testifies in front of Congress - because he asks interesting questions - although I wouldn't vote for Barney Frank in a million years). I voted for Ross Perot (threw vote away) - and will never again vote for a third party candidate. All of us (regardless of political leanings) should think twice about third party candidates. Ralph Nader probably cost Al Gore the election in 2000. I hope there isn't a third party candidate in 2012 (or - heaven forbid - more than more). I will vote for Romney in the Florida primary later this month. He will be about the closest to a Rockefeller Republican on the ballot.
I think Florida will be one of the most important - if not the most important - swing state in this year's presidential election (sure was in 2000 ). And - right now - I would give 1 in 4 odds that our new Senator - Marco Rubio (who knocked off our old governor - Charlie Crist - in the Republican Senate primary - quite an amazing feat IMO) - will be the Republican candidate for VP.
I think the quality I am looking for the most in a candidate is pragmatism - how best to approach and deal with the problems that we face. And the quality I am looking for the least is any kind of ideological purity. The mileage of others here may vary (a lot). Robyn (off of soap box)
Our system (money) corrupts them all. There is not one sincere politician on the Republican (and Democratic) stage right now with the remote possible exception of Ron Paul - who is pretty much off the wall in his views - and unelectable. In my view, the US has seen its day. Sort of like getting in on the ground floor of a bull market, hot new idea, whatever. They all age out eventually. U.S. is very well done. Fini.
Saw Nader on C-Span today. I'll never forgive him for George Bush. Don't know how he can show his face anywhere with what his candidacy has cost this country. Anyone who votes third party, is voting for Barack Obama. I voted for Obama. Probably not voting this election, at all. We may as well just appoint the head of Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan CEO of the US and be done with it.
I could go for means testing for SS in the future when there aren't enough people to pay into it to keep it going. It was meant to keep people from having nothing at all, not to add to the wealth of people who don't really need it.
Having said that, it isn't quite fair to take SS away from anyone who has paid into it so even the rich shouldn't have it take completely away.
Other than that, there HAS to be SS--it would be a huge step back into the dark ages to take that away. Back to poor houses.
it isn't quite fair to take SS away from anyone who has paid into it
This is the problem with means testing. If one has paid into the system, one should be paid the benefit. Otherwise, it's outright theft. OASI needs another name then for those denied a benefit, not SS, but a surtax on the higher earners to support SS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robyn55
Another way is not to let SS keep up with inflation - especially inflation in health care costs that affects older people more than younger ones. That is pretty much going on now IMO - mostly as a result of how the COLA for SS is computed.
Means testing could be applied to COLA's for high income retirees. For everyone else, not to allow a realistic COLA is extremely regressive, imho. Inflation is a very cruel and frightening boogey man if you live too long.
Last edited by Ariadne22; 01-08-2012 at 10:15 PM..
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Jus when I was concidering getting a lawn sign and contributing!
). And - right now - I would give 1 in 4 odds that our new Senator - Marco Rubio (who knocked off our old governor - Charlie Crist - in the Republican Senate primary - quite an amazing feat IMO) - will be the Republican candidate for VP.
