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Old 04-15-2015, 03:34 PM
 
37,315 posts, read 59,675,006 times
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actually, you know people would do it...
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Old 04-15-2015, 04:24 PM
 
Location: South Florida
1,007 posts, read 1,122,383 times
Reputation: 1576
Quote:
Originally Posted by dothetwist View Post
"Social Security" when taken out of your paycheck, is labelled FICA. FICA stands for Federal INSURANCE Contributions Act. It's a required insurance program into which everyone must pay.

This ill-conceived idea by Christie (who I could have considered voting for, up until today) of means-testing would be like paying your car insurance premiums, having a fender-bender and allowing the Insurance Company to look at your income and say, ya know what....you can afford to pay for those damages out of pocket.

As long as people pay their premiums (payroll withholding taxes) into Social Security, no politician should be allowed to deny them their benefits for any reason.
++ I'd rep you twice if I could.
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Old 04-15-2015, 05:16 PM
 
34,274 posts, read 19,305,051 times
Reputation: 17256
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fiona13 View Post
++ I'd rep you twice if I could.
I tagged him for ya.
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Old 04-15-2015, 07:08 PM
 
Location: Cape Elizabeth
426 posts, read 504,841 times
Reputation: 760
Right from Christie's press release:

Social Security exists so America’s seniors, after a lifetime of hard work, don’t fall into poverty.

Governor Christie is proposing that Americans pay into this system throughout the course of their life knowing it will be there if they need it to support them, but if they are fortunate enough not to need it, they will have paid into a system that will continue to help Americans who need it most. This proposal will not impact current retirees, and will be phased-in gradually.

o Future retirees with income - outside of SS benefits - up to $80,000 a year will receive full regular benefits.

o Future retirees with income of $80,000 or more will receive benefits on a sliding scale, and
benefits phase out entirely for those that have $200,000 a year of other income.

o For couples, these thresholds would be higher.


What kind of philosophy is that? Pay in your entire working life, and then from the goodness of your heart give it up to those of us, "poor, less fortunate folk" who only have income below $80,000?

To me, it reeks of helping to spread the myth that "you too, one day, can be in the position to not need any help from anyone, including the program you paid into your whole life. because you have made it! You are RICH!

Those other folks, the one's who slave for their $30000- $79000 a year- let them have the SS - those poor losers.

This is sick. All I hope is that in the next few days, when the indictments on Bridgegate are rumored to be announced, Christie's name is at the top of the list!
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Old 04-15-2015, 07:20 PM
 
Location: Idaho
6,345 posts, read 7,717,340 times
Reputation: 14141
Christie is actually one of the few people who could get elected president. He's a 'RINO', just like our immediate past governor, Mr. Schwarzenegger. However, Christie will never win the nomination because of the fact that he is a RINO, and mainstream Republicans know that.

As much as I hate his specific initiative, I do have to applaud him for bringing the subject up for national discussion. The 'program' needs to be tweaked for long-term survivability, and the sooner, the less painful for all involved.
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Old 04-15-2015, 07:39 PM
 
Location: Baltimore, MD
5,302 posts, read 5,982,141 times
Reputation: 10851
Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell View Post
Yeah, Christie might actually get elected president, so the Republicans will never nominate him. Instead they will nominate some delusional fringie who will pull about 40% of the vote.
Yup. Although I like a few of the items that Christie proposed, such as pushing employers to work with their disabled employees (accommodations anyone?), he has no chance of clinching the Republican primary.
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Old 04-15-2015, 07:47 PM
 
Location: Baltimore, MD
5,302 posts, read 5,982,141 times
Reputation: 10851
Quote:
Originally Posted by marcopolo View Post
Means testing to such low levels of income serves the purpose of warning people that it makes no sense to save and invest and try to improve your position, because your worthless twin will end up getting benefits from the government that you got screwed out of--and he will live a better life from start to finish.

Reward laziness and punish thrift? There is a recipe for disaster.
Do you honestly believe that $80,000 - $200,000/year is a low level of income? For one person? As noted, less than 2% of the recipients have that level of income. You've left me wondering what the 2% would consider a moderate income. Do tell.
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Old 04-15-2015, 09:11 PM
 
414 posts, read 909,259 times
Reputation: 591
What SHOULD be done to help the Social Security System remain solvent is to remove the "cap" for wages subject to the FICA tax. For example, right now someone earning $60K per year pays a much higher percentage of his income to SS compared to someone earning $250K. In other words, the $60K earner pays 12.4% (6.2% for employee and employer) of the entire $60K while the $250K pays only 12.4% of the first $117K...more money in total but a smaller percentage of total earnings.
There is no salary cap on Medicare tax.
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Old 04-15-2015, 10:12 PM
 
2,242 posts, read 2,995,895 times
Reputation: 4072
Quote:
Originally Posted by larsm View Post
What am I missing? The fact sheet suggests that the income means testing will affect all current and future SS recipients.

It is vague on the phase in of increased FRA age to 69 and 62 to 64 other than to benchmark year 2022.
The key to the 69 and 64, is it states in "2 month increments" per year. So the ages of 69 and 64 would be reached over an extended number of years. For instance, if one was 61 when it went into effect, instead of being eligible a 62, they would have to wait until 62 and 2 months of age to draw early retirement benefits. The closer one is to the present retirement age the less draconian the increase in age would be.

By my math, it would take 12 years for the ages to get to 69 and 64. So we're looking at people being 50 and under when the law is passed. Everyone over 50, would have less of an age increase, depending on how near they are to the present age of entitlement at 62.
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Old 04-15-2015, 10:31 PM
 
2,560 posts, read 2,294,250 times
Reputation: 3214
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovemycat View Post
Right from Christie's press release:

Social Security exists so America’s seniors, after a lifetime of hard work, don’t fall into poverty.

Governor Christie is proposing that Americans pay into this system throughout the course of their life knowing it will be there if they need it to support them, but if they are fortunate enough not to need it, they will have paid into a system that will continue to help Americans who need it most. This proposal will not impact current retirees, and will be phased-in gradually.

o Future retirees with income - outside of SS benefits - up to $80,000 a year will receive full regular benefits.

o Future retirees with income of $80,000 or more will receive benefits on a sliding scale, and
benefits phase out entirely for those that have $200,000 a year of other income.

o For couples, these thresholds would be higher.


What kind of philosophy is that? Pay in your entire working life, and then from the goodness of your heart give it up to those of us, "poor, less fortunate folk" who only have income below $80,000?

To me, it reeks of helping to spread the myth that "you too, one day, can be in the position to not need any help from anyone, including the program you paid into your whole life. because you have made it! You are RICH!

Those other folks, the one's who slave for their $30000- $79000 a year- let them have the SS - those poor losers.

This is sick. All I hope is that in the next few days, when the indictments on Bridgegate are rumored to be announced, Christie's name is at the top of the list!
He will never get the nomination now Moderator cut: delete,..I was actually thinking of supporting the fattie...NO WAY IN HELL NOW AND I'll be actively campaigning against him!!!!

Last edited by Miss Blue; 04-17-2015 at 12:54 PM.. Reason: language filter
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