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Come on people, NOW, your worried? WOW! Next time read the platform online before casting your vote. Medicare is in jeopardy also. Remember, you are takers according to the Republican Party. They have a list of things they are going to get rid of.....
Ryan will get his way and "fix" Medicare by switching it to a voucher system. Health insurance companies will get their cut of everything, so there will be less money for actual health care. I doubt Medicare premiums will more than double, and supplemental insurance will roll into one policy, so it will cost you no more than an extra $5,000 a year for Medicare. The average premium increase will probably be more like half that, or an extra $200/month over what you are currently paying.
Since Obama has been in office we have seen the lowest COLAs in the history of COLAs since 1975. The head of the BLS is a dem appointed by Obama....and some claim that has nothing to do with it. Costs have risen (Google it yourself) since 2009. I'm sure those who have mega retirement funds will repute this, but that's not surprising.
The last nearly eight years should have been the time for people to start complaining; not now when they have no idea what, if any changes will take place.
Realizing some are still upset their candidate lost, it's not surprising they're panicking now.
Lack of a COLA hasn't bothered me, I'm seeing more discretionary income each year. I know my groceries are less this year, my utilities haven't increased in four years, at least. Biggest issues are ho/auto insurance and cable. I've been very pleased with this no inflation/borderline deflation/low interest economy we've had. Takes a lot of pressure off the budget.
I am, however, becoming very concerned about rising interest rates (bond part of portfolio) and inflation, and the typical GOP effect on the economy of skyrocketing debt - you know they borrow for their tax cuts, recession and war.
Trump is very dangerous because he stands for nothing, believes in nothing, pretty much knows nothing and will let the extremists in Congress do the work. He's not a detail guy, you know. He'll be signing a lot of legislation the effects of which he will have nary a clue - nor does he care. But, of course, it will be beautiful.
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Originally Posted by redguard57
Trump is no conservative fellow traveler. DUH. He's all over the map and seems to have little coherent ideology.
Absolutely. There is no 'there' there.
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Originally Posted by BLS2753
Why? Because he was once a young handsome billionaire who pursued women?
No, because he has no core beliefs and he can't be bothered with minutia. He is dangerous.
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Originally Posted by Serious Conversation
When SS was instituted, it was designed to be an insurance program, a minimal standard to provide some essentials. It has since been viewed by a lot of people as where the majority of their retirement should come from.
When I first began work in 1959, SS was .25% of my wages. When I retired, SS/Medicare was 7.65% of my wages, and employer paid another 7.65% for a total of 15.3% - allocated 12.4% to SS and 2.9% to Medicare.
How many people can actually save 12% of their income. Although this is not my situation, with SS taking such a huge chunk these days, it had pretty well better be a significant part of a retiree's income. 12.4% of one's wages is a big chunk of change over 30-40 years.
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Originally Posted by 2sleepy
yep, Ryan is one scary dude and no matter what they put in the platform, he's already claiming he's going to privatize medicare: Paul Ryan Says Medicare Privatization Is On
Yep - he talks about having "a bazooka in his pocket" - here:
Privatization reduces the pool, similar to lack of an enforceable mandate in the ACA result of which is low enrollment by the young/healthy and a smaller/sicker risk pool - which UNDERMINES and eventually STARVES the entire insurance program.
Beware what you wish for. Privatization of ANY PART of SS will eventually destroy the entire program. Which, of course, has long been the goal of the Republicans, anyway.
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Originally Posted by Serious Conversation
Trump and Ryan have massively butted heads. I'm not sure Ryan, McConnell, and Trump can get along at all.
Trump will be in so far over his head, he'll let this bunch have their way on anything that requires too much thought. He's intellectually lazy, anyway. He can't be bothered with details. Just give him the high points.
Perverse consequences - "what, me worry?" - he won't even know about them - b/c you can be sure these guys will keep that part to themselves - and Trump will be so overwhelmed with everything else, he will remain incurious. Until the Democrats howl, which he will ignore. GOP is going to pretty much have its way and will be passing legislation in the dead of night.
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Originally Posted by 2sleepy
I know and I hope that Trump is engaged enough in the process to stop Ryan, but my concern is that sausage making is not his forte and he will likely turn it over to Pence who is every bit as dangerous as Ryan...I'm really hoping I'm wrong about that though
You aren't wrong about Ryan - his policies won't work in the REAL world. He IS dangerous. And, Pence is off the charts. A fanatical r-wing ideologue. He really scares me. They both do, actually.
From the NYT comments, today - priceless:
On Pence:
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Pence has never served in the military and has had only one wife. Pence defines himself as a Chriistian, a conservative and a Republican. Pence appears temperate and smiles without using inflammatory rhetoric or tone. In Trump world Pence appears normal by nature and nurture. Thus Pence is by far the most dangerous member of their pack.
On the Cabinet:
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the swamp is indeed being drained as Trump pulls his cabinet nominees from the muck
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It reads like an incestuous gathering of underworld figures asking for the application of the RICO Act, but then again, they are safe from investigations as the F.B.I. elected Trump.
Generally:
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Trump supporters will console themselves with the thought that at least Hillary Clinton isn't president. I mean, you can't possibly tolerate someone with email issues!
Come on people, NOW, your worried? WOW! Next time read the platform online before casting your vote. Medicare is in jeopardy also. Remember, you are takers according to the Republican Party. They have a list of things they are going to get rid of.....
There's a big difference between welfare and social security. People have worked for years to retire with those social security benefits, the government is just giving US our own money (although I realize today's workers are paying for my SS because our government robbed SS years ago). People who are able bodied and on welfare should be concerned. These people always vote Democrat because they want to keep these benefits. There is no such thing as a "free lunch" except when Democrats are in control.
We are sick of supporting people who have the ability to work but don't because they get Section 8, free medical care, food stamps, welfare payments, etc. We are tired of paying for their illegitimate children who have numerous baby daddies. And this is not racist in case that's what you're thinking. The only people I know receiving all these bennies are white, single women under 30 who have a minimum of 2 children each, all with different fathers. They are healthy but one, in particular, doesn't like working so she just pops another baby every few years with the current baby daddy.
Enough is enough. These are the benefits that must be cut.
There's a big difference between welfare and social security. People have worked for years to retire with those social security benefits, the government is just giving US our own money (although I realize today's workers are paying for my SS because our government robbed SS years ago). People who are able bodied and on welfare should be concerned. These people always vote Democrat because they want to keep these benefits. There is no such thing as a "free lunch" except when Democrats are in control.
We are sick of supporting people who have the ability to work but don't because they get Section 8, free medical care, food stamps, welfare payments, etc. We are tired of paying for their illegitimate children who have numerous baby daddies. And this is not racist in case that's what you're thinking. The only people I know receiving all these bennies are white, single women under 30 who have a minimum of 2 children each, all with different fathers. They are healthy but one, in particular, doesn't like working so she just pops another baby every few years with the current baby daddy.
Enough is enough. These are the benefits that must be cut.
Welcome to 2016. My husband had (retired now) a white female coworker with 5 children by 2 different men. She worked in Sales for an Software firm. She is college educated and makes pretty good money. Not on Welfare. She recently broke up with her BF #2. Who supports these kids? I suppose both she and her kids fathers do. She isn't the only woman in that company who had kids with men they were not married to.
My point? It is not only Welfare women having children with men they are not married to. Many have good jobs themselves today. It is because it more accepted in the culture today.
BTW, this company offers benefits to it's employees and their families. They do not require that they be married.
Ryan will get his way and "fix" Medicare by switching it to a voucher system. Health insurance companies will get their cut of everything, so there will be less money for actual health care. I doubt Medicare premiums will more than double, and supplemental insurance will roll into one policy, so it will cost you no more than an extra $5,000 a year for Medicare. The average premium increase will probably be more like half that, or an extra $200/month over what you are currently paying.
Maybe...but I think they will double down on medicare advantage and eliminate supplement plans, but they will shift the entire cost of the advantage plan ($900-$1200) to the recipient and offer some sort of rebate or tax credit to the poorest seniors. I hope I'm wrong but what you are suggesting is not 'privatizing medicare' and that is Ryan's stated goal.
There's a big difference between welfare and social security. People have worked for years to retire with those social security benefits, the government is just giving US our own money (although I realize today's workers are paying for my SS because our government robbed SS years ago). People who are able bodied and on welfare should be concerned. These people always vote Democrat because they want to keep these benefits. There is no such thing as a "free lunch" except when Democrats are in control. We are sick of supporting people who have the ability to work but don't because they get Section 8, free medical care, food stamps, welfare payments, etc. We are tired of paying for their illegitimate children who have numerous baby daddies. And this is not racist in case that's what you're thinking. The only people I know receiving all these bennies are white, single women under 30 who have a minimum of 2 children each, all with different fathers. They are healthy but one, in particular, doesn't like working so she just pops another baby every few years with the current baby daddy. Enough is enough. These are the benefits that must be cut.
What you don't understand is that the first target of the Republican Congress which is now free to do what they want with Trump as president is not to cut welfare it's to privatize medicare so the joke is on you
There's a big difference between welfare and social security. People have worked for years to retire with those social security benefits, the government is just giving US our own money (although I realize today's workers are paying for my SS because our government robbed SS years ago). People who are able bodied and on welfare should be concerned. These people always vote Democrat because they want to keep these benefits. There is no such thing as a "free lunch" except when Democrats are in control.
We are sick of supporting people who have the ability to work but don't because they get Section 8, free medical care, food stamps, welfare payments, etc. We are tired of paying for their illegitimate children who have numerous baby daddies. And this is not racist in case that's what you're thinking. The only people I know receiving all these bennies are white, single women under 30 who have a minimum of 2 children each, all with different fathers. They are healthy but one, in particular, doesn't like working so she just pops another baby every few years with the current baby daddy.
Enough is enough. These are the benefits that must be cut.
America is the developed country with the highest number of teenage pregnancies. All other countries have stronger social safety nets and the countries with the strongest social safety nets have the LOWEST teenage pregnancies. So further gutting of the social safety net will not get the results you desire. Teenage pregnancies and social ills will get much worse as history and statistics tell us.
Welcome to 2016. My husband had (retired now) a white female coworker with 5 children by 2 different men. She worked in Sales for an Software firm. She is college educated and makes pretty good money. Not on Welfare. She recently broke up with her BF #2. Who supports these kids? I suppose both she and her kids fathers do. She isn't the only woman in that company who had kids with men they were not married to.
My point? It is not only Welfare women having children with men they are not married to. Many have good jobs themselves today. It is because it more accepted in the culture today.
BTW, this company offers benefits to it's employees and their families. They do not require that they be married.
Children out of wedlock has become acceptable? Thank you Great Society.
Children out of wedlock has become acceptable? Thank you Great Society.
Whats so bad about that? "out of wedlock" does not mean that the parents havent lived together for years or even decades before having a child.
You support someone who gets married after a month having 3 babies within a couple of years and get divorced and that is somehow much better for the children than someone who has lived together for a decade and being faithful to each other deciding to have a child without being married?
I know who the responsible ones are among those two examples.
I think there will be major changes to particularly Medicare, probably involving more people pushed into Advantage plans, but I think they would change Medicare for current recipients at their peril. The problem is the new government in charge may truly just not care but future voters might.
The low deductible F plan is already going to phased out in a few short years as it is considered too costly. The file and suspend plan in Social Security was certainly changed quite quickly.
I don't know if a 10-year phasing in period for planning will happen for any program at this point.
The upshot for my family is what my parents always said as they were born before all these social programs existed - be a good steward of your own money don't depend on the government for anything. Nice if it is there but has been given can be taken away.
I feel for people who planned on government benefits which are being curtailed. I know we chose not to wait to 70 for our SS benefits as I was unwilling to give up my own money for the added benefits (and higher taxes) in the future - FRA was perfectly acceptable to us.
Trying to squeeze every penny out of the system may come back to bite you.
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