The News in a Note

[Jimmy Higgins]

After not doing anything to address the solvency issue of Social Security and Medicare for decades, problem apparently still a problem..

 

[Janice Rael]

It's anti-Capitalist, so why save it? The Poors just leech off of the successful and deserving wealthy, anyway.

Wait, is there still a rule against hyperbole? I'm on a cellphone.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Trump tells press at courtroom that it was a shame what happened to Gov. Noem. He said could "kill a dog, I could kill one hundred dogs on Fifth Avenue" and his supporters would still love him. The reporters mournfully sighed in agreement. "I guess Noem just isn't as likeable as me." Meanwhile, Representative Greene who was with Trump at the Courthouse indicated the Covid vaccine was mind controlling the Judge and jury in this case.

 

[Elixir]

After not doing anything to address the solvency issue of Social Security and Medicare for decades,

... my checks still clear.

problem apparently still a problem..

...and the "not a problem" is still not a problem.
The "problem" is, having given money to the government to save for my retirement, I'm getting some of it back.
Republicans in government think they should have it, for no good reason except that they're greedy.
Anywhere there is government money other than for defense contractors, Republicans think it should belong to them and their donors.
THAT is "the problem".

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

After not doing anything to address the solvency issue of Social Security and Medicare for decades,

... my checks still clear.

problem apparently still a problem..

...and the "not a problem" is still not a problem.
The "problem" is, having given money to the government to save for my retirement, I'm getting some of it back, and Republicans in government think they should have it. Anywhere there is government money other than military, Republicans think it should belong to them and their donors. THAT is "the problem".

Yeah, it isn't insolvent yet. The upcoming insolvency is the problem. Personally, I'm not that happy about investing in a system that won't provide back to me. After all, that was the deal. The GOP and W wanted to create private accounts that'd have cost a fortune and then require earning a few percent to break even. That fell on its head once people learned that trillions would need to be borrowed to start that program.

Then Obama became President and the economy fell through the floor right before he took office. The program needs more money. The money exists, the GOP just don't give a flip about it, and generally the only people who care enough about Social Security to vote on it are old folks. So, nothing resolved, even 20 years after W did his nationwide tour to sell the private accounts.

 

[Elixir]

After not doing anything to address the solvency issue of Social Security and Medicare for decades,

... my checks still clear.

problem apparently still a problem..

...and the "not a problem" is still not a problem.
The "problem" is, having given money to the government to save for my retirement, I'm getting some of it back, and Republicans in government think they should have it. Anywhere there is government money other than military, Republicans think it should belong to them and their donors. THAT is "the problem".

Yeah, it isn't insolvent yet. The upcoming insolvency is the problem.

The insolvency "problem" was supposed to reach crisis levels as soon as Jimmy Carter took office if not before. It should be a pretty mature crisis by now, more than a half century later. Republicans have been trying to raid it the whole time.

Personally, I'm not that happy about investing in a system that won't provide back to me. After all, that was the deal.

Are you 65? That was the deal.
That you think you won't get any/all/more than you paid back, is just a sign that the Republican scaremongering is working.
Bush "borrowed" $1.37 trillion (or half that amount, according to detractors of that representation) of Social Security surplus revenue to pay for his tax cuts for the rich and his war in Iraq and never paid it back.
Maybe paying that back would put your mind more at ease?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

In a campaign rally at an airport in West Virginia, Donald Trump promised that coal would be making a major comeback as he would ban the use of diesel train engines.

 

[Janice Rael]

... my checks still clear.

problem apparently still a problem..

...and the "not a problem" is still not a problem.
The "problem" is, having given money to the government to save for my retirement, I'm getting some of it back.
Republicans in government think they should have it, for no good reason except that they're greedy.
Anywhere there is government money other than for defense contractors, Republicans think it should belong to them and their donors.
THAT is "the problem".

 

[Janice Rael]

lol which one of you said that Social Security can't become insolvent because you still get checks?

Yeah!! Dear BANK, I can't be out of money, I still have some checks left!!

And then we all live forever and collect Social Security for endless decades of our endless, immortal lives!!

Oh my gosh! Social Security can't have problems because it's enough for ME, personally, at the present time?? And in MY foreseeable future? And or Forever and Ever Amen? I am so great!! Lol why would anyone say this

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

lol which one of you said that Social Security can't become insolvent because you still get checks?

Yeah!! Dear BANK, I can't be out of money, I still have some checks left!!

If I could make money appear out of thin air, as the US government can, how would that be incorrect? Where do you think the billions for Ukraine came from, Fort Knox?

 

[ZiprHead]

There is an easy fix for Social Security and Medicare. Make the FICA withholding a flat tax instead of the regressive one it is today.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

There is an easy fix for Social Security and Medicare. Make the FICA withholding a flat tax instead of the regressive one it is today.

It's not as much of a fix as you think because the people that would be paying more in would also be getting more out come retirement.

 

[ZiprHead]

There is an easy fix for Social Security and Medicare. Make the FICA withholding a flat tax instead of the regressive one it is today.

It's not as much of a fix as you think because the people that would be paying more in would also be getting more out come retirement.

No, it doesn't have to work that way at all.

 

[Elixir]

There is an easy fix for Social Security and Medicare. Make the FICA withholding a flat tax instead of the regressive one it is today.

It's not as much of a fix as you think because the people that would be paying more in would also be getting more out come retirement.

No, it doesn't have to work that way at all.

The faux egalitarianism of Murkin conservatism dictates that the rich, who paid so much more into the system, must also withdraw proportionally more out of the system. Means tests are dreaded SOCIALISM!! The only way to avoid it is to let most of the money that rich people make, be immune from FICA.

Failure of the imagination is a powerful asset for oligarchs.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

There is an easy fix for Social Security and Medicare. Make the FICA withholding a flat tax instead of the regressive one it is today.

It's not as much of a fix as you think because the people that would be paying more in would also be getting more out come retirement.

No, it doesn't have to work that way at all.

That's how social security works--what you get is a function of what you put in.

If you don't do that you're turning it into a welfare program.

 

[ZiprHead]

There is an easy fix for Social Security and Medicare. Make the FICA withholding a flat tax instead of the regressive one it is today.

It's not as much of a fix as you think because the people that would be paying more in would also be getting more out come retirement.

No, it doesn't have to work that way at all.

That's how social security works--what you get is a function of what you put in.

If you don't do that you're turning it into a welfare program.

The horror. The horror.

 

[Swammerdami]

There is an easy fix for Social Security and Medicare. Make the FICA withholding a flat tax instead of the regressive one it is today.

I would go even farther. Exempt the first $10,000 of income from SocSec Tax (both employee and employer portions). This would encourage hiring. Make up the SocSec revenue shortfall with the proceeds of a gasoline or carbon tax.

It's not as much of a fix as you think because the people that would be paying more in would also be getting more out come retirement.

No, it doesn't have to work that way at all.

That's right. Congress has control over SocSec details. Believing that we "should" or "must" make SocSec conform to some private savings or pension model is blindered thinking.

For starters, a big difference between private savings and SocSec arises upon the death of the recipient. SocSec takes the common-sense (Marxist?) viewpoint that dead people don't need money.

That's how social security works--what you get is a function of what you put in.

Unbeknownst to Loren, his response itself hinted at his own mistake! He wrote "a function." Not "The function" or "The exact same function as Brand-X pensions uses", but . . . "a function."

If you don't do that you're turning it into a welfare program.

The horror. The horror.

Ziprhead's sarcasm is well-placed. Any HINT of socialism reminds some of us Baby Boomers that Khrushchev wanted to bury us, and that Senator Joe McCarthy was the only one standing between us and nuclear holocaust and/or a progressive SocSec.

 

[Janice Rael]

Hi @Swammerdami , I do agree with 95% of your post. You're right; @Loren Pechtel is stating the obvious yet not aware of the ramifications or realities related to his own posts. People do that; even I can walk right into the point and not feel it.

One thing you said is something I'd like to ask you to reconsider. My views are based upon my poverty and disabilities.

You said that "the first $10,000" of income should be exempted from Social Security withholding.

Allow me to posit that if Congress were to change the laws any time soon (say, 2024-2028 or so), then, the laws ought to exempt the first $40,000 of a workers' pay from Social Security tax or withholding; furthermore, they shall be forever qualified to receive benefits.

The shortfall should be made up from, in part, removing the $120,000 cap on the tax obligation for SocSec. Moneymaking people ought to support the entire system of laws, rights, and responsibilities of having the society they like that exists under the Capitalism they like. (haa, riiiight.)

Taxing businesses instead of allowing them unfettered opportunity to purchase political power seems to be a solid idea to me, but, I'm soooo craaaaazy, right. What would I know. Ridiculous, right?

Carbon taxes and taxes on coal, gasoline, oil, petroleum products, and fossil fuels ought to be both a given and a burden of the providers, not the customers. Billionaires can handle a little less, trust me on this. I met one once. lol, I sat next to him at a meeting; I could not, ahem, stifle my giggles.

omg this is a humor thread? We're all lost.

 

[Janice Rael]

Clarification on my position: "Allow me to posit that if Congress were to change the laws any time soon (say, 2024-2028 or so), then, the laws ought to exempt the first $40,000 of a workers' pay from Social Security tax or withholding; furthermore, they shall be forever qualified to receive benefits."

Let's say we keep the current system, and change it. The reason why I low-ball my idea at $40K is because it is $3,333/month for 12 months, which is not even the cost of living in a lot of places in the USA, but, it's close to it for many people.

Alternatively and/or in addition to this, I also believe that a Universal Basic Income, of roughly the same amount of money, $3K/mo, should be given to all citizens.

I furthermore feel that citizens should have universal single-payer, pre-natal to post-mortem, science-and/or-evidence-based, mental to dental (and everything in between), comprehensive, complete medical healthcare and access to this medical healthcare. The medical healthcare must include safe, legal, and uncompromised obstetrics and all aspects of gynecology, as well as every kind of preventive care and medication, to all citizens, without financial burden to the citizens. Spend less on war and weapons and learn to use your words like a grownup. Why can't innovation be driven by benefit to humanity.

Note: I didn't say which citizens I do mean each and every human in the world. Borders cost so much, I will never think they are worth the price we pay to maintain geographic borders. I will never like Capitalism; commerce and trade can exist in peace.

Climate change can no longer be mitigated; the effects can't be controlled. Who told you folks that shorelines and maps were permanent? You know better, come on, rich people, get it together up there at the tops of your totally not just bits and bytes bank accounts, jfc. Beach replenishment? Baloney, back it up ten miles inland to begin with, sillyheads.

 

[Janice Rael]

Wrong forum, but, this is wrong and I am wrong: "Climate change can no longer be mitigated;"

On the one hand, yes it can be. On the other hand, lol are we gonna prevent an ice age?