GraniteGrok

He's such a kidder:

 Because Wall St. did such a great job with our retirement accounts recently.

Er, let me ask this: is Big Government, the end game of Progressives everywhere for its "intelligent guiding hand by altruistic experts for society" doing much better?  He denigrates Wall Street, but the return is still better than what SS has done with those funds.  You know, for Progressives, there is absolutely no sin larger than reducing any program of any size - even if it is a train wreck that is starting to pick up speed

Again, Dean, please tell me where we are going to get the approximately $106 Trillion to fill the unfunded liability of both Social Security and Medicare?  The entire GDP of the US as been about $14 Trillion / year.  You're a teacher, do that basic math: that is the equivalent of taking every cent of that sum and doing NOTHING but giving it those two programs...

...for seven and a half years.

Or, if you like, using the entire US Federal Government budget, currently at approximately $4 Trillion (and remember, thanks to Dean's uber-hero Obama, borrowing 42 cents of every dollar spent)

...for 26.5 years.

Sound ridiculous?  Of course it is.  Even Progressives know that is unsustainable - even Dean can do the math.  There will be a tax revolt by the younger generations before they give it all up for the Geezers (of which I am at the tail end).

Oh, he and the other Hampsters go on and on about Government is just so caring and provides for all of our needs.  Sure - with the efficiency of the DMV and the love of the IRS.  Dean's problem, and others of his philosophy, refuse to admit that there is an end game to using other people's money for their version of charity.

Social Security?  Strip away all the pretensions of the underlying funding mechanism

There never was a lockbox and there is nothing but IOU's of other Fed Depts back to the Treasury for the money they already spent (remember, politicians of BOTH parties allowed this to happen!) that should be there to pay the Lawful Ponzi Scheme - but isn't. 

Being a Progressive means never having to believe the accounting ledger (heck, I'm not even sure they understand one when it comes to other peoples' money....after all, that spectacular "War on Poverty" of the Progressive LBJ's "Great Society" turned out oh so well - after $5 Trillion, did it work?).

Dean, get your Hopey pixie dust ready, 'cause that's about the only way these programs will stay the way they are. Frankly, about the only Change that will happen is that it will hasten the end of Big Government fiscal policies that are unsustainable.

Demographics and the HUGE debt levels that Obama's budgets are incurring will see to that.

(HT: chart by Boortz, rant by me)

Posted by Skip at 7:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The rules, I guess, are Obama's rules - if he doesn't like them, he ignores them (sorta like the Constitution with his power grabs - even Congress is starting to sound worried about an Imperial Presidency that FAR exceeds that of, well, Barack Hussein....Nixon?). 

The rules are that for a COLA increase to be given for Social Security recipients, there had to be inflation.  Seniors (and those that catered to seniors) complained - "what, no increase?" even though they did receive a 5.8% increase at the start of this year.

Let's be brutally honest and blunt here - like it or not, good idea or not, the first name for Social Security was "Widows Welfare"; the latter was rejected because it sent the wrong message politically.  After all, it was still a time where families and friends took care of their own instead of "outsourcing" that responsibility to the Government.  What is the norm with the Amish now used to be the norm of society as a whole - how times have changed when strangers have more responsibility for our elders than the families themselves.

And then the seniors get all riled up when the Government decides to change the rules?  Obama has given Social Security recipients MUCH cause to fear him:

• Obamacare will take away up to $500 Billion from seniors' Medicare
• No increase this year in the monthly checks.

So Obama, in a unilateral decision, has decided to rectify the latter by sending out bribes "in lieu" one-time payments of $250. 

Remember, the law of fundamental economics, as that of gravity, are not liable to repeal; summed up by:

TANSTAFL

There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

So, where's the money going to come from to go out again?  Like you really have to guess?  Time lets the cat out of the bag:

On Oct. 14, Obama announced his desire to give seniors onetime checks for $250 in lieu of any cost-of-living increase in Social Security checks this year. The checks, costing about $14 billion, would be paid for with an increase in payroll taxes for people with incomes over $250,000.

One more time to the piggy bank?  After all, it seems like the Dems think that the rich are only there for other peoples' enrichment.

Used to be that our elected officials used to be careful of Private Property - BOTH Democrats and Republicans.  Now?  Democrats have their hands out - and some Republicans seem to just smile as the Democrat hands

After all, their means justifies the seniors' ends (and seniors vote - a lot and religiously regularly [have to be politically correct, eh?  wink, wink])

One cannot fight the enemy, or fix a problem, unless one is willing to name it.  Whether you like it or not, whether you agree with the method or the reason or the result - this is ONLY one thing this can be called:

Redistribution: the taking from those who have earned it, to give to those that have not earned it, for strictly political reasons.

Posted by Skip at 6:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

O rend thy garments, America! Heap ashes upon thy head. We, the generation of generations--triumphant in our multitudes, invincible, indomitable, insufferable--have come into our inheritance. Hereby we claim our birthright. Give us all your money.

.

The pittance that is a current Social Security payment was intended to maintain the doddering retirees of yore in their accustomed condition of thin gruel and single-car garages. Such chump change will hardly suffice for today's vigorous sexagenarians intent on (among other things) vigorous sex, in places like Paris, St. Bart's, and Phuket.

Beggaring government is the least of the damage that we baby boomers intend to inflict over the next 30 or 40 years. What we're really up to is something more diabolical. Our generation is going to do what our generation has always done best. We're going to shape the American social fabric to our will and make the entire nation conform to our ideals, judgments, and tastes. It will be like the Clinton administration but much, much worse.

.

Posted by Doug at 5:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This just sickens me - as a believer in the rule of law (one of the wonderful tenets of our society), I see this as rewarding bad behavior.

Debate heats up over Social Security for illegal immigrants

As any reader of this blog knows, I am for LEGAL immigration (as it helped to make this nation strong as the legal immigrants cast off their ties to their former homelands, swore allegiance to this country, and did their best to assimilate into this country).  I am against ILLEGAL immigration.

The Totalization being spoken here is a technical term that basically means that countries will work to even out payments by citizens of other countries when paying into the retirement systems of the countries in which they are working.  For example, if a German citizen is working here, the payments made to our S.S. system will be credited to the German one for when that citizen returns.

Now, I think that most people understand that our SS system is at risk as the Boomers begin to retire.  Now, President Bush (yeah, this is toasting my cookies so bad.....) is about to sign an agreement with Mexico to

Pay SS to illegal immigrants.

Talk about rewarding bad behavior!

First, they come here illegally - never mind our laws, just come. 

Second, I'm tired of hearing about the identity fraud that is committed that gets illegals fake SS cards and numbers. What about the harm to the people who are the "real them"?

Third, I'm tired of people advocating for illegals because of some political or monetary compensation - like this person:

"It boggles the imagination that somebody would say, 'Thank you for paying into the system, but sorry, we're going to take that money and never give you credit for it,"' said Charles Kuck, first vice president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association."

A lawyer.....figures.  Hey, dude (acerbic, huh!), I'm not thanking them - trust me on this.  If they are not supposed to be here, and yet give our government money, well, I'm chalking it up as a gift.  Unfortunately, this gift is going to be on me and all other taxpayers if this goes through.....

Simple logic applies here - if they were here legally, I'd have no problem.  But if you are here ILLEGALLY, I have no sympathy at all.

What "boggles the mind" is that you, an officer of the Court, are condoning someone who has broken the law.  

Many immigrants working here illegally use fake Social Security cards. In 2003, the government collected more than $7 billion in payroll taxes on $58.5 billion in wages that don't match a valid Social Security number. Most of that money was generated by immigrants working illegally, some experts say.

The "totalization" agreement that U.S. and Mexican officials approved in 2004 would eliminate dual Social Security taxes for workers who spend time employed in both countries. And it would let workers who paid into the U.S. and Mexican retirement systems merge their work histories to qualify for benefits, even if they hadn't worked enough years in either country individually to qualify there.

The U.S. has similar agreements with 21 other nations, including Canada and most of Europe.

What the "technical" or legal people aren't making known here is this simple fact: totalization agreements with those 21 other countries are for LEGAL immigrants.

This agreement would allow:

Allow a Mexican worker with 1.5 years (six quarters) of authorized employment qualify for minimal Social Security benefits if that worker also had 8.5 years (34 quarters) of legitimate employment in Mexico.

And a Fourth thing: Hey, US Citizen - do you know how many quarters you have to work in order to receive SS benefits when you retire?  Naw, didn't think so.....but consider this - with this bill, how come illegal immigrants get to work less than legal residents and citizens to get SS benefits?

Posted by Skip at 8:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Social Security for Illegals

The Washington Post shows that the Freedom of Information Act works.  One of the things that have come up since President Bush launched his idea of "all but open" border ("Sure! You're here illegally? Not a problem.....pay a fine, work some years, learn English, become a citizen. Sure!  You're here just to make mone for a little while?  Not a problem - joint the Federal Guest Worker program!").

An agreement the Bush administration reached with Mexico on Social Security benefits would allow illegal aliens granted amnesty in the future to claim credit for the time they worked illegally.
    

Think of what this sentence is saying.....we are rewarding illegal behavior!  Make no mind that they were here uninvited.  Forget the fact that they are taking away jobs and lowering the wages of American low skilled workers.  Let's ignore the fact that in order to work, many of these illegals have stolen the identity (Social Security) of citizens in order to do this.

President Bush wants them to take from a Federal government program that is in trouble.  I cannot believe that he is adding to the problem! 

The deal was reached in 2004 but never released publicly because it hasn't been submitted to Congress. The TREA Senior Citizens League, a Social Security advocacy group, recently obtained the document through a Freedom of Information Act, and said it confirms the group's worst fears.

Oh, we heard about it.....and because it wasn't snuffed it out then, it's alive now.

It does nothing to prevent undocumented aliens who later get legal status from receiving benefits for the time they worked illegally. And that comes as the Social Security system's finances are about to be put under greater strain by the retirement of baby boomers. 

"If you open up the trust fund to people who have been working in the country illegally for many years, that bankruptcy date can only come sooner," spokesman Brad Phillips said. "People on the other side of this, people who have been arguing that of course illegal aliens can't get their hands on Social Security benefits, now can't make that argument easily anymore."

But of course, we shouldn't erect barriers between peoples, right?  That would be divisive, immoral, and xenophobic.

I'm waiting for the day that folks that say this go to the mailbox for their monthly SS retirement check, and there is none.

Posted by Skip at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Continue reading "Benefits, Taxes, and Demographics - Pick two and call me back" »

Posted by Skip at 6:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)