EMail Doodlings - "You all owe me" - Granite Grok

EMail Doodlings – “You all owe me”

There are a few people with whom I converse with a lot – some agree with me all of the time, and some agree with me most (but not all) of the time.  This is from a gentleman that used to agree with me hardly at all (in the beginning) but now keeps seeing the actions rather than just passively listening to the words.    He complains (rightfully!) (emphasis mine):

Skip – twice in the last week I’ve heard comments about Social Security that made me realize how far apart our perceptions are.

The first was from an 82 yr old nurse, who bemoaned the fact she wasn’t part of a union and didn’t have a pension, and she was living off of SS and it just wasn’t enough.
Now I realize nurses aren’t treated the best, but I don’t understand why she feels we owe her a pension.  Yeah, she’s a democrat.

The 2nd is from a pastor who wants to convert the amt a congregation pays into his synod mandated pension, into cash so he can pay down his student loans.
Sounds reasonable, except when he was asked about cleaning out his pension and the penalties incurred, he was ambivalent and said not to worry – SS would be there for himAnd he didn’t want it counted as income – he just wanted the congregation to pay down  his loan directly (tax avoidance).  Ambivalent I understand – it wasn’t his money in the pension plan, and he wasn’t going without to plan for his retirement.  Typical pastoral attitude – he expects to be taken care of.  But just how smart is someone with a master’s degree and over $100K in loans, taking a career that pays $1K/wk?  His wife also has a master’s with over $100K in loans, and stays home with a newborn.Yeah, he’s a democrat.

I am under the (misguided?) impression that SS is there to keep old folks out of the food pantry lines, and volunteering at the food pantry instead, for as long as possible.
Never did I suspect it was intended as a retirement or pension plan.  My parents had a different take on money – 10% went to the church, 10% went to their parents, 10% went to savings, and the rest is what they lived off of.  And my parents weren’t Rockerfellers – my dad never made more than the “average” annual income. And yet my parents sent 4 kids to college.  hmmm

thx for letting me vent.

A socialist society is a selfish society – and as Government does more and more (notice that I did not say Society!), people expect and then demand more and more.  And in the Pastor example above, the worth of other peoples’ money and contributions become meaningless and of little worth because, well, it is EXPECTED.  Think of it this way – which is more appreciated?  Something that you know should be part of life, that has become “the norm”?  Or something that someone gives you out of the blue for little reason at all (and for the trifecta – something that you have actually had to go out and earn)?  My response:

It’s the entitlement mentality gone wild.  It’s folks that expect Society owes them something instead of, like your parents, having been self-responsible and prepping for themselves.  It is that unconscious idea (for most don’t even realize it) that Society will make one “whole” for the bad decisions made – like getting into debt without first counting the cost and ramifications of that debt.

No you are not misguided – you have the right notion of SS as to its original intent.  These folks, however, have an overinflated ego as to their worth to society and that the labor of others should go to socialize the cost of their bad decisions.

He has a valid point – WHY would anyone rack up $100K in college debt KNOWING that it is a mortgage you can’t pay as a result of a “normal” paycheck?  Sure, you’re a Pastor – you still have to pay the bills.  Every time I read one of these stories, I keep thinking of that Columbia (Columbia!  An Ivy League school – bastion of “the smart people”!) co-ed that graduated with $75K of debt and an Early Childhood Education degree.  Did her parents every say “Hon, what is the starting pay for a position that you’d be qualified for?”  Did her academic advisor go “Er, we ought to sit down and evaluate your expectations”.

I do wonder at the chutzpah of the Pastor – hey, you folks that want to be nice and prep for my retirement?  Er, I made a boo-boo with my student loans and compounded it by doubling down and marrying someone that was as mathematically clueless as I am – make me whole, yeah?  And because I screwed up, the rest of Society will give me a comfy retirement because, well, I’m a financial doo-doo.

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