Tag: Social Security - Page 2

Spending as A Percetage of GDP 1950 – 2010

September 26, 2018January 22, 2013

by Steve MacDonald

A new study from the St. Louis Fed has provided us with this nifty graph. The Graph below shows spending by major categories as a percentage of GDP. Some may find this surprising.

There are more charts at the link, also here at Hot Air. Take particular note of the graphs on revenue and spending relative to GDP and Government Spending by category. (Follow the link for those.)

You will also find that since the new progressive era began (Bush I, Clinton, Bush II, Obama) that mandatory government spending (as opposed to discretionary) appears to be our biggest driver of debt. (Big Gubmint doin’ too much.)

Email Doodlings – “Ah yes, the generational redistribution plan!”

September 26, 2018October 17, 2012

by Skip

Again, from ‘Grok Loyal reader in Dayton: Social Security benefits increase

Skip – how is it that benefits increase when Middle America has lost 20% of their income over the last 4 yrs? I would have expected benefits to decrease, or at least freeze.

Why should grandma & grandpa get a raise when I got a paycut, my 401K tanked, and my property lost 1/3 of its value? And we won’t mention my GM stock getting wiped out, or the pending tax and healthcare premium increases waiting for me in 2013. Starting to boil over….

As well he should. My response: “Ah yes, the generational redistribution plan!”

Data Point – Social Security is going in the dumper (Too many Boomers)

September 26, 2018October 12, 2012

by Skip

The old Blue Social model, based on Progressive philosophy that Government is best suited to take care of people (as opposed to family, neighbors, and friends), was built on two assumptions: Population growth would always continue (e.g., big families so as to tax Generation B for the benefits to be given to Generation A) The … Read more

GrokTV Special Interview – Rick Parent (Candidate, Congress (NHCD-1) – Question 8 – How fix Social Security / Medicare entitlements due to demographics?

September 26, 2018July 23, 2012

by Skip

The biggest expenses in the Federal budget that are driving the national debt (and will continue as the “rabbit in the snake” of Baby Boomers retire) are Social Security and Medicare. With crashing demographics and the money “alternatively used” by Federal Agencies, how would you fix this problem that could bankrupt the nation? Question 8: … Read more

Grokipedia – Forward (generic name of socialist publications)

September 26, 2018May 8, 2012

by Steve MacDonald

Forward (generic name of socialist publications)

(The Wikipedia entry ‘Forward’ has been saved from deletion. Wikipedia may have censored it, but “Grokipedia” will not. While we have restored all the original links–mostly to other Wikipedia pages–we cannot promise that Wikipedia will not also delete these pages in their mad-dash to protect and defend the current Democrat administration’s Presidential campaign. )

<—First issue of Vorwärts, October 1, 1876

In the English translation, the term Forward has historically been used in the titles of socialist and politically left-leaning periodical publications primarily in Europe.[1][2] The context of the title connoted an “urge for progress”.[3]

Vorwärts! (German for ‘Forward’, with an exclamation point as part of the name) was a revolutionary German emigré publication issued in Paris in the mid-1840s. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels were amongst the contributors to the magazine. Whilst the publication was short-lived, it had a lasting impact and served as an inspiration for later socialist press outlets. A second Vorwärts (without exclamation point) was founded in 1876, being an organ of the Social Democratic Party of Germany and with Wilhelm Liebknecht as its first editor.[4] In the years before the First World War, the term ‘vorwärts’ was almost monopolized in German political discourse by the Social Democrats, and the name was used for various publications and organizations.[5]

Let me get this straight – Social Security or Ponzi scheme?

September 26, 2018September 13, 2011

by Skip

One is voluntary, one is coerced and no ability to not opt out. Both are funded by new entrants for the "ROI" of those receiving the benefits. One type of this activity gets you jail time. The other one, however, is used by Politicians to scare seniors each and every election cycle. So, which is … Read more

No Debt Ceiling Increase without Cut, Cap, and Balance

September 26, 2018July 26, 2011

by Don

To the Editor:

Both President Obama and Speaker Boehner failed to deliver acceptable proposals for raising the debt ceiling and both failed to explain the real situation to the American people.

President Obama hasn’t provided specifics for a plan, he makes no real attempt at compromise, his desired taxes on “the rich” provide a minuscule income, he continues to lie about the Bush tax cuts which actually increased tax revenues and shifted more of the tax burden to the rich, and he continues to threaten seniors and financial catastrophe. (We hear similar threats every time our leaders try to pressure our representatives into doing bad things.)

Obama to Blame if Social Security Checks Withheld

September 26, 2018July 20, 2011

by Don

President Obama recently tried to scare seniors by claiming that he wasn’t sure social security checks could be sent to seniors unless Republicans raise the debt ceiling on his terms. This, of course, is a lie.

On average every month the US Treasury collects about $186 billion.
Social security payments are about $49.2 billion monthly. Even adding Medicare and Medicaid costs ($50 billion), military salaries ($2.9 billion), interest on the national debt ($29 billion), Veterans affairs funding ($2.9 billion), and federal employee salaries and benefits ($14.2 billion), there is almost another $40 billion left for other programs.

Why a 22 Year old should prefer private accounts over Social Security (even if they only invested in T-Bills)

September 26, 2018May 17, 2011

by Skip

A paltry 1.6% ROI if that 22 year old sticks with S.S. Even if they only invested in T-Bills, they’d get 3 X S.S. yields…

Pelosi Doesn’t Want To Fix It

September 26, 2018April 13, 2011

by Steve MacDonald

Pelosi stood against reforming a bankrupt retirement scheme, and now she is taking the same tack here: Medicaid should not be reformed lest it appear as if it needs reform.

The Chief Blue Hampster may have learned a dead language but not so much on math….

September 26, 2018December 28, 2010

by Skip

Dean over at Blue Hampshire is kvetching again. Over Social Security. Figures:

If we Gen Xers had a nickel for every Very Serious Older Person in the Village who clamors for Social Security "reform" that doesn’t affect those nearing retirement – but is mum on those Gen-Xers who have been paying into it for decades – we’d have enough nickels to fund our retirement outside of this allegedly secure and social system.

So fun to read (between the lines) over and over again how I’ll be in the first wave of those who gave more and are left with less!

Hey Dean – meet the "Mother of all Ponzi Schemes" – no, not Bernie Madoff, but your US Government. Started by the most wonderful Progressive of all (or second, your choice), FDR.

And no, you aren’t the only one – I figure that I will have paid into that scheme for FAR longer than you – but am doubting that it will be able to pay anything. Frankly, the time of "retirement for the common folk" based simply on government dependency is probably over. Simply, a casualty of demographics – not enough rich people to tax, and certainly not enough workers of any strip to tax. The system works with "large family culture: (you know, the kind that the Progressive environmentalists hate – 4,5,…15 kids) that continually add to the base of the Ponzi pyramid to pay the previous generation. But our current culture looks down upon that type of thing.

Add to that, the massive stealing by the Political Class of the money that was in that "Trust Fund" – yeah, that’s working out real well now, isn’t it? And you have only you, and your philosophical brethren that never met a government expenditure on social issues you didn’t like, to blame. Suck that money out, replace it with…

Data Point – cash for for Medicare and S.S.

September 26, 2018November 28, 2010

by Skip

From the same post as below (see #9); It just looks better shown separately as a chart: Sure, a growing economy will help. But it will not solve. Neither will "just taxing the rich" – you REALLY think that you can raise taxes on "just the rich" to the tune of $900 Billion? Ain’t happenin… … Read more

Benefits, Taxes, and Demographics – Pick two and call me back

October 6, 2024June 28, 2006

by Skip

What goes around, comes around. When President Bush first started to talk about reforming Social Security, his ideas included the personal savings component (like many Federal employees already have) and the indexing of COLAs from the wage price inflation rate to the consumer price index. As expected, there was a lot of blowback. The opposition came from two different groups. From the Left was the hysterical outpouring of angst over people not being able to figure out how to invest their personal savings accounts, the role of the private market, and (I feel) the loss of power of not being in charge of all that money.

The other came from those who were either already on Social Security or about to partake of its benefits. In the local paper, I saw numerous articles and Letters to the Editor complaining about "cutting benefits", that people paid their money and demanded to get it back in benefits, and that Social Security was needed to "live a normal retirement".

Well, I’ve seen a few peices again over the last few months yet again on Social Security. Although it has been in reference to the new Senate bill extending Social Security benefits to illegal aliens (at terms better than I can get!!), I figured it was time to say something once again about a couple of the basic issues.