Patch it???????????

I've tried that with a tire once or twice. You know what I had to do? Swap it out for another one. Here's my opinion, take it for what it's worth (a diesel guy, admitedly very conservative in thought). It's my money, I earn it. Let me take care of a small chunk of it.

Here's what I'm not sure about.....
1. Where did the Iraq come into play in this thread???? I didn't see it in the first post so why bring that up?

2. Where did job losses come into play in this thread???? I didn't see it in the first post so why bring it up?

3. Where did handouts to big business come into play in this thread???? I didn't see it in the first post so why bring it up?

Sounds like someone has a bone to pick........why not talk about SS and not bring up other issues????

 

I think it should probably work on some sort of option basis, If you want it take it and pay in, If not dont. No its not a sound system. Sometime there will be more people drawing than putting in, but thats the beauty of it. if you pay in you get it if you dont apy then you dont get it. I could see my weekly installment better suited into my tool payments to make myself more money later down the road.

 

59Dsul, You have hit the nail on the head. When people oppose the issue the throw 110 other issues at the wall hoping 1 will stick.

The facts are,

1. In "X" number of years the current SS system will be broke.
2. SS was never meant to be a retirement system. Its a subsistance "net".
2. We are living longer than when the system was inacted 60 years ago.
3. The sooner we fix the problems the cheaper it will be to fix it.
4. Having a personal retirement account for young people is a good idea as it will help them see the benifits of saving. The proposal is only for 4% of their SS taxes, not 100%.
5. The SS taxable income limit of $90K is too low and should be raised.


I applaund President Bush for addressing the situation in an effort to preserve the system for generations to come.

 

My father in law is 78 and still working, and in great shape. It would literally kill him to quit working. People who sit at home and retire seem to waste away and die. "If you rest you rust"

 

I agree with Herb, we are in trouble here....... Save your money in a shoe box uner your bed for God's sake, atleast when you go to retrieve it, IT WILL BE THERE!! It's horrible to think that honest hardworking Americans don't have a choice when this "Tax" is taken from their weekly checks (not to mention the employers match it), then they find out it may just disappear?? Save your own Money Folks, the Govt. has a harder time taking that from you. I have given a total of $0.00 to SS since '01, hopefully I won't be a burden on Society 40 or so years from now.
Raise the age?? we already vacation less than almost all other established countries, what next, we all work unitl we die on the job, slumped over at the wheel, or behind the counter!! I want to enjoy the fruits of 30-40 years of labor!

 

I heard something interesting on the news this week. Apparently the supreme court has ruled on two separate occasions that the money we pay into the ss fund through payroll taxes is nothing more than a tax. The ramifications of this are that congress can enhance, reduce or eliminate ss benefits at will. That is also why ss is part of the general fund. As an example, congress reduced benefits in the 80's by raising the retirement age. The claims that ss benefits are guaranteed benefits are reasonable based on the power of groups like AARP and the strength of the senior citizen voting block, but they have no basis in the law. Bush's proposal to allow a portion of ss dollars to be segregated in individual accounts transfers what was a "tax" into "personal property" that congress can not touch.

That is a very appealing feature to me.

 

Yeah thats a typical liberal tactic, bait and switch. Why argue the point when you can just change the subject.
What is wrong with investing your own money, taking control of your own destiny and bearing the responsibility for your own actions and not looking to the tax payers to pay for a persons lack of planning for thier retirement? Why do some people feel they have the right to other peoples money? A persons longevity on this planet does not entitle them to my money! Certainly we can and should have compassion for those who are needy due to circumstances beyond their control and not of their own doing, but that is a far cry from the socialistic direction weve been heading for some time.

 

I dont think they will ever give it up 100% like said before they dip into SS for money now and again because the gov spends too much as it is. we younger americans ( 18- say mid 30s) might wanna hold on I think anyone muich younger will miss it all as it will ever be gone due to over withdrawl or maybe by then they would have a better method. I know im gonna miss my money

 

Weaning the country off welfare (SS) and promoting personal responsibility for your own retirement is a good thing.

 

I wish I could have had all the money I've paid into ss over the years & invested into a fund of my own choosing. I know even with the stock markets ups & downs I would be $$$ ahead.
My wife is a Gov. employee & contributes to her Thrieft Savings Plan (TSP) we can track it on the internet as we can my work 401k. I like being in charge of my own $$$ I don't need the Gov. taking care of me.

 

Fixing Social security is an easy task. We simply need to change the benefits to all of the fat politicians. After serving 1 term they have a better retirement than the average person has over a lifetime. The money saved from reducing their benefit would give SS a big shot in the arm. yeah yeah don't hold your breath right?

 

Spunbearing, I think that a senator or congressperson just has to serve one day and they get they're salary for the rest of they're live and when they die the wives get it for the rest of her life. Now if you want to fix SS just include them in it and I bet that they would come up with a solution. Next thing stop the gov. from stealing from the fund and this would help. SS is not the general fund.

 

Amen brother!
I'm a Federal employee also- gotta love TSP

 

Only if you save REAL money such as gold and/or silver will it be there. The dollar is worth about 5% of what it was worth when the federal reserve system was started which instituted the current fiat money system. Then an ounce of gold was $20. When Roosevet confiscated everyones gold he immediately devalued the dollar to $35/oz of gold. Now with our completely fiat/floating system gold is about $414/oz.

Social (in)Security system will pay everyone in fiat dollars which may or may not be worth something when you retire. If the system were voluntary or didn't exist people could take the money that's being squandered in the government system and buy their own plan... or not as they see fit.

Even gold/silver in a shoe box is a better option than Social (in)Security system. For the next 15-20 years, commodities will be the big winners and stocks will not. It's a cycle and stocks are on the wrong phase of it. Bushes plan to invest part of the SS contributions in the Stock market is misguided at best.

Edwin

 

God bless him!!:

I did not want to even read this thread.......Finally I succumbed and was drawn in.

Like your father in law mine is 76 and works a 40+ hour week. Why? Because he wants to. My point at the 65 age comment was simply that not everyone wants to work after that age. 65 should be the MAXIMUM age to get full bennies. And a person should choose what they want to do the rest of their life. Let them work if they want too, if they want to play go for it, if they want to sit home and do nothing that’s fine too. BUT THE CHAIN NEEDS TO COME OFF AT 65!!! not 67 or 10 years from now 70. They want us paying from the WOMB TO THE TOMB!!!