If people were actually paying attention, they'd be angry about this!!

[Playinghardball]

[darkangel218]

1. Well yah.

I pay my SS dues every two weeks. Do I expect anything back? Hell no. By the time I retire it will be all gone .

[mbperrin]

7. Only if you let them steal it. Right now, Social Security with NO changes

can pay 100% of benefits through 2037 - 24 years from now. After that, 75% can be paid out forever.

All that is needed to get 100% payouts forever is to raise the income cap on contributions, or better, eliminate it.

But the banks and stock folks need you to believe it is gone so that when they steal it, you will think that was normal. It's not, and the SS funds has a more than $2 TRILLION surplus right now.

I want anyone who steals or screws up Social Security to appear in Judge Lynch's court.

[JDPriestly]

9. That's not the way it works.

The Social Security Trust Fund has a huge surplus. The rest of the government spends it on things like the surveillance program. It's up to you to make sure the money is there when you will need it.

On an average salary, there is absolutely no way you can save enough or invest enough to retire when your bosses decide to fire you (and that is really when most people retire -- they just make it miserable for you to continue to work and besides you can't hear what they say any more and your hands can't grasp the paper fast enough and your wrinkles turn off customers, oh, well, the boss is older than you are but he doesn't care) and still eat.

Wall Street exists for the 1% and maybe for very well organized, prestigious pension funds but not for you and me. 401(K)s? Unless you really love getting up extra early in the morning and checking your spread sheets on your investments for yourself, forget it. You will not earn enough on your savings to live without a lot of Social Security.

Invest in Social Security. Keep the system safe.

[djean111]

2. Yes. Yes they are.

They want to take it, or slash it, or drive prices up so that it loses value.

[RebelOne]

4. I am a social security recipient, and that money

is not enough to live on because all prices have gone up, especially food.

[djean111]

5. I am living on mine, too.

So yeah.

[JDPriestly]

10. True.

[tridim]

3. Then please vote Democratic and don't let the Republicans gut and privatize SS.

That is what your "They" refers to, right?

[djean111]

6. To me, "they" is anyone who proposes chained CPI, privatising, or raising the age.

And - everyone who says they don't expect to get their Social Security when they are old enough - you would have no fears about that if the cap was raised a bit. None.

[mbperrin]

8. Yep. We spend a unit per semester with my economics students on Social Security.

And you're right - just a raise of around $20,000 on the income cap for contributions would fix it forever. Eliminating the cap would allow us to pay much better benefits, maybe even enough to live modestly on (well, now, that's crazy talk!).

Social Security is my one voting issue for the cycle coming up - anyone who wants chained CPI, reduction in benefits of any kind, in short, anyone who proposes harm to SS, I'm going to vote against. period.

[JDPriestly]

11. I'm with you. Fortunately, my congressman has stated strongly that he supports Social Security and

does not want chained CPI.

[chuckstevens]

12. Well Done!

This is how the Democratic Party (FDR, Harry Truman, LBJ, and even to some extent Bill Clinton) used to articulate a message. Barack Obama is an amazing campaigner and lousy leader. He should be saying things like this everyday!

[Civilization2]

13. George Carlin said this in one of his last shows,. . Do watch that whole special!!

Carlin was a very smart guy,. he used humor to tell people the truth they would otherwise not what to know about.

[marble falls]

14. As a gun rights kind of guy who will collect his first SS check in 3 months ....

I get it.