Politics and religion.

[Bonny]

As far as S.S. in the future maybe it won't be there & I was told as a child by my parents they would not be collecting S.S. & didn't (dad had railroad retirement instead) but my uncles & aunts who also said they wouldn't collect S.S. because there wouldn't be any left did collect it. I was taught in school back in the 1960's that we should not depend on S.S. (because there wouldn"t be any left for us anyhow)alone but put our eggs in other baskets. Even with the Medicare Plan, how long is that going to last? Even though you pay out of your employement check, in the end you have the last say because someone else is in control. It has always been that way & always will be. There is nothing like Medicare & lets say a private insurance plan to boot actually dictating what they are going to pay & not pay & how you are going to be treated when you are deathly ill. That just scares the heck out of me. They have control over what is going to happen to you.

Have any suggestions how to change it? I think it is going to hurt not a little but a lot in the future.

[wombat2u2004]

[QUOTE=Bonny;2319766]As far as S.S. in the future maybe it won't be there. QUOTE]

Don't worry Fraulein Von Bonny, the rich will provide you with bread crusts and water, and other necessities for your old age.
Auf Wiedersehen,
Wombatz Von Adolph.

[sparks19]

[QUOTE=wombat2u2004;2319794]

As far as S.S. in the future maybe it won't be there. QUOTE]

Don't worry Fraulein Von Bonny, the rich will provide you with bread crusts and water, and other necessities for your old age.
Auf Wiedersehen,
Wombatz Von Adolph.

Rich? YOu think we are RICH?

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA that's funny

I suppose we are rich... just not in the way you think we are. We don't have a large home... we are currently busting out of the humble house we currently have. but it's our home and we love it (even with all the stuff that seems to be breaking lately). We don't have unlimited funds to do whatever we please. But we have love and family and laughter. We are rich in life but not in the bank. We live comfortably... and sometimes we struggle between paychecks.

To think that we are "rich snobs who don't want to help anyone" because we don't support government programs that don't actually HELP anyone get back on their feet is laughable at best.

I actually think welfare and such programs have ruined the sense of community and reaching out to them for help. there was a time where everyone knew their neighbors and if a neighbor or friend was in need people would step up and help in any way they could. Now it seems most people don't even KNOW their neighbors and if someone needs help... well isn't that what welfare is for? they are taking such a large chunk from people by force that it seems to be starting the trend of "well it's not MY problem... the government will deal with it" and that is a sad state of affairs.

[wombat2u2004]

[QUOTE=sparks19;2319840]

Rich? YOu think we are RICH?

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA that's funny

I suppose we are rich... just not in the way you think we are. We don't have a large home... we are currently busting out of the humble house we currently have. but it's our home and we love it (even with all the stuff that seems to be breaking lately). We don't have unlimited funds to do whatever we please. But we have love and family and laughter. We are rich in life but not in the bank. We live comfortably... and sometimes we struggle between paychecks.

To think that we are "rich snobs who don't want to help anyone" because we don't support government programs that don't actually HELP anyone get back on their feet is laughable at best.

I actually think welfare and such programs have ruined the sense of community and reaching out to them for help. there was a time where everyone knew their neighbors and if a neighbor or friend was in need people would step up and help in any way they could. Now it seems most people don't even KNOW their neighbors and if someone needs help... well isn't that what welfare is for? they are taking such a large chunk from people by force that it seems to be starting the trend of "well it's not MY problem... the government will deal with it" and that is a sad state of affairs.

Why do you assume "I THINK" you are rich ????

[sparks19]

[QUOTE=wombat2u2004;2319883]

Why do you assume "I THINK" you are rich ????

well considering the Von Bonny comment followed by the rich letting her have bread crusts it wasn't really a big leap for me to connect them

if that wasn't what you were saying then I'm sorry

[Bonny]

[QUOTE=sparks19;2319943]

well considering the Von Bonny comment followed by the rich letting her have bread crusts it wasn't really a big leap for me to connect them

if that wasn't what you were saying then I'm sorry

Wom was joking with me. I don't mind.

Your right about those credit cards people buy stuff but don't think about how they are going to pay them off & the out of this world interest charged to them if they don't pay up. Then there was the big housing boom that went bang, buying something with an interest rate out of this world once again & keeping up with the Jones up the street.

I don't like the government running my life either. Politicans make promises & don't keep them. People are suckers for their promises.

The waste in this country is unbelievable. They use to make stuff to last a long time.

The rich are getting richer & don't care about the poor. They are to busy being greedy.

I think we are all on the same page but view it differently maybe because of age, experience, education? I look at it as a learning experience how other people view life.

I would prefer to have some marmalade jam on my bread crusts & milk please.

[wombat2u2004]

I would prefer to have some marmalade jam on my bread crusts & milk please.

What ??? That's it !!!! It's the Gulag for you young lady.

[Puckstop31]

Have any suggestions how to change it? I think it is going to hurt not a little but a lot in the future.

Phase it out over time. 'Guarantees' from the FEDERAL government is not how America is supposed to work.

OR, make participation in it optional. I'd opt out in a heartbeat if I could. Then, I'd give at least half of what I used to pay to SS to two AMAZING, private charities that WORK. ALL with ZERO public dollars.

As for care of our elders... Even if I pre-decease my parents, they will never spend ONE day in a retirement home or dependant on government for their care. I love and respect them too much to not do everything I can for them. As it should be, IMO.

[Grace]

they will never spend ONE day in a retirement home

I'm not getting into this discussion, but did have a question about this one phrase.

Do you mean Nursing Home? When I think of retirement home, I think of the many retirement communities around here, full of vibrant, active people. I don't look at them as places to avoid.

Nursing homes, on the other hand, can be good or bad. My mom was in one in Rhode Island before she died, and it was a great place. But I have seen the other kind.

[Puckstop31]

I'm not getting into this discussion, but did have a question about this one phrase.

Do you mean Nursing Home? When I think of retirement home, I think of the many retirement communities around here, full of vibrant, active people. I don't look at them as places to avoid.

Nursing homes, on the other hand, can be good or bad. My mom was in one in Rhode Island before she died, and it was a great place. But I have seen the other kind.

Correct. I have seen some AWFUL places. Plus, I promised my parents that I would take care of them. They did sacrifice a lot to help get me where I am.

I am sure there are good retirement facilities. My parents asked to not ever be placed in one and I have already secured, as best as possible these days, that they never will be. My Dad suffers from non-Hodgkins Lymphoma as a result of Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam.... And my Mom puts up with him. So, its the least I can do for them.

Thank you Grace, for making this point known.

[Grace]

The retirement places around here - the residents are not placed in them - they choose to live there.

For instance, my cousin, Alan, lives in Colorado. He and his wife recently moved into a retirement community where there are varying degrees of care available. Currently, they live independently, but his wife is in the early stages of Alzheimers, and, at some point, will need more care than Alan can handle alone - he is almost 84.

That's the kind of retirement community I'm thinking of.

[Puckstop31]

The retirement places around here - the residents are not placed in them - they choose to live there.

For instance, my cousin, Alan, lives in Colorado. He and his wife recently moved into a retirement community where there are varying degrees of care available. Currently, they live independently, but his wife is in the early stages of Alzheimers, and, at some point, will need more care than Alan can handle alone - he is almost 84.

That's the kind of retirement community I'm thinking of.

If the people choose to live in one, by all means, make it so. My parents have made their choices clear. That is not to disparage (correct word useage Mom? LOL <inside joke>) people who choose to live in one.

More or less, I want my Mom and Dad around us, physically close that is, for as long as is possible, and they agree. Hannah LOVES them both. We are staying with them for the week as we visit. Mom and Dad both went to work this morning after being around for the weekend. Hannah and I came out around 7:30. Hannah RUNS out.... Only to droop her shoulders, look at me and say, "wher'd evweebody go?" I want my Mom and Dad to have as many opportunites like that as possible.

[sparks19]

The retirement places around here - the residents are not placed in them - they choose to live there.

For instance, my cousin, Alan, lives in Colorado. He and his wife recently moved into a retirement community where there are varying degrees of care available. Currently, they live independently, but his wife is in the early stages of Alzheimers, and, at some point, will need more care than Alan can handle alone - he is almost 84.

That's the kind of retirement community I'm thinking of.

yeah I think it goes both ways. My great grandmother could not WAIT to live in the assisted living facility lol. she was in the "independant living" section. they only came to her if she needed them otherwise she was on her own and she thought that was the greatest thing ever. "If I don't want to cook... I don't have to. isn't that amazing?" LOL

then there are those who don't get to choose for themselves and are just "dumped" there by their family members. but to me that is a nursing home and not a retirement home as you stated earlier.

[Grace]

If the people choose to live in one, by all means, make it so. My parents have made their choices clear. That is not to disparage (correct word useage Mom? LOL <inside joke>) people who choose to live in one.

More or less, I want my Mom and Dad around us, physically close that is, for as long as is possible, and they agree. Hannah LOVES them both. We are staying with them for the week as we visit. Mom and Dad both went to work this morning after being around for the weekend. Hannah and I came out around 7:30. Hannah RUNS out.... Only to droop her shoulders, look at me and say, "wher'd evweebody go?" I want my Mom and Dad to have as many opportunites like that as possible.

Your parents could live in the same town as you do - if this is the type of place they would like, and if they would want to move North and deal with snow and ice Heck, I'm older than your parents, still living in our paid-for, no mortgage house, dealing with cold and ice and snow. My choice

yeah I think it goes both ways. My great grandmother could not WAIT to live in the assisted living facility lol. she was in the "independant living" section. they only came to her if she needed them otherwise she was on her own and she thought that was the greatest thing ever. "If I don't want to cook... I don't have to. isn't that amazing?" LOL

then there are those who don't get to choose for themselves and are just "dumped" there by their family members. but to me that is a nursing home and not a retirement home as you stated earlier.

You got it exactly right on, Tanya. Your great grandmother did what she wanted and when she wanted