Greenspan asking for Social Security Cuts!!!

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Originally posted by 2kitties
Social Security bugs me in first place. I'd prefer to be in charge of my own retirement. The idea that I need to give it to them for them to manage doesn't sit well with me.
I do a fine job planning for that part of my life without the govt.

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I agree ... for me personally. I would have no problem managing my money, and living off of it when I got old. However ... the reason that this will never work is that the vast majority of people these days cannot manage their money. Look at the huge increase in personal debt, credit cards, car payments. The majority of people live beyond their means. Acquisition and possesion without regard to cost has become the new American dream. These people, left on their own, would not only not have one thin dime to retire on, they would have mountains of debt, as well. Then what? Let them starve? Our society does not do that - so the government would have to support them. At least now, they have to pay in to Social Security, and get it back when they retire. If we did away with Social Security tax, then they would be paying nothing to government, and collecting welfare when they retired. The government would be paying the money out anyway, no matter what you call it, but it wouldn't have any money coming in.

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Amazing how dependent we have become on the program in less than 70 years on the program.

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We have become dependent on it, but I don't think it is a direct cause and effect relationship. I think other things have changed in this country that have contributed as well. We have changed from an agricultural base to an industrial base. We have gone from staying put, near our extended families, to moving far away. So, a hundred years ago, mom and dad homesteaded a farm, had a dozen or so kids, and when they got old, they had nothing to worry about. All the kids stayed on or near the old homestead, and took over the hard jobs. Mom and dad were supported in their old age by their kids and grandkids working the farm. Now, mom and dad work for companies in the city that may or may not remain solvent, may or may not have a viable retirement program. They had two or three kids, who moved across the country and have their own lives to live, as they see it. Children no longer seem to feel the obligation to care for their parents as they once did.

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If they would stop giving benefits to illegal aliens that would help.

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Amen! Amen! Amen!

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Originally posted by Twisterdog
the reason that this will never work is that the vast majority of people these days cannot manage their money. Look at the huge increase in personal debt, credit cards, car payments. The majority of people live beyond their means. Acquisition and possesion without regard to cost has become the new American dream. These people, left on their own, would not only not have one thin dime to retire on, they would have mountains of debt, as well. Then what? Let them starve? Our society does not do that - so the government would have to support them. At least now, they have to pay in to Social Security, and get it back when they retire. If we did away with Social Security tax, then they would be paying nothing to government, and collecting welfare when they retired. The government would be paying the money out anyway, no matter what you call it, but it wouldn't have any money coming in.

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I suppose I am very cold about this, but I have no sympathy for this person you describe Twisterdog. And, if it were up to me, they would indeed be left to starve. Work and learn to save like the rest of us. Don't purchase what you can't afford to pay for. Good thing for them I'm not President! lol

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Originally posted by 2kitties
I suppose I am very cold about this, but I have no sympathy for this person you describe Twisterdog. And, if it were up to me, they would indeed be left to starve. Work and learn to save like the rest of us. Don't purchase what you can't afford to pay for. Good thing for them I'm not President! lol

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Oh, I absolutely agree with you, 100%. One generation of letting them starve would be all it would take to shape up all the following generations, IMO. My view: if you are able to work, and you don't work, you don't eat. If you do work, and blow your money, you don't eat. Waaaahhh.

However ... we know that isn't going to happen. No more than it is going to happen with all the people on welfare that don't need/deserve it. We are a welfare state, whether we deny it or not.

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Originally posted by Twisterdog
My view: if you are able to work, and you don't work, you don't eat. If you do work, and blow your money, you don't eat. Waaaahhh.

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Woohoo! I agree with you completely. Plus the whole illegal alien thing bothers me. I vote for closing the borders :D :p I'm tired of going to an amusement park and then having to search for hours and "talk" to hundreds of employees before I can find one that speaks English enough to tell me where the stinking bathroom is. Does anyone else ever have the urge to shout "You're in America, speak English like the rest of us"? I have the feeling that THAT sentiment is a global thing. I try my best to speak Japanese when I'm off base, but the looks that i get when my japanese fails me are unmistakable "You're in Japan, speak Japanese"

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Originally posted by Sirrahsim
Does anyone else ever have the urge to shout "You're in America, speak English like the rest of us"? I have the feeling that THAT sentiment is a global thing. I try my best to speak Japanese when I'm off base, but the looks that i get when my japanese fails me are unmistakable "You're in Japan, speak Japanese"

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God Yes! But I feel like such a racist when I think that. I'm not, but my ancestors had to learn english, so why not them? If I moved to Germany or France, or Mexico, I'd learnt he language so that I could get around easier, etc. It roasts my butt that people are filing in, accepting free food, free this and free that. If we just stopped giving it to them, they might slink back under the rock they came from. They weren't getting hand-outs in their home country so they come here to get handouts from us, courtesy our Social Security and taxes. YIPPIE! I love working hard for some bum.

America is a wonderful place, but we are cow-towing to illegal immigrants fro some reason. Why? We will most likely never receive the kind of money and support the illegal immigrants are.

When I went to change my Social Security number to my married name, I was just about the only English speaking person in a room full of non-english. The English lines were non-existant while the spanish lines went out the door.

While I personally feel everyone should learn english, it is important to note that our constitution does not declare any national language- english or otherwise. The United States does not have a national language. English is simply the most popular.

screw it..

Iksnay on the earningplay of nglisheay.

akemay veryoneeay earn ig atinlay..


THAT will fix em.

LOL!!! Richard, only you would come up with "Pig Latin" to lighten the moment!!!! :D

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I vote for closing the borders

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I second that vote.

I think one of the requirements before even getting of the boat is to LEARN TO SPEAK ENGLISH!!!

I went to an auction tonight, and these guys were speaking mexican. I told them ' why don't you speak enlish, this is America'.

They just acted like they didn't hear me, or maybe they didn't understand?

Willie

:) I have to put my two cents worth on this one good post. I'm a single parent and I'm working very hard to get off social security I have two part time jobs cause there is very little full time jobs out here I'm trying very hard to get off it myself. It is hard wondering when your broke when the next meal will come from. They are cutting people down on there income as of Aprill out in British Columbia. There are alot of less people right now and I feel for each and every one of them. I'm happy I built on my two part time jobs cause if they cut me off at leaste I have that but it will be very tight around here. It's hard. I'd rather them cut me off because then I don't have to go by their rules any more I'm so sick of it. It's hard all over. Trayi52 I hear ya. I feel for the single parents out here in British Columbia who do try their best to get off social secirity. I may be picking up anouther third part time job just for extra money. Thanks for posting this one.

I will be having new pics of loveable dusty soon.

Thanks Willie

Well, back to SS, I still don't think that by the time I retire in 20+ years, Social Security will even be around. For that reason, I am really glad that I have my teacher's retirement and 403B and will have at least a little bit of insurance. I have something else that I don't know what it is, but, there will be at least something. Mike just started his 401K a few weeks ago, so we will have something when we retire...makes life REALLY tough now, but, we won't have to be on assistance when we retire (at least I hope not).

Greenspan is getting a lot of grief over his ideas, so we'll see what happens.

mugsy, back when my husband and I was younger, and running a furniture mfg. company, we had a lousy bookkeeper, who did not suggest that we start a retirement fund. Which is something he should have mentioned to us in the first place. So we didn't do that.

Now as we thought that we would always have our business, that we would not have to worry. My husband got sick, has heart and lung problem, that are life threatening. We had to go bankrupt, because his brother did not know how to run the business. All we have to live on is Social Security. It is so hard, just trying to make ends meet! Thats all we have is Social Security.

I have told my kids to start some kind of retirement fund. Finally got my oldest daughter and her husband to start an IRA at least, so they could take their tax refunds and contribute to it before April 15. I had a teacher in my Federal income tax class in college suggest that, and he worked for the the IRS.

At least the kids has started to think about that now, and my son-in-law has got a retirement fund of some kind started where he works now also.

Just wish we would have had somebody tell us that when we were younger and making soo much more money. Now it is too late for us.

Willie