Social Security

outside looking in

outside looking in

<b>Registered Member</b>
Again, a subject that might be controversial and again one which Rush has had some words about, so stop reading if either of those is a warning sign to you that you may not enjoy the thread.



Our congressmen and representatives haven't paid into the SS system for years. They set their own pay raises, and decide their own benefit plans. Tax payers foot the bill. Their current benefit package essentially pays them their current salary after retirement (which is quite high - on the order of $15,000 per month), with the possibility of increases for cost of living. They don't pay one cent into the SS system.

SS benefits, which I pay into with every paycheck, would give me perhaps $1000 per month when I retire (in today's value).

Where's the beef? Who are these guys accountable to? Our vote doesn't really change anything, because they are all pretty much corrupt. And, if someone really claimed to be against such practices, and you voted for him/her, what would their voice mean among the multitude of greedy voices? Were they to rely on the SS system for their benefits, maybe they'd get off their asses and attempt to fix it. :mad:
 
outside looking in said:
Again, a subject that might be controversial and again one which Rush has had some words about, so stop reading if either of those is a warning sign to you that you may not enjoy the thread.
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I've got one thought, I really think you should modify that and put it in your sig. :D


Actually, I did have some thoughts, and meant to get back to this one. I knew that Senators got some kind of retirement after they stopped being senators but I didn't know until recently that it was full pay for life. That really pisses me off. I think what needs to be done is that senators should make the average wage in the state they live in. That would afford normal people to become senators without losing a large salary, and possibly keep the rich boys from even wanting to because it would be such a paltry salary compared to what they could make elsewwhere.. Raises would be a non-issue, their salary would be determined each year sometime after all the tax returns get in. Oh yeah, you can't keep your regular job while you're a senator either, no more playing lawyer on Monday, Senator on Tuesday. One more thing, you are still a citizen, therefore you still pay taxes on the money you earn as well. They should get healthcare, like every working person should, and if they want a retirement, well, then contribute to that retirement.

The problem with all this is what you stated in your first post though. It would literally take firing every last one and starting fresh to even have a chance.
 
Members of Congress and Congressional Employees

Members of Congress receive an unreduced annuity at age 50 with 20 years of service, or at any age with 25 years of service. Congressional employees must meet the age and service requirements explained in the Basic Benefit Plan section.

If you are a Member of Congress or a Congressional employee, with at least 5 years of Congressional service, your annuity will be:


1.7% of high-3 average pay
times
years of Congressional service up to 20
plus
1.0% of high-3 average pay
times
any other service.
A Special Retirement Supplement is payable from the Minimum Retirement Age to age 62. If you have earnings from wages or self-employment that exceed the Social Security annual exempt amount, your supplement will be reduced or stopped.

Cost-of-Living-Adjustment's (COLA's) are payable to Congressional retirees before age 62 only if they retire for disability.

Members of Congress and Congressional employees contribute an additional .5% of pay to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).
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one last thing before I call it a night

Q: Which party took Social Security from an independent
fund and put it in the general fund so that Congress could spend it
A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the Democratic-controlled
House and Senate.

Q: Which party put a tax on Social Security
A: The Democratic party.

Q: Which party increased the tax on Social Security
A: The Democratic Party with Al Gore casting the deciding
vote.

Q: Which party decided to give money to immigrants
A: That's right, immigrants moved into this country and
at 65 got SSI Social Security. The Democratic Party gave that to them although they never paid a dime into it.
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I've assumed for twenty years that Social Security would be gone by the time I retire. Most of you guys are younger than me. Something to think about, hmmm?
 
The government only believes in taking not giving. John Kennedy once said: "It's not what the government can do for you but what you can do for the government". That's what he said.
 
chcr said:
I've assumed for twenty years that Social Security would be gone by the time I retire. Most of you guys are younger than me. Something to think about, hmmm?
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Oh, yeah, I'll never see a fucking dime. Every year when I get my projected benefits statement, I simply laugh and chuck it in a file.

My retirement plans assume no SS.
 
I also assume I'll never see a penny of that money. In fact, it's such a pathetically structured system that I would actually vote in favor of my generation taking the fall and helping end it before it becomes a real disaster. In other words, I'd be in favor of passing legislation that says that I will continue to pay into SS for the rest of my working life, or as long as it takes for anyone retiring now or within the next XX number of years (to be decided) to die and stop drawing benefits, and that I would never see any repayment out of the system.

Someone has to bear the load that our previous geniouses saddled us with... might as well be me.

But, the fact that our congressmen don't pay into the system at all is enraging. :mad:
 
outside looking in said:
But, the fact that our congressmen don't pay into the system at all is enraging.
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They do, now. Look at page 2 of the pdf file.
 
Sounds pretty much the same as over here... think I better start campaigning, maybe then I'll get a decent pension...
 
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