1_Old_Man
Member
- Jan 26, 2012
- 77
- 25
- 6
The effort to kill Social Security continues, its just quieter now. The Social Security system is still 'going broke', just like it was six months ago when no other subject captured the public discussion so thoroughly. The only difference between now and then is that then we paid more into it then we do now. The income tax reduction that was put into effect just adds to the underfunding problem.
The cut in program income came about as the Republicans in Congress blackmailed the President when they held up expansion of the nation's debt authority, a political move that immediately resulted in the downgrading of the nation's credit; you may remember the day hit happened, the Stock Market plunged. There are rumors floating around Capital Hill, rumors spoken by C-Span guests in the last few weeks, that the Republicans will be at it again when the new debt authorization comes up.
I think there may be a solution to the Republican attack on Social Security, and while I recognized one great weakness in this plan I'm sure it can be addressed.
Currently Social Security is funded primarily by payments into the system made by both Employees and employers in equal amounts. My suggestion is that the entire amount be paid by the employee.
Yikes! Did a self-identified Progressive say that? Why one earth would anyone want the employee to have to pay the entire amount of their Social Security contribution, wouldn't that break them financially? Well, the answer is no, it would not break them financially for the very simple reason that they are already paying the full amount. The Employers contribution does no appear out of thin air, it comes from earnings that result directly from the labor of the employees. Of course the money earned by the workers that the employer is currently paying into the system in each individuals name will have to be paid to the worker in the new system.
The immediate effect of having each employee pay their full share of the Payroll Tax is that it will immediately take Social Security off the Republican's Radar screen, with employers no longer required to pay (that portion of their employee's earnings that they retained) into the system the matter should no longer interest them. Thus the greatest danger to the Social Security System, the Republican Party, will be out of the game.
And where does that leave employees? It leaves them whole, just as they were before. By their labors they are already paying the entire cost of the system, now it will just be codified.
And how should any future dips in Social Security revenue be handled, what if demographics or other trends leave the system lacking for funds, what then? The answer here has traditionally been to adjust the pay in rate, but in fact that is not necesary. Rather than make the rate at which people pay in be variable, moving up or down as the financial situation of the nation dictates, why not make the cap variable instead? When the system is lacking for funds increase the maximum amount of earnings on which Payroll Taxes must be paid, when the system is flush reduce the cap. There is no reason to increase the tax rate on the lower end of the income scale to protect the system, just reach up higher into the income spectrum to save it.
Now the one great failing which would have to be addressed. In the initial phase I said that the employers would no longer pay a certain percentage of each employees earnings into the system in the company name but instead would pay the employee the full amount of their earnings and then pay the full and appropriate amount into the system in the employees name. It is clear that unscrupulous employers would then deny employees future raises until they had managed to absorb those earnings back into the companies vaults - to rob the employees of their just earnings, but that is another matter to be dealt with separately.
So, what do you think? Is it an absurd suggestion or does it make some sense? I await your comments.
The cut in program income came about as the Republicans in Congress blackmailed the President when they held up expansion of the nation's debt authority, a political move that immediately resulted in the downgrading of the nation's credit; you may remember the day hit happened, the Stock Market plunged. There are rumors floating around Capital Hill, rumors spoken by C-Span guests in the last few weeks, that the Republicans will be at it again when the new debt authorization comes up.
I think there may be a solution to the Republican attack on Social Security, and while I recognized one great weakness in this plan I'm sure it can be addressed.
Currently Social Security is funded primarily by payments into the system made by both Employees and employers in equal amounts. My suggestion is that the entire amount be paid by the employee.
Yikes! Did a self-identified Progressive say that? Why one earth would anyone want the employee to have to pay the entire amount of their Social Security contribution, wouldn't that break them financially? Well, the answer is no, it would not break them financially for the very simple reason that they are already paying the full amount. The Employers contribution does no appear out of thin air, it comes from earnings that result directly from the labor of the employees. Of course the money earned by the workers that the employer is currently paying into the system in each individuals name will have to be paid to the worker in the new system.
The immediate effect of having each employee pay their full share of the Payroll Tax is that it will immediately take Social Security off the Republican's Radar screen, with employers no longer required to pay (that portion of their employee's earnings that they retained) into the system the matter should no longer interest them. Thus the greatest danger to the Social Security System, the Republican Party, will be out of the game.
And where does that leave employees? It leaves them whole, just as they were before. By their labors they are already paying the entire cost of the system, now it will just be codified.
And how should any future dips in Social Security revenue be handled, what if demographics or other trends leave the system lacking for funds, what then? The answer here has traditionally been to adjust the pay in rate, but in fact that is not necesary. Rather than make the rate at which people pay in be variable, moving up or down as the financial situation of the nation dictates, why not make the cap variable instead? When the system is lacking for funds increase the maximum amount of earnings on which Payroll Taxes must be paid, when the system is flush reduce the cap. There is no reason to increase the tax rate on the lower end of the income scale to protect the system, just reach up higher into the income spectrum to save it.
Now the one great failing which would have to be addressed. In the initial phase I said that the employers would no longer pay a certain percentage of each employees earnings into the system in the company name but instead would pay the employee the full amount of their earnings and then pay the full and appropriate amount into the system in the employees name. It is clear that unscrupulous employers would then deny employees future raises until they had managed to absorb those earnings back into the companies vaults - to rob the employees of their just earnings, but that is another matter to be dealt with separately.
So, what do you think? Is it an absurd suggestion or does it make some sense? I await your comments.