- Nov 26, 2011
- 123,500
- 53,666
- 2,290
This is the second in my The Way Forward series. You can find the first of the series here: The Way Forward: End Tax Expenditures
We see on page 38 of the 1930 US census that 5.5 percent of the US population was over the age of 65 in 1930. 3.2 percent of the population was over 70.
Five years later, the Social Security Act of 1935 was enacted.
Thirty years after that, the Social Security Act of 1965 added government sponsored health insurance (Medicare) to the retirement benefits of our seniors. This is also when Medicaid was created, but thats a separate subject.
We see on page 6 in the US Census for that period that our national health had increased to the point that the ratio of people over 65 had crept up to 9.5 percent by then.
In todays Census, we find that the over 65 bunch has exploded to over 13 percent of the population. We have literally more than doubled the senior entitlement load for Social Security since 1935!
Plus, we layered on another extremely expensive entitlement program on top of that load in 1965.
6 percent of our population is now living beyond the age of 75.
Life expectancy in 1935 was 61.7 years. Today, it is 78.7 years.
If you went to work at 18 and retire at 65, then you worked for 47 years.
In 1935, you may not have lived long enough to even collect Social Security. As we saw above, only 6 percent of the population lived long enough to collect even one cent.
Today, you retire after 47 years, and 13 percent are living long enough to collect. And 6 percent are living long enough to collect for at least 13 years.
The idea of continuing this way is beyond ridiculous.
Raising the retirement age to 70 would back the load down to 9 percent of the population, which is almost on par with 1965.
To get to the 6 percent load of 1935, we would have to raise the retirement age to 75.
When Social Security was enacted, you were not intended to live a long life of retirement on Social Security. Medicare and Social Security were intended as a support, not as a way of life.
We are living longer than our ancestors who gave us Social Security and Medicare. We should be working longer than they did. This is just plain common sense.
.
We see on page 38 of the 1930 US census that 5.5 percent of the US population was over the age of 65 in 1930. 3.2 percent of the population was over 70.
Five years later, the Social Security Act of 1935 was enacted.
Thirty years after that, the Social Security Act of 1965 added government sponsored health insurance (Medicare) to the retirement benefits of our seniors. This is also when Medicaid was created, but thats a separate subject.
We see on page 6 in the US Census for that period that our national health had increased to the point that the ratio of people over 65 had crept up to 9.5 percent by then.
In todays Census, we find that the over 65 bunch has exploded to over 13 percent of the population. We have literally more than doubled the senior entitlement load for Social Security since 1935!
Plus, we layered on another extremely expensive entitlement program on top of that load in 1965.
6 percent of our population is now living beyond the age of 75.
Life expectancy in 1935 was 61.7 years. Today, it is 78.7 years.
If you went to work at 18 and retire at 65, then you worked for 47 years.
In 1935, you may not have lived long enough to even collect Social Security. As we saw above, only 6 percent of the population lived long enough to collect even one cent.
Today, you retire after 47 years, and 13 percent are living long enough to collect. And 6 percent are living long enough to collect for at least 13 years.
The idea of continuing this way is beyond ridiculous.
Raising the retirement age to 70 would back the load down to 9 percent of the population, which is almost on par with 1965.
To get to the 6 percent load of 1935, we would have to raise the retirement age to 75.
When Social Security was enacted, you were not intended to live a long life of retirement on Social Security. Medicare and Social Security were intended as a support, not as a way of life.
We are living longer than our ancestors who gave us Social Security and Medicare. We should be working longer than they did. This is just plain common sense.
.
