Mitt Romney has written an editorial. It should prompt a national discussion. It won't.

[SweetTea]

It’s not wisdom at all. It’s just whining. Aw, you can’t afford your luxury car? Aw, you can’t afford high priced private schools? Aw, you can’t afford a bigger house? Aw, you can’t max out your 401k?

Aw, you want more handouts.

 

[Marener]

Aw, you want more handouts.

Social security is a handout now?

The OP is right. We can’t have an adult conversation about it. Your years haven’t given you wisdom, they’ve made you self centered.

 

[SweetTea]

Social security is a handout now?

The OP is right. We can’t have an adult conversation about it. Your years haven’t given you wisdom, they’ve made you self centered.

What do you call it when some of us are forced to pay much more and recieve no benefit?

You and most of your cult members have an entitlement mentality. I don't.

 

[Marener]

What do you call it when some of us are forced to pay much more and recieve no benefit?

You and most of your cult members have an entitlement mentality. I don't.

Reality. It’s called reality.

Your mentality doesn’t care that we are harming future generations because you don’t want to have to dial back your lifestyle a little bit.

It’s just more magical thinking.

 

[SweetTea]

Reality. It’s called reality.

Your mentality doesn’t care that we are harming future generations because you don’t want to have to dial back your lifestyle a little bit.

It’s just more magical thinking.

There are other solutions but they may require others to also pay more.

The fantasy is that someone else is always there to pay for your solutions. That is magical thinking.

 

[Marener]

There are other solutions but they may require others to also pay more.

The fantasy is that someone else is always there to pay for your solutions. That is magical thinking.

Nothing magical about the proposed solution.

You’ve offered no other solutions. Neither has Trump. He’s only made the problem worse.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Nothing magical about the proposed solution.

You’ve offered no other solutions. Neither has Trump. He’s only made the problem worse.

stop using ss funds as general funds to pay off other stuff, that started in the 1990s and has ruined the fund, Sure there are IOUs for the used funds, but the US Government can't pay them off.

 

[Marener]

stop using ss funds as general funds to pay off other stuff, that started in the 1990s and has ruined the fund, Sure there are IOUs for the used funds, but the US Government can't pay them off.

Even if that never happened, the IOUs are about to run out anyway. Current projection is about 2034.

At that point in time, social security will have to cut benefits by about 30% unless Congress deals with the problem.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

democrats are too busy demanding money for other stuff they can't be bothered with mundane stuff that actually matters.

 

[toobfreak]

For the last time, we are not going Mars..like..in the next hundred years.

We certainly are, but it probably won't be for at least another 30 years.

First we must build a Moon base capable of supporting a year-round staff capable of living there and assembling and launching a large payload. That'll be mostly built underground. Give that at least ten years until we begin that.

We will need to launch our Mars missions from the Moon. From there, it'll take a couple years to get there, requiring people to live and work in space.

Having landed on Mars, it will take years to gradually build up an underground base capable of supporting all of the needs of the people there, as Mars too far away for a "rescue."

This will require an international effort with nations working together instead of fighting with each other, but it is doable.

 

[SweetTea]

Nothing magical about the proposed solution.

You’ve offered no other solutions. Neither has Trump. He’s only made the problem worse.

Well, I would be for raising the SS tax for everyone.

 

[Marener]

Well, I would be for raising the SS tax for everyone.

Without increasing benefits?

 

[Marener]

We certainly are, but it probably won't be for at least another 30 years.

First we must build a Moon base capable of supporting a year-round staff capable of living there and assembling and launching a large payload. That'll be mostly built underground. Give that at least ten years until we begin that.

We will need to launch our Mars missions from the Moon. From there, it'll take a couple years to get there, requiring people to live and work in space.

Having landed on Mars, it will take years to gradually build up an underground base capable of supporting all of the needs of the people there, as Mars too far away for a "rescue."

This will require an international effort with nations working together instead of fighting with each other, but it is doable.

Sounds expensive and not very useful.

 

[SweetTea]

Without increasing benefits?

Sure, as opposed to removing the cap and not increasing benefits. The latter is just further penalty for the "rich", who already account for the lion's share of federal tax revenue. The taxes could be raised and the taxable income stays the same along with the benefits. Like I said before, everyone should be accountable for the fix, not just a few.

 

[Marener]

Sure, as opposed to removing the cap and not increasing benefits. The latter is just further penalty for the "rich", who already account for the lion's share of federal tax revenue. The taxes could be raised and the taxable income stays the same along with the benefits. Like I said before, everyone should be accountable for the fix, not just a few.

So it’s not really about “handouts” and it’s not really catastrophic for the economy.

You just don’t want to have to reduce your standard of living.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

stop using ss funds as general funds to pay off other stuff, that started in the 1990s and has ruined the fund, Sure there are IOUs for the used funds, but the US Government can't pay them off.

The SS trust fund has always invested their surplus in government bonds. Since day 1.
Nothing changed in the 90s.

 

[DennisPTate]

Mitt Romney: Tax the Rich, Like Me​

In 2012, political ads suggested that some of my policy proposals, if enacted, would amount to pushing grandma off a cliff. Actually, my proposals were intended to prevent that very thing from happening.

Today, all of us, including our grandmas, truly are headed for a cliff: If, as projected, the Social Security Trust Fund runs out in the 2034 fiscal year, benefits will be cut by about 23 percent. The government will need trillions of dollars to make up the shortfall. When lenders refuse to loan the money unless they are paid much higher interest rates, economic calamity will almost certainly ensue. Alternatively, the government could print more money, inducing hyperinflation that devalues the national debt — along with your savings.

Typically, Democrats insist on higher taxes, and Republicans insist on lower spending. But given the magnitude of our national debt as well as the proximity of the cliff, both are necessary. DOGE took a slash-and-burn approach to budget cutting and failed spectacularly. Europe demonstrates that exorbitant taxes without spending restraint crushes economic vitality and thus speeds how fast the cliff arrives.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/opinion/romney-tax-the-rich.html

The title applies to his belief the $176K income cap for social security taxes should be done away with.

I long opposed increasing the income level on which FICA employment taxes are applied (this year, the cap is $176,100). No longer; the consequences of the cliff have changed my mind.

The largest source of additional tax revenues is also probably the most compelling for fairness and social stability. Some call it closing tax code loopholes, but the term “loopholes” grossly understates their scale. “Caverns” or “caves” would be more fitting.

He goes on to say the "step up in basis" capital gains tax treatment for wealthy estates should be amended. Meaning, if you inherit an asset for which the owner would have faced a capital gains tax upon its disposal if the owner did so while still alive, you shouldn't be able to inherit the asset tax free.

The thread is not intended to start a debate on the details of Romney's recommendations. Rather, it is to highlight the impending shortfall in the SS trust requires the nation to have a serious debate over what to do about it. And soon.

So too we need to have a discussion about the debt, during which both higher taxes and lower spending are on the table. There are still more.

Many have said our elected representatives have failed us with the rise of partisanship leading to paralyzing gridlock. The result being critical issues are not being effectively addressed. I say we have failed ourselves by not electing serious and informed officials to represent us. A reflection of "we the people," who spend too much time entertaining ourselves and not enough learning about fact based solutions to problems that will bring this republic down if they are not resolved in an intelligent, thoughtful, forward looking way.

But, his editorial might just get some interesting discussion going on these forums that could eventually become so well known that it affects the Washington Swamp?

The residents of Utah seem to be getting better and better and better at the production of films?

Thread 'Can the State of Utah save the world from Bear Market 2026 to 2036?'

Dec 7, 2025

I have a suggestion for the residents of the State of Utah. I believe that Utahans are all set up to bring the Kingdom of Heaven closer and closer and closer and closer to this earth.

All over the USA and Canada it is common knowledge that about twenty percent of the economy is some form of volunteerism. I believe that this number may well be even higher in Utah.

We know from how the "Worgl Austria Local Money Experiment" assisted F. D. R. to initiate the New Deal that a local currency or state currency could conceivably be used to organize "volunteerism" in such a way that certain...

• DennisPTate
• Replies: 19
• Forum: Stock Market

 

[RetiredGySgt]

The SS trust fund has always invested their surplus in government bonds. Since day 1.
Nothing changed in the 90s.

You are wrong they passed a bill that allowed the US Government to spend the surplus on general things in the budget.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

You are wrong they passed a bill that allowed the US Government to spend the surplus on general things in the budget.

The surplus bought government bonds. Always.

 

[SweetTea]

You just don’t want to have to reduce your standard of living.

Who does? You don't want to decrease yours, but it is ok if mine decreases. Typical Democrat.