Should the Social Security and Medicare Age be Raised

[WinterBorn]

Oh, this country is way beyond stupid.

"Gimme gimme gimme, and make that guy over there pay for it."

We get the politicians we deserve.

The difference between what you said and reality is that I paid already.

 

[kaz]

Absolutely wrong. I am not stealing anything. That claim is a blatant lie. I am simply expecting to get the money I paid in back, as was promised by my gov't.

You're a thief.

The money you "saved" refers to money that government spent as it came in, like all the other taxes you paid. You saved NOTHING. When you retire, government is robbing your children and grandchildren. It's pure thievery

 

[bendog]

That is going to end.
You describe the baby boomers.
Many baby boomers are dying now.

And if all the boomers were dead, and when they are, soc sec is solvent once again .... for awhile

 

[bendog]

What a stupid solution to say that a tiny percent of people can't retire at that age so we're going to pump out trillions to everyone

What a stupid person you are to assume things I didn't post. And you're also an asshole and failure of a bully to winterborn, whose never been anything but civil

 

[rightwinger]

but that does not mean as a species we are "living significantly longer".

I’m afraid any study will show we are with many more living into their 100s

 

[WinterBorn]

You're a thief.

The money you "saved" refers to money that government spent as it came in, like all the other taxes you paid. You saved NOTHING. When you retire, government is robbing your children and grandchildren. It's pure thievery

I paid my taxes, that much is true. I also paid into Social Security, above and beyond my regular income taxes. I had no choice in the matter. But I was promised that I would be able to get it back if I lived to a certain age.

Then the federal gov't noticed the huge surplus in the SS tax coffers. So the "borrowed" it rather than curtail their spending. Nothing but IOUs in the coffers now.

But that does not change the fact that the money I paid was above and beyond my taxes. Yes, I want it back. I will take it as a trickle to use to supplement my 401k.

 

[g5000]

But what do we do for those folks who physically or mentally cannot continue working past current early retirement age?

The same as what we do for them now.

 

[g5000]

That is going to end.
You describe the baby boomers.
Many baby boomers are dying now.

Which is why I said we need to index the eligibility age to 9 percent of the population.

I explained where I got that number in my first post in this topic.

 

[WorldWatcher]

You are wrong

There was a time when that first heart attack would kill you. Now people survive for decades
It was hard to survive 5 years after cancer. Now, people routinely survive and cancer screening is much better
Medical treatment from the time the ambulance shows up, to the emergency room to surgery make you much more survivable

Correct, more people are living longer by more people not dying young. More people living from infancy/middle age to reach retirement, is different then we has a species saying that the upper age limit has gone from being 60 to being 90. It's not that people couldn't live to 90, it's that people aren't dying as much earlier in life and it has a greater impact the "average life span" figure going up.

WW

 

[Lesh]

I was a working man. Drove all my life. Spent the last 28 years of that driving a tractor-trailer. I come from a working class family.

My experience is that people do opt to be poor. In many cases it's because they can't get off the dope. Better paying jobs require random drug screening for employees. So they work lower paying jobs so they can continue getting doped up.

In other cases they are lazy. They work only X amount of hours to meet their maximum that government will allow to remain on programs like food stamps, HUD, general welfare and so on. Some of my former customers would only hire through temp agencies. They use temp agencies to try out workers first. When they ask the government dependents to work overtime, they refuse. It's like working for free for them and they want to get maximum benefits from the government.

Your experience is bullshit.

People as a whole do not do that.

You have “people” issues

 

[WorldWatcher]

I’m afraid any study will show we are with many more living into their 100s

Some yes, no disagreement there.

But the main driving factor of "average life span" increases over the last couple of centuries has to do with improved medicine impacting on infants, young, and middle ages people not dying from things that in the past would kill them.

WW

 

[ThunderKiss1965]

So, you're saying if they work they don't pay into ss and Medicare? You're wrong.

I'm not talking about the Ponzi schemes. A large percentage of the population pay zero Federal income taxes. Time for them to pay their fair share.

 

[Lesh]

I remember when a heart attack or cancer were death sentences.
Now, people last decades after first diagnosis.
Medical screening and medications are also better at detecting and treating heart disease, cancer, diabetes
Smoking was a major cause of early death

Try working after a heart attack or with cancer

 

[WinterBorn]

I'm not talking about the Ponzi schemes. A large percentage of the population pay zero Federal income taxes. Time for them to pay their fair share.

What you draw from social security is based on what you paid in. At least for the retirement portion.

 

[kaz]

The difference between what you said and reality is that I paid already.

LOL, that's just stupid. What difference does it make how much you "paid" ...


SINCE NOTHING WAS SAVED

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

I'm not talking about the Ponzi schemes. A large percentage of the population pay zero Federal income taxes. Time for them to pay their fair share.

I always thought a fair taxation would be a consumption tax. Everybody pays. The more you buy, the more you pay.

 

[kaz]

What you draw from social security is based on what you paid in. At least for the retirement portion.

We all "paid" different amounts.

You know what is the same? The amount we saved. For everyone that would be zero

 

[WinterBorn]

LOL, that's just stupid. What difference does it make how much you "paid" ...


SINCE NOTHING WAS SAVED

I am not the thief. Congress is the one who stole what they promised to take and pay me back.

Luckily, I have made it to retirement age and will begin drawing the meager amount I get next month.

 

[kaz]

Try working after a heart attack or with cancer

I'm working with cancer. Thanks

 

[WinterBorn]

We all "paid" different amounts.

You know what is the same? The amount we saved. For everyone that would be zero

Everyone? I have a substantial 401k that I have been putting money into since I got out of the Navy in the mid-80s.