The facts prove that we must gut entitlement programs if we are to survive

[Oddball]

Let's take from the poor and give to the rich, the theme of this thread and a motto long held by the Callous Conservatives, a set devoid of empathy and kindness -- dirtbags all.

Let's parrot a popular lolberal stereotype straw man and pretend that it's reality!

 

[gwennie]

The numbers don't lie....

While lawmakers from both parties squabble over tax rates, a fiscal crisis is looming on the horizon. Entitlement programs -- Social Security and Medicare to be precise -- have unfunded obligations of $48 trillion. By comparison, the fiscal cliff carries a price tag of roughly $650 billion.

Over the next 75 years, Social Security will owe an estimated $11.3 trillion more in benefits than it will receive in payroll taxes. It has been running deficits since 2010, according to the Social Security Administration.

Morning Bell: 3 Simple Solutions for Fixing Social Security

How many times do morons have to be told that SS is NOT an entitlement......it has been EARNED over several decades of work and paying taxes into the system. Medicare is also EARNED over several decades of work and paying taxes into the system. These two systems wouldn't be "broken" if 1) the damn govt would stop ROBBING SS and Medicare to pay for a bunch of shit programs and 2) if people were forced to pay their full share of taxes on ALL of their income....get rid of the income cap on the Medicare tax. If those two things were done, there would be no problems at all in funding these two programs. It's basic common sense. Stop all the nonsense chatter about raising the retirement age.....it's completely unnecessary and only serves to allow the govt to eventually be able to raise the retirement age to 80 so they don't have to pay anyone at all (or very little).

 

[ilia25]

What percentage of the total budget go to entitlement programs, Karl?

Is that percentage projected to rise or fall as aging baby boomers start to burden the living shit out of the system?

That is beside the point. Which is that the guy, claiming that making up for $11.3 trillion shortfall over the next 75 years would require "massive annual injections of funding", is treating you people as morons who can't add.

And you are happy buying his crap.

 

[gwennie]

Social Security currently has a $2.7 trillion surplus and doesn't cost the government one penny - and is okay until 2033 even without any changes. Sooo, what's the problem?

Cut defense in Half.

Cut environmentalist programs by 90%..............

 

[GuyPinestra]

Junk 'em.

Ya can't fix it, **** it.

Well, i think that is as likely as the world ending tonight.

It's inevitable...Both programs are completely unsustainable, given the demograpics.

Deal with the unpleasant truth today, or lie to yourself and deal and get a currency debacle.

Those are your choices...There is no in between.

Was gonna rep you...??

 

[GuyPinestra]

Numbers often lie.

Does anyone add less useful drivel to a thread than you? When faced with numbers you can't dispute, all you can do is post "numbers often life"? Why bother commenting at all? Just move on to another thread.

You prove yourself to be the idiot we believe when you can't dispute the facts so you add mindless drivel.

Eat shit asshole, numbers always lie when people like you use them to support their monstrous positions.

It's a "monstrous position" to you because you don't like it, it's "another point of view" to anyone not ruled by emotion.

And just for the record, it WAS mindless drivel...

 

[gwennie]

Social Security currently has a $2.7 trillion surplus and doesn't cost the government one penny - and is okay until 2033 even without any changes. Sooo, what's the problem?

Cut defense in Half.

The fact that there is no money in Social security. Your leaders spent it decades ago. IOUs are not a surplus. They never were. And they never will be.

The minute LBJ, a Dem, put SS in the General Fund it was doomed. Those Clowns have been stealing it ever since.

Of course the Clowns don't put anything into SS. They have their own fund which they don't rob blind.

If anyone thinks they give a shit about your SS your living in la la land.

Personally I'd like every dime I have in both SS and Medicare. I can take better care of my money than some asshole in DC.

Those programs never, ever should have been implemented. Another case of no one looking at the big picture and unintended consequences.

Two more gifts courtesey of the asshole Democrats. Funny how all those entitlements are forced on us by the Dems.

They are not entitlements......they are EARNED benefits. For the most part, people worked decades to pay into the system......they are not "parasites" who suck off the system without paying a dime into it. Also, if employers are NOT going to provide adequate retirement pensions and healthcare benefits for those in retirement, then the govt needs to provide some sort of retirement salary/benefits. To just expect that everyone is able to pay for their own retirement is beyond all sense of reality.

 

[GuyPinestra]

.

"We must gut entitlement programs if we are to survive".

I suppose this depends on one's definition of the word "survive".

If it means "to exist as a country", that's certainly not true. If it means "remain as we are, with significant wealth concentration and an incredible quality of life for some", then that's a different story.

My guess is that we'll see higher overall income taxes, especially at the top end, within a few years. The combination of higher taxation and the drag it will have on the economy will reduce the standard of living for many -- fewer toys -- but quality of life overall? Not so sure.

We've passed the tipping point, gang. We've been borrowing too much money for decades now, we've been living an artificial lifestyle on credit cards, and it's time to pay up. Does anyone ever wonder why we never hear about "interest that must be paid on the debt" when there's a discussion on our budget and deficit? It's because both parties have had their hands in the cookie jar and no one's going to fess up.

We'll exist, possibly just fine, but it's not going to look like it has.

.

I think your outlook is a little too rosy, myself...

 

[GuyPinestra]

"Unfunded liabilities" are a scare tactic.

SS does not contribute to the deficit.

Medicare is cost effective.

The OP is a failure.

This ^^^^^^^ is why nobody takes you seriously.

 

[P@triot]

The numbers don't lie....

While lawmakers from both parties squabble over tax rates, a fiscal crisis is looming on the horizon. Entitlement programs -- Social Security and Medicare to be precise -- have unfunded obligations of $48 trillion. By comparison, the fiscal cliff carries a price tag of roughly $650 billion.

Over the next 75 years, Social Security will owe an estimated $11.3 trillion more in benefits than it will receive in payroll taxes. It has been running deficits since 2010, according to the Social Security Administration.

Morning Bell: 3 Simple Solutions for Fixing Social Security

How many times do morons have to be told that SS is NOT an entitlement......it has been EARNED over several decades of work and paying taxes into the system. Medicare is also EARNED over several decades of work and paying taxes into the system. These two systems wouldn't be "broken" if 1) the damn govt would stop ROBBING SS and Medicare to pay for a bunch of shit programs and 2) if people were forced to pay their full share of taxes on ALL of their income....get rid of the income cap on the Medicare tax. If those two things were done, there would be no problems at all in funding these two programs. It's basic common sense. Stop all the nonsense chatter about raising the retirement age.....it's completely unnecessary and only serves to allow the govt to eventually be able to raise the retirement age to 80 so they don't have to pay anyone at all (or very little).

Uh, how many times do MORON's like YOU have to be told that millions collect Social Security who have never put into it, and millions more collect way more than they ever put into it?

I'm still waiting for ONE liberal to actually speak about anything they are actually informed about.

 

[gwennie]

What do you want to see done to SS and medicare?

Its relatively simple. Slowly begin raising the age of retirement. Instead of 67 (for example) make anyone under the age of 55 unable to collect before 68 (or whatever age is chosen).

Studies of shown that SS would then be solvent for another 50 years. Same thing with Medicare.

There. Problem solved.

No......force people to pay SS and Medicare taxes on ALL of their income. Get rid of the income cap on the payroll tax. AND stop robbing SS and Medicare to pay for all the bullshit "programs". Those two things alone would more than fund both programs. Raising the retirement age...again....will only allow the dems/repubs to again raise the retirement age in the future to "keep them solvent". And they will keep doing it as long as they can get away with it. What is the "appropriate" cutoff age in order to really qualify for SS?? 75? 80? 85?? Of course, then we wouldn't have to pay benefits for really anyone at all (or very little, considering how long they've paid into the system).....how convenient.

 

[GuyPinestra]

Hey, why don't you rethugs force all the rethug social security recipients to give up their SSI.

I mean, you all want cuts. Have your followers put their money where your mouth is.

Isn't that what you all say about Dems tax increases. That no one is stopping Dems from sending more money to the Treasury.

Well no one is forcing Rethugs to cash those SSI checks. Tell the rethugs getting SSI to send them checks back to the Treasury. OK?

That wil fix the problem.

If you greedy ***** hadn't been sucking these people dry for the last 50 years they wouldn't NEED that SSI, Dumbass!

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Let's take from the poor and give to the rich, the theme of this thread and a motto long held by the Callous Conservatives, a set devoid of empathy and kindness -- dirtbags all.

The poorer the better.

Hungry children and elderly? Take away their food stamps.

People going homeless and jobless though no fault of their own? Take away their unemployment. And, like Mittens said, take their homes and give them to the 1% who will rent them back to the original owners.

Retired people who paid into SS and Medicare? Tough, the 1% needs that money.

Gawd, the inhuman and inhumane nutter rw's shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a voting booth.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

"Unfunded liabilities" are a scare tactic.

SS does not contribute to the deficit.

Medicare is cost effective.

The OP is a failure.

This ^^^^^^^ is why nobody takes you seriously.

Doesn't it matter that what he says is true?

 

[P@triot]

Simply divide $11.3 trillion by those ******* 75 years. Already you will end up with 150 billions, or "massive" 5% of annual government spending.

And it will be much less than 5% if you do the math properly -- more like a 0.25% increase annually.

Oh my God....

This is liberal "logic" at it's finest! Because, once he divided the numbers, he came up with "only" $150 billion per year deficit, it's perfectly ok.

Hey you ultra ignorant liberal ilia - if after the division the numbers came out to $-150, that's STILL a PROBLEM. See, when you do a budget, and you already project a deficit, you have a problem. But then again, why would a parasite like you understand anything about having to provide or budget.

 

[P@triot]

"Unfunded liabilities" are a scare tactic.

SS does not contribute to the deficit.

Medicare is cost effective.

The OP is a failure.

This ^^^^^^^ is why nobody takes you seriously.

Doesn't it matter that what he says is true?

You wouldn't know TRUTH if it gave you a prison ass-raping, handed you it's ID card, and left you DNA.

 

[GuyPinestra]

The fact that there is no money in Social security. Your leaders spent it decades ago. IOUs are not a surplus. They never were. And they never will be.

The minute LBJ, a Dem, put SS in the General Fund it was doomed. Those Clowns have been stealing it ever since.

Of course the Clowns don't put anything into SS. They have their own fund which they don't rob blind.

If anyone thinks they give a shit about your SS your living in la la land.

Personally I'd like every dime I have in both SS and Medicare. I can take better care of my money than some asshole in DC.

Those programs never, ever should have been implemented. Another case of no one looking at the big picture and unintended consequences.

Two more gifts courtesey of the asshole Democrats. Funny how all those entitlements are forced on us by the Dems.

They are not entitlements......they are EARNED benefits. For the most part, people worked decades to pay into the system......they are not "parasites" who suck off the system without paying a dime into it. Also, if employers are NOT going to provide adequate retirement pensions and healthcare benefits for those in retirement, then the govt needs to provide some sort of retirement salary/benefits. To just expect that everyone is able to pay for their own retirement is beyond all sense of reality.

Proof that to the Progressive, personal responsibility is passe...

 

[gwennie]

The numbers don't lie....

While lawmakers from both parties squabble over tax rates, a fiscal crisis is looming on the horizon. Entitlement programs -- Social Security and Medicare to be precise -- have unfunded obligations of $48 trillion. By comparison, the fiscal cliff carries a price tag of roughly $650 billion.

Over the next 75 years, Social Security will owe an estimated $11.3 trillion more in benefits than it will receive in payroll taxes. It has been running deficits since 2010, according to the Social Security Administration.

Morning Bell: 3 Simple Solutions for Fixing Social Security

How many times do morons have to be told that SS is NOT an entitlement......it has been EARNED over several decades of work and paying taxes into the system. Medicare is also EARNED over several decades of work and paying taxes into the system. These two systems wouldn't be "broken" if 1) the damn govt would stop ROBBING SS and Medicare to pay for a bunch of shit programs and 2) if people were forced to pay their full share of taxes on ALL of their income....get rid of the income cap on the Medicare tax. If those two things were done, there would be no problems at all in funding these two programs. It's basic common sense. Stop all the nonsense chatter about raising the retirement age.....it's completely unnecessary and only serves to allow the govt to eventually be able to raise the retirement age to 80 so they don't have to pay anyone at all (or very little).

Uh, how many times do MORON's like YOU have to be told that millions collect Social Security who have never put into it, and millions more collect way more than they ever put into it?

I'm still waiting for ONE liberal to actually speak about anything they are actually informed about.

I'm NOT a liberal. But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand basic common sense......to leave people with nothing once they retire would only create a massive debt for everyone else for obvious reasons. Providing benefits for those who either paid into the system for many years has been EARNED...and those who receive benefits regardless of whether they paid into it or not could be managed a different way so that it's not bankrupting everyone else.

At least the vast majority have paid into the system for several decades before they even get to use it. Of course there are some who benefit from the system without paying into it.....but we could reform those things, assuming it's necessary. A widow who was a stay at home mom all her life SHOULD be able to draw her deceased husband's retirement pay. A child whose mother/father died SHOULD receive money from the govt to help financially support them until age 18, assuming the parent worked and put into the system....but I disagree with the amounts that these kids receive (one child gets approx $1200/month....three kids equal $3600 so theoretically, the living parent wouldn't even have to hold down a job!)....not ok. Those who are truly disabled should get a liveable amount......$1400/month is not extravegant when you consider rent/mortgage payment, utilities, groceries, medications, etc....as long as they paid into the system for a pre-determined period of time. For those that haven't contributed to the system (or whose spouse didn't contribute to the system) they should get say $1000/month in order to avoid overwhelming other welfare programs.

 

[gwennie]

The minute LBJ, a Dem, put SS in the General Fund it was doomed. Those Clowns have been stealing it ever since.

Of course the Clowns don't put anything into SS. They have their own fund which they don't rob blind.

If anyone thinks they give a shit about your SS your living in la la land.

Personally I'd like every dime I have in both SS and Medicare. I can take better care of my money than some asshole in DC.

Those programs never, ever should have been implemented. Another case of no one looking at the big picture and unintended consequences.

Two more gifts courtesey of the asshole Democrats. Funny how all those entitlements are forced on us by the Dems.

They are not entitlements......they are EARNED benefits. For the most part, people worked decades to pay into the system......they are not "parasites" who suck off the system without paying a dime into it. Also, if employers are NOT going to provide adequate retirement pensions and healthcare benefits for those in retirement, then the govt needs to provide some sort of retirement salary/benefits. To just expect that everyone is able to pay for their own retirement is beyond all sense of reality.

Proof that to the Progressive, personal responsibility is passe...

Believe it or not.....most working class people are not able to fully provide for their own retirement. They have mortgages, utilities, medical expenses, child care, groceries, car payments, etc....to pay for. What about people who never make more than $30-40k/year??? Do you really expect them to just forgo owning a home, have a family, or retirement altogether??? To expect everyone to live like paupers or in the back woods somewhere shooting animals for food and cutting their own wood for heat is not realistic. It's not a bad life, mind you, but not realistic for the majority of the population. To work your entire life and pay approx 15% of your income into the system and receive nothing from it is NOT ok. Working up until the day you die, or only able to enjoy retirement for 3-5 years, is hardly what I would consider quality of life. People do deserve better than that. If the govt will give us that 15% of our income back so that we can plan our own retirement, that would be fine. But I don't EVER see that happening.....they like to take our money too much.

 

[RoadVirus]

All we have to do is gut the military budget and most of the problem in entitlements disappears.

Guy the military budget and you'll see hundreds of thousands of aerospace workers in the unemployment line. But hey...who gives a **** right? Certainly not the Left.