Posted on 04/19/2005 1:07:04 AM PDT by FBD
Totalization With Mexico Could "Total" Social Security Recently, I received a letter from Edward I. Nelson, the Chairman of United States Border Control, regarding a proposed Totalization Treaty/Agreement with Mexico. This is not a subject with which I am unfamiliar, as I wrote an article about it while I was a reporter for Talon News/GOPUSA.com, viewable here. (I have to refer you to this website, as the archives at Talon News are no longer available since the Gannon-gate ordeal.)
Totalization agreements were begun to help employees sent abroad to still have enough credits to draw Social Security benefits with the contributions paid in total in the countries in which the employee worked. Most such agreements -- the United States has 20 -- are with European countries.
In his letter, Mr. Nelson explains that past Totalization Agreements have had little impact on U.S. taxpayers because they involved only a few thousand workers who were sent abroad by their employers, and that the reciprocating countries also sent a reasonably equal number of workers to work, and pay taxes, in the United States.
However, with the State Department and the Social Security Administration having now signed onto the idea of Totalization with Mexico, it has become an issue that could devastate the American Social Security system, and therefore, an issue which needs to be brought to the attention of EVERY AMERICAN! As I view it, this literally has the potential to bankrupt our retirement system.
Should the President sign this treaty, it would instantly make millions of Mexicans, both legal AND ILLEGAL, eligible for S.S. benefits. Naturally, this comes at a time when the President (of whom, in most matters, I am a strong supporter) is going around the country trying to convince Americans that the Social Security system is in crisis and with that, I agree!
The Social Security Administration would have us believe that illegal workers would not qualify under a Totalization Agreement with Mexico. However, according to azcentral.com, an Inspector General's report says that the SSA "doesn't consider the work-authorization status of the individual when they earned the wages. It only considers whether the individual can prove he or she paid Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) taxes as part of this work." And, even IF the claim that Illegal workers were not eligible were true, the writing on the wall is that a general amnesty is on the horizon, which would immediately make ALL illegals (and their dependants) eligible
Further complicating this issue is the fact that once a beneficiary of this Treaty returns to Mexico, his/her spouse and dependants also become eligible for U.S. Social Security benefits. Can you imagine the cost to the S.S. system? According to the Center for Immigration Studies, (http://www.cis.org), in 2000, there were an estimated 9,177,000 Mexicans in the United States (4,808,000 are here illegally), compared to a TOTAL of 3,831,000 foreigners from ALL other countries with whom the United States has Totalization agreements; nearly 2.5 times as many!
Add to all this mess what many see as an all-but-certain push for a blanket amnesty for all illegals, and the impact on the S.S. system will be disastrous should a Totalization agreement with Mexico be authorized. There would be so little reciprocation from the Mexican side of such an agreement that it may as well not even exist. The reason I say this is that, according to the CIS website, the SSA estimates that there are only 3,000 current American workers and their employers (that) would benefit from a Totalization program.
A program such as this will only further encourage illegal immigration to the United States. You see, it takes 40 YEARS to qualify for Mexicos retirement system - and even then you are only entitled to receive back the amount that you have paid into the system. Kind of makes America sound like the promised land, doesnt it?
And, since it would relieve the Mexican government from having to use its resources take care of its own citizens, the Mexican government would inevitably even further encourage its citizens to illegally migrate to the U.S. That is a no-brainer. I mean, as it is, they already publish manuals advising their citizens how to safely break into the U.S. without detection.
Now, here is the kicker. Even I was surprised to learn that all that needs to happen for a Totalization Agreement to pass is that the President sign it - thats it. It DOES NOT need to be passed in Congress. However, there is hope! If, within 60 days of the presidents signature, Congress repeals the treaty, it is then nullified. This is where you, the American public, DESPARATELY need to get involved.
As Mr. Nelsons letter points out, on Jan. 4 of this year, Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), introduced H. Res. 20, a bill to disapprove the Totalization Treaty between the U.S. and Mexico.
Included in the letter I got from the US Border Control were three post cards. The first of these was to President Bush. It reads as follows:
Dear President Bush,
I am shocked and quite disturbed that you are allowing the Totalization Treaty between the United States and Mexico to go forward even as you warn the nation that our Social Security Trust Fund is in financial trouble.
Your strong support for AgJobs, Guest Workers and all the other thinly disguised amnesty programs for millions of illegal aliens, along with your support for Totalization, make it appear that you are more concerned about the health and welfare of Mexicans than the American people.
Please prove me wrong by expressing your opposition to the Totalization Treaty and to all forms of amnesty for illegal aliens. Thank you.
Sincerely, (Your name here)
Thanks..I never heard of that treaty either...IMHO I thikt he UN is imploding..those "high" officials now under investigation in the OFF scandal..well, they will sell out KOfi and the others in a second..to cut a deal for themselves..what's gonna come out will be amazing..
Gotta disagree...the House is just sitting back..waiting to see what happens..and Coleman is steaming at how he's been ignored by the UN higher-ups..The BIG issue is the $2 bill US "Loan " for a new building...This will never happen until unless EVERYTHING comes out..and BTW..the US guy at the UN in charge of kicking over the garbage cans will soon be Bolton..
IMO, because many politicians use our federal government as a stepping stone to careers as international bureaucrats, they won't let the UN fail. They have their careers to look after, after all, IMO.
According to this article, "guest" workers would only have to work 18 months here in the U.S, to be eligible for Social In-Security benefits!
http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/newswire/news2004/0104/011604-mexico.htm
Total ~ Bump!
There are apparently no limits to the extent our government will betray the American People.
Ben believes that...
>..Never mind that minumum wage workers (on the average) use three times as much in government assistance as they pay in taxes, including FICA.
(Illegal aliens pay approx. 10 billion in taxes, and recieve 26 billion in government benefits.)
But Ben's also for anything that will help destroy our national sovereignty. That's part of his socialist agenda.
Isn't that right Ben? ;^)
Additional info HERE:
http://www.ssa.gov/international/agreements_overview.html
Gee, when it comes to illegal immigration we've had to endure anchor babies/chain migration, huge increases in healthcare premiums to offset hospital care for illegals, Motor Voter / open invitation to massive vote fraud, tens of billions in other related "services" to them, etc........looks more and more like Congress and other fedgov types are bound and determined to force national suicide on us at every turn.
Hello HT,
Please post some of your links here on this subject.
I know you are very well informed on this subject.
Perhaps you can help school Ben Finklin on this matter.
(See his #12 post.)
Sorry 'bout that here's the story:
http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/newswire/news2004/0104/011604-mexico.htm
'Totalization Agreement With Mexico Draws Criticism'
By Mike Minton
Talon News
January 16, 2004
"The Social Security Totalization agreement that was part of President Bush's "temporary worker" proposal last week has stirred up a hornet's nest among some law-makers..."
and now add totalization socual in-security benefits with Mexico, to your list...
related story:
http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/newswire/news2004/0104/011604-mexico.htm
'Totalization Agreement With Mexico Draws Criticism'
By Mike Minton
Countries we have totalization agreements with, and the date they entered into agreement:
Italy November 1, 1978
Germany December 1, 1979
Switzerland November 1, 1980
Belgium July 1, 1984
Norway July 1, 1984
Canada August 1, 1984
United Kingdom January 1, 1985
Sweden January 1, 1987
Spain April 1, 1988
France July 1, 1988
Portugal August 1, 1989
Netherlands November 1, 1990
Austria November 1, 1991
Finland November 1, 1992
Ireland September 1, 1993
Luxembourg November 1, 1993
Greece September 1, 1994
South Korea April 1, 2001
Chile December 1, 2001
Australia October 1, 2002
bump^ Ping to HB2.
excellant post, thanks HT
-I recall from some info that hedgetrimmer posted once, that Mexico gets something like 90 billion in money transfers per year from the U.S.? Perhaps more. HT, do you have that link available?
thanks B58 H.
regards
Ha! Yeah...hey Senator Smith: "get used to it."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.