Defaulted Loans May Haunt Seniors

finance.yahoo.com ^ | Monday, March 8, 2010 | Ellen E. Schultz

[GOPsterinMA]

A little–noticed law could soon result in smaller Social Security checks for hundreds of thousands of the elderly and disabled who owe the U.S. money from defaulted loans and other debts more than a decade old.

Social Security benefits are off–limits to creditors, such as credit–card companies and banks. But the U.S. can collect debts to federal agencies by "offsetting," or withholding Social Security and disability payments.

The Treasury currently withholds benefits of 3.1 million Social Security recipients to recover defaulted student–, farm– and small–business loans, unpaid income taxes, amounts veterans owe for health care, and other debts to the government.

Previously, the U.S. hasn't been able to withhold Social Security payments to recover most debts delinquent for more than ten years.

[clamper1797]

This is evil. Many senior citizen have only SS to live on. Just a few dollars could be the difference between having a roof or a bridge over their heads

[GOPsterinMA]

It’s pretty obvious to me that Herr Leader wants old people (any what number constitutes ‘old’?) dead.

I bet he’s already got the plans from Dachau ready to go. The difference being, his version of a death camp will be “green”.

[Skepolitic]

Yeah ... it’s just awful that people would be expected to pay back money that they owe.

[Marty62]

Yet illegals get free edu and benes. How special.

[ExTexasRedhead]

America better wake up and the future victims better wise up.

[autumnraine]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2467198/posts

[mlocher]

This is not an Obama era law. The question is whether or not people should be allowed to stiff the gov't. I was taught that if you owe money, you need to pay it.

The more onerous part of this, and I am speculating, is that if you declare bankruptcy, then you still owe the gov't its money. That is the part that disturbs me greatly. Someone that goes through bankruptcy should be cleared. The gov't should not have its hooks into you for all time.

[GOPsterinMA]

For abusers and deadbeats, yes, for sure.

But veterans? For medical care? That is wrong.

And the illegals get whatever they want? Ass backwards.

Moderator, if this is a duplicate thread, please pull. Thank you.

[Marty62]

Me thinks there is more to this than the eye sees. Maybe forcing families to take care of the elderly. Or are we going to see a return of the POOR HOUSES.$750= $9000 per year. I’m sure one of Zeros Tsars have a solution for this.

The 2009 Poverty Guidelines for the
48 Contiguous States and the District of Columbia Persons in family Poverty guideline
1 $10,830
2 14,570
3 18,310
4 22,050
5 25,790
6 29,530
7 33,270
8 37,010
For families with more than 8 persons, add $3,740 for each additional person.

[GOPsterinMA]

Excellent point Marty62!

[30Moves]

I wonder if this would pertain to defaulted Fed backed mortgages?

[Jewbacca]

Yeah, it’s terrible.

Money is free and should be taken from taxpayers and given to people who need it.

[KarlInOhio]

I bet he’s already got the plans from Dachau ready to go. The difference being, his version of a death camp will be “green”.

It's not just "green", it's Soylent Green.

[clamper1797]

I don’t know about you ... but I have contributed a fortune to SS. As far as owing money. Apparently you have never been through an IRS audit. Those people are the epidome of evil. LOTS of people wind up owing the gubmint money due to an unfair audit.

[mlocher]

You missed the point. People who have owed the US money for more than 10 years now have to pay it back. Yes, even a Veteran, who has dodged paying a debt still has to pay it. I agree that veterans are not always treated fairly -- let's solve that problem -- but let's not let veterans, or anybody else for that matter, dodge their obligations.

Be careful about throwing in the illegal alien issue into this. I can use the unfairness (Ass backwards)argument that you propose to justify just about any social policy. "Illegal aliens get free healthcare and education. Therefore I should get a free home, or at least a tax credit since I am a US citizen." That line of thinking is absurd.

Look at each issue on its own merits and solve, or not solve, each problem. But don't lump them together. That's liberal-think.

[GOPsterinMA]

Fantastic question!!!!!!

[GOPsterinMA]

How ironic!

[clamper1797]

The founders had a good reason for ... Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4

[Jewbacca]

That’s nice.

They borrowed money from you and me. They owe it to you and me. They need to pay it back.

Not complex.

[clamper1797]

Maybe they borrowed from you ... show me the bill

[GOPsterinMA]

Good points mlocher! I feel very strongly that Vets are treated badly and it makes me insane at what illegals get.

You’re right: Solve/don’t solve the problems separately.

[GOPsterinMA]

Yes.

[clamper1797]

Hey I’ve got an idea that you would probably go along with. Lets bring back debtors prison. Might as well ... after all you would have Gramma living under the bridge cause the government is docking her meager SS payment for a tax debt and penalties owed by her late husband 20 years ago. Yeah thats the ticket.

[mlocher]

Thanks. For the record, I had the same emotions that you had.

[GOPsterinMA]

;) 10-4!

[Jewbacca]

National Debtas of 09 Mar 2010 at 06:21:20 PM GMT

You borrow, you pay back, otherwise it's theft.

Liberals favor stealing from fellow citizens, not conservatives.

[RWGinger]

I agree
If these people owe it they should pay it
How can anyone with any sense of responsibility ignore a debt they willingly took on for 10 years and then whine they shouldn’t have to pay it?

[Cyman]

“This is evil. Many senior citizen have only SS to live on.”

I suspect you won’t find a lot of support for your position here on FreeRepublic

[nkycincinnatikid]

The problem in my mind is that if “these people” owe you or me as an individual, well we can just go fish.
Whether those people are just bean conters or Judges their SS benefits, and their Gub’mint pensions are untouchable.

[Jedidah]

There’s more to this issue than just throwing old folks out on the street.

We’re talking here about people who have defaulted on loans.

I’m not very smart, but my parents did teach me that debts are to be repaid, that it’s not right to borrow and not pay it back. Young or old. Responsible behavior and all that.

So maybe holding people accountable might be a good thing?

[clamper1797]

Oh yeah ... then why do you think the founders put Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4 into the constitution. If you’re against the founders ... you are on the wrong web site

[Jedidah]

The founders put Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4 in the Constitution to give Congress the power to establish bankruptcy law.

So what?

People who have defaulted on federal loans and then take money from the folks they owe are not living on moral high ground.

You one of them?

There are all kinds of things that are legally allowed that are still bad behavior.

The Founders would likely have expected loans from the treasury to be repaid to the treasury before the borrower started living off the public dole. Please don’t try to argue that they were championing bad behavior.

[clamper1797]

I have not problem with people being responsible for their debts. What I am saying is that SS should be left alone. If a senior citizen has other assets ...fine attach them, I have no problem with it. BUT taking a elderly persons MEAGER SS away is evil in my eyes. The founders provided for a financial reset in bankruptcy. The gubmint has since perverted it by making govermental debts excempt ... that was NOT the founders intentions.

[clamper1797]

So what ?

Then why do you think the founders put in anything about bankruptcy at all ...

[clamper1797]

Oh and BTW I’m not one of them. Thanks for suggesting that I was ... jerk

[GailA]

“Code Red” - House Target List on Health Care
The National Republican Congressional Committee has published a target list on health care. In addition to continuing to contact the five Tennessee Democrat Congressmen, you can go http://www.votervoice.net/link/clickthrough/ext/94697.aspx to contact some of these targets. Much of the talk following Obama’s announcement has focused on how to defeat this second bill through reconciliation, but that is misleading because the first step to defeating Obamacare is not by concentrating on defeating the “fixer” bill but by defeating the Senate bill in the House when it goes to the floor for an up-or-down vote on Thursday, March 18th.
Rep. Lincoln Davis 202-225-6831 Columbia office: 931-490-8699
Rep. Jim Cooper 202-225-4311 Nashville office: 615-736-5295
Rep. Bart Gordon 202-225-4231 Murfreesboro office: 615-896-1986
Rep. John S. Tanner 202-225-4714 Jackson office: 731-423-4848
Rep. Steve Cohen 202-225-3265 Memphis office: 901-544-4131

.....................................................

Defeat Obamacare call list: Courtsey of TN Eagle Forum: List now contains the new MAYBES culled from FR posts.

PLEASE CALL! DC OFFICE LOCAL OFFICE State District

Harry Mitchell (202) 225-2190 (480) 946-2411 AZ 5th District
Gabrielle Giffords (202) 225-2542 (520) 881-3588 AZ 8th District
Ann Kirkpatrick (202) 225-2315 (928) 226-6914 AZ 1st District
Jerry McNerney (202) 225-1947 925-833-0643 CA 11th District
John Salazar 202-225-4761 970-245-7107 CO 3rd District
Jim Himes (202) 225-5541 (866) 453-0028 CT 4th District
Alan Grayson (202) 225-2176 (407) 841-1757 FL 8th District
Bill Foster (202) 225-2976 630-406-1114 IL 14th District
Baron Hill 202 225 5315 812 288 3999 IN 9th District
Mark Schauer (202) 225-6276 (517) 780-9075 MI 7th District
Gary Peters (202) 225-5802 (248) 273-4227 MI 9th District
Dina Titus (202) 225-3252 702-256-DINA (3462) NV 3rd District
Carol Shea-Porter (202) 225-5456 (603) 743-4813 NH 1st District
Tim Bishop (202) 225-3826 (631) 696-6500 NY 1st District
John Hall (202) 225-5441 (845) 225-3641 x49371 NY 19th District
Bill Owens (202) 225-4611 (315) 782-3150 NY 23rd District
Mike Arcuri (202)225-3665 (315)793-8146 NY 24th District
Dan Maffei (202) 225-3701 (315) 423-5657 NY 25th District
Earl Pomeroy (202) 225-2611 (701) 224-0355 ND At-Large District
Steven Driehaus (202) 225-2216 (513) 684-2723 OH 1st District
Mary Jo Kilroy (202) 225-2015 (614) 294-2196 OH 15th District
Zach Space (202) 225-6265 (330) 364-4300 OH 18th District
Kathy Dahlkemper (202) 225-5406 (814) 456-2038 PA 3rd District
Patrick Murphy (202) 225-4276 (215) 826-1963 PA 8th District
Christopher Carney (202) 225-3731 (570) 585-9988 PA 10th District
Paul Kanjorski (202) 225-6511 (570) 825-2200 PA 11th District
John Spratt (202) 225-5501 (803)327-1114 SC 5th District
Tom Perriello (202) 225-4711 (276) 656-2291 VA 5th District
Alan Mollohan (202) 225-4172 (304) 623-4422 WVA 1st District
Nick Rahall (202) 225-3452 (304) 252-5000 WVA 3rd District
Steve Kagen (202) 225-5665 (920) 437-1954 WI 8th District
Bart Gordon (202) 225-4231 TN (MAYBE)
Bart Stupak (202) 225 4735 MI (MAYBE)
Brian Baird (202) 225-3536, Vancouver, (360) 695-6292. Olympia, (360) 352-9768, (MAYBE)
senator mark begich (202) 224-3004 toll free. (877) 501 - 6275 just became a MAYBE
John Tanner (202) 225-4714, Union City, (731) 885-7070, Jackson Phone: (731) 423-4848, Millington (901) 873-5690 TN (MAYBE)
Jason Altmire 202-225-2565, Aliquippa, 724-378-0928, Natrona Heights, 724-226-1304 (MAYBE)

On the Bubble (Major developments from the “yes” and “no” columns in the House)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2467046/posts

[GailA]

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” ~~ President Ronald Reagan

We The People, Ray Stevens (obamacare) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc_-L4fyLUo

OBAMANOMICS—TRICKLE DOWN DESTRUCTION of the economy
Bambi doesn’t keep his promises...so buyer beware!

SET THEIR LOCAL AND DC LINES ON FIRE!

PLEASE ASK THEM TO REPEAL THE BIG NEW FEES in TRICARE for Life, the retired Military over 65 secondary health ins. which they passed in a DOD bill. They promised our Military these benefits, and our Military have earned them.

Sen Scott Brown’s number is 202-224-4543
Capitol Hill switchboard is 202-224-3121

Lots of local demwit phone numbers on this thread
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2408217/posts

Rename, repackage, rewrite it a tad smaller, and sell another pig in a poke. NO COLAs for granny, retired Military or retired fed employees. BIG NEW fees for Tricare for Life retired over 65 Military’s secondary health ins. (DOD bill already passed, delayed but goes into effect 2011 NEEDS TO BE REPEALED!
..............................

OBAMA’s WAR ON SENIORS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2433867/posts/

New Dem mantra: Woof, woof eat dog food granny....ala let them eat cake.

Obama says slight fix will extend Social Security, http://townhall.com/news/us/2010/02/19/obama_says_slight_fix_will_extend_social_security

Health Care Rationing for Seniors Another Problem in New Obama Plan http://www.lifenews.com/bio3058.html

Medicare tax may apply to investment income (ObamaCare tax hike)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2460988/posts

Obama: No reduced Medicare benefits in health care reform
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/28/obama.health.care/index.html

Will healthcare reform mean cuts in Medicare for seniors?
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2009/1017/will-healthcare-reform-mean-cuts-in-medicare-for-seniors

Health Reform’s Hidden Victims Young people and seniors would pay a high price for ObamaCare.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203517304574306303720472842.html

.....................………………………..

SOCIALIZED MED THREAD http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2466889/posts
.........................…………………………..

MILITARY & Retired MILITARY
Veterans’ G.I. Bill benefits MIA
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2464680/posts
TRI CARE FOR LIFE This from a google search:

http://economicspolitics.blogspot.com/2009/05/tricare-for-life-is-obama-trying-to.html

This option would help reduce the costs of TFL, as well as costs for Medicare, by introducing minimum out-of pocket requirements for beneficiaries. Under this option, TFL would not cover any of the first $525 of an enrollee’s cost-sharing liabilities for calendar year 2011 and would limit coverage to 50 percent of the next $4,725 in Medicare cost sharing that the beneficiary incurred. (Because all further cost sharing would be covered by TFL, enrollees could not pay more than $2,888 in cost sharing in that year.) http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/99xx/doc9925/12-18-HealthOptions.pdf

Bill Would Restrict Veterans’ Health Care Options 11/06/09
Buyer and McKeon Offer Amendments to Protect Veterans and TRICARE Beneficiaries

Congress plans to block Tricare fee increases
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_tricarefees_blocked_100709w
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_tricarefees_blocked_100709w/

By Rick Maze - Staff writer, Oct 7, 2009

Tricare fee increases imposed last week by the Defense Department will be repealed by a provision of the compromise 2010 defense authorization bill unveiled Wednesday by House and Senate negotiators.

The fee increases were announced on Sept. 30 and took effect on Oct. 1, but the defense bill, HR 2647, includes a provision barring any fee increases until the start of fiscal 2011.

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Bill Matz, president of the National Association for Uniformed Services, said the announcement of fee increases was shocking considering that the Obama administration promised earlier this year to hold off on any new fee Tricare fee increases until fiscal 2011.

“President Obama and DoD assured NAUS and the entire military family earlier this year that there would rightly be no increases in any Tricare fees” in fiscal 2010, Matz said. “We took them at their word, and I can’t believe that a co-pay increase like this was allowed to go forward,” he added.

[GOPsterinMA]

Miss GailA,

You appear to be both passionate and fully prepped on these issues! God Bless You!

[GailA]

I culled the articles from FR. It’s just easier to ‘see’ the pattern when it’s all in one spot.

First they came for the Unborn...GENOCIDE of the Unborn...granny, gramps, and the disabled are next on the list.

[GOPsterinMA]

You are right!

[GailA]

NO COLA’S for 3 years, state, county, city and Feds want more taxes...where are these unemployable people supposed to find those $$?

[SloopJohnB]

==Apparently you have never been through an IRS audit. Those people are the epidome of evil.==

About the same we would face with Obama's health care = the efficiency of the Post Office - the compassion of the IRS.