Posted on 01/06/2012 6:38:10 PM PST by DJ MacWoW
KEENE, N.H. (AP) - Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum called Friday for immediate cuts to Social Security benefits, risking the wrath of older voters and countless others who balk at changes to the entitlement program.
"We can't wait 10 years," even though "everybody wants to," Santorum told a crowd while campaigning in New Hampshire and looking to set himself apart from his Republican rivals four days before the New Hampshire primary.
Most of his opponents have advocated phasing in a reduction and say immediate cuts would be too big a shock to current and soon-to-be retirees.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.myway.com ...
“SS, Medicare/Medicaid, and Defense cost more than the tax revenue government receives.”
So why start with the only program that people pay for (that would be SS...) Much of SS is not paid to retirees based on their contributions. Cut that part too. Cut All of medicaid. Don’t give people lifetime SS who have not paid in. In other words, cut the crap.
Easy solution.
I’ve read your conversation and wanted to say thank you. I learned from your discussion.
SS like unemployment is an entitlement. The more you pay in, the more you get. It’s always been called an entitlement by the Feds. It’s not welfare. One doesn’t earn welfare benefits.
I understand, I’m in sort of the same boat although I contribute to a 401k to the greatest extent I can and put away over $200 a month into a savings account that I roll over into a CD’s as it accumulates because I live frugally.
Have you and your husband not put anything away for retirement or are you counting on depending on SS alone?
If you have not saved or invested for your retirement, then why should I have part of what is being deducted from my pay check go to fund you and your hubby’s monthly SS and Medicare benefits? And why do you feel entitled to SS and Medicare benefits if you have never worked yourself and never contributed to the program?
Evidently you have enough disposable income to donate to FR. Why should any of my SS contributions go to fund the deficit in your retirement savings when you could have managed your money more wisely?
The very same FReepers will say you shouldn’t invest your money in metals.
Good for you.
Thank you. I appreciate that.
Medicare is the program that insures the same seniors who receive social security. Good luck cutting medicare, FRiend.
Many of the fifty million people on SSI would be happy with someone who would just retrieve money from the 110 million working.
You’ve got a damn lot of gall newbie, I’ll give you that!
Are you serious?
He/she questioned what you were doing to provide for your own retirement. A legitimate question given that this program and the government that administers it are drowning in debt that me and my children will have to address. He/she even told you how they were sacrificing for their own retirement.
Can you not see this? Someone questions your own responsibilities for retirement and you break out the newbie tag and tell them that they have alot of nerve?
You are the one telling people that you will get what the politicians promised you, and you have no concern about who will have to pay for it.
Are YOU kidding? I have said REPEATEDLY that I am not ON SS and probably never will be. The questions asked were extremely personal and not ones a stranger asks. Why in the WORLD do you think that I should defend my opinion using personal information? What in the WORLD is the matter with YOU?
Do you think we could delay retirement for those still working?
that’s what I think would work. Just put SS and Medicare on a year-to-year cash slow basis. If there is enough money, let people retire. If not, up the retirement age.
If that is the case why should we not reform the program?
It must be reformed along with the entire government.
Why do so many act as if social security is not part of the same government that is 16 trillion in debt? Read the beginning of this thread.... Santorum mentions social security, was probably taken out of context, and half the first 50 posts were “he is finished.
We may go down in history as the most immoral generation of Americans if we leave these sacred programs untouched no matter how crushing the debt.
What ever happen to the cries for smaller government then ?
They die as soon as the topic is SS, Medicare or Defense.
Have you people read ANY of my posts? ANY of them?
Have a good night.
Do you think we could delay retirement for those still working?
that’s what I think would work. Just put SS and Medicare on a year-to-year cash slow basis. If there is enough money, let people retire. If not, up the retirement age.
This would help in the short-term but does not maintain long term solvency of the program. Why? The program is tied to the same government that is 16 trillion in debt.
I think they should leave SS alone and concentrate on cutting aid to Muslim sh*t holes, cut welfare and aid to illegal aliens who are sucking our country dry.
DJ - As I recall, and I have not gone back, you have repeatedly said on this thread that the politicians promised people that social security would be there.
I don’t disagree.
However, the same people who scream about the promises are the ones who allowed the politicians to break them. I was not alive when that happened. Now our children and grandchildren are left with a 16 trillion (and growing)dollar deficit and still, any politician who mentions the necessary reform to SS or Medicare is immediately dead in the water. Those two programs are a significant portion of government debt and future debt projections.
There needs to be huge reforms across the board in our government and these programs must be part of the equation. I know that you agree with me that it is immoral to leave or children and grandchildren this debt. I agree with you that there are other programs that should be drastically cut before social security.
However, it must be part of the equation if we have any chance of restoring the promise of America for our children. We must be able to have a rational conversation about it and people might have to help one another more than government.
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