The problem the wingnuts face is that they can't point to measurable criteria, like per-capita spending, life expectancies, etc., because measurable criteria undermine what they want to believe. So, instead, they rely on cherry-picked anecdotes.
U.K.'s Healthcare Horror Stories Ought To Curb Dems' Enthusiasm for Single-Payer
- Thread starter J Craft
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The problem the wingnuts face is that they can't point to measurable criteria, like per-capita spending, life expectancies, etc., because measurable criteria undermine what they want to believe. So, instead, they rely on cherry-picked anecdotes.
The problem with liberals is they gobble down bullshit then regurgitate it here without a filter to the facts or the truth. Yeah, life in leftist utopias is way better. Move there.
Irish Exit
Verified User
Better hope they don't get run over. the UK ambulance services is so desperate they are calling for volunteer drivers.
You don’t know what your talking about.
There has been no Social Security reform since 1983.
In 1981 Reagan got no where in his efforts to reform SS.
In 1983 Congressman Republican Conable with others constructed a plan to save SS.
Genius show everyone how smart you are and tell us how republicans are trying to find ways to bankrupt SS.
There has been no Social Security reform since 1983.
In 1981 Reagan got no where in his efforts to reform SS.
In 1983 Congressman Republican Conable with others constructed a plan to save SS.
Genius show everyone how smart you are and tell us how republicans are trying to find ways to bankrupt SS.
Indeed.
But not merely on this issue.
I sincerely don't understand it. Why is being wrong such a high priority to them?
In any case Trump is their leader.
- There are bad people in the Northbound caravan.
- The U.S. is the only nation with birthright citizenship.
Countless etc.
I'm with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. When challenged on her criticism of U.S. President Trump and told it's none of her business Rowling explained:
- The U.S. has put a compulsive liar, an intrinsically untrustworthy man in charge of the world's most lethal military. That makes it the business of every human on Earth.
That's one for Rowling on my score card.
hvilleherb
Verified User
BTW, pieces of Obamacare have not been repealed yet. Consider this a reminder to GOP voters to go to the polls on Tuesday so we can finish the Obamacare repeal.
SS does not need saving. Since it pays out only what it collects on workers paychecks exactly how does it go broke? It cannot deficit spend and cannot get tax money. It might possibly have to lower what it pays out. That is not going bankrupt. When peopel talk aboout SS going banikrupt they should be dismissed. They are unable to think. Simple logic and basic math should reveal how dumb that is.
I've saved your ass from total humiliation, and this is how you repay me?
If you were really in Curacao you would have immediately known about the 5 cent piece. So unique and distinct.
I guess I've learned a lesson here.
If you were really in Curacao you would have immediately known about the 5 cent piece. So unique and distinct.
I guess I've learned a lesson here.
NiftyNiblick
1960s Chick Magnet
What's even more absurd than that is that so many of them desperately need the socialized medicine that they vote against.
Almost all of them could use socialized dentistry.
christiefan915
Catalyst
What exactly is the money being spent on, then?
Well, let's see. Republicans raised payroll taxes in the 1980s that created the surplus that is keeping SS solvent today. Both parties continued to raise benefits and beneficiaries which created added costs to the system. Neither party is responsible for the lower fertility rate or increased life expectancy which has created financial problems for the system.
How did Republicans starve SS of any funds?
Lift the cap off of wages earned that are paying for Social Security.
"The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced on Friday that the maximum amount of wages in 2018 subject to the 6.2% Social Security tax (old age, survivor, and disability insurance) will rise from $127,200 to $128,400, an increase of a little more than 1%. By comparison, the 2017 wage base increased more than 7% over the 2016 wage base. "
https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2017/oct/social-security-wage-base-2018-201717654.html
Remove the cap on wages subject to SS Taxes. Let the Millionaires and Billionaires 'participate'.
The Democrats did not raise the cap either when they controlled. Does that mean they are also starving the system?
Everything I have seen shows removing the cap would not be enough to cover the shortfall because most of the increased taxes would go to increased benefits. Most millionaires and probably all billionaires do not get their income from sources subject to the payroll tax and if they do they do not need increased benefits.
Rather than wanting more money, we should first consider ways to cut expenses. Originally SS was for the worker only but we keep adding the number of benefits available and raising the benefit level. Many of those benefits go to those who have paid little or nothing into the system. For example, one of the latest changes was to allow people to collect full benefits while still working without penalty if they are full retirement age. Originally, they had to be 70. This means a person making a salary of $100,000 can collect full SS benefits and has resulted in many continuing to work rather than retire.
Another example is early retirement at 62. That did not exist until 1956 (women) and 1961 (women). Since 70% of Americans retire early that creates a huge load on the system. We should eliminate it, increase the age for early retirement, or increase the penalty creating a financial incentive to wait until full retirement. The full retirement age (66) will already increase to 67 for those born after 1980.
Another possibility is to decrease benefits based on income (sliding scale).
All options are on the table.
"On his website, Sanders says, “By lifting this cap so that everyone who makes over $250,000 a year pays the same percentage of their income into Social Security as the middle class and working families, [we] would not only extend the solvency of Social Security for the next 50 years, but also bring in enough revenue to expand benefits by an average of $65 a month; increase cost-of-living-adjustments, and lift more seniors out of poverty by increasing the minimum benefits paid to low-income seniors.”
https://www.bankrate.com/financing/retirement/will-raising-the-cap-save-social-security/
Yeah, I don't think Millionaires or Billionaires really need SS. But I think they should get what the Middle Class gets, just to be 'fair'.
I think if you retire early, your benefits are cut. At 62 I think it's a 25% cut, and that lasts the rest of your life.
IRAs are an alternative (or maybe an addition) to SS. IRAs are a device where you can pass your money to your heirs, unlike SS that stops at your death.
Raising the age is probably in the cards.
Who wants to cut benefits for old people? Nobody. They want to live an independent life as long as they can.
There is a penalty for early retirement, but that does not prevent 70% of people from retiring early--delaying or eliminating that saves hundreds of billions annually. Nobody wants to cut benefits for retired people and any plans for adjustments would only apply to future beneficiaries.
I don't like Bernie's plans for increasing the cost of living adjustments. Those were not part of the original plan and economists agree the COLAs actually exceed the cost of living. Obama wanted to adjust those to create a "chained" payment as one method to keep the system solvent. Also, he is assuming those paying more into the system will not get higher benefits.
IRAs, 401(k) or 403(b) would be much better. Require employees/employers to make the same 12.4% contribution and put all that in an S&P 500 index fund. A person working 40 years would have over $1 million which at 5% would provide benefits much higher than Social Security, they could leave that money to whomever, and the government would not be stuck with that huge expenditure each year. Even if the account took a big hit with a drop in the market they would still have more than SS. The problem is that we cannot let current workers pay into a retirement account instead of SS because the SS fund needs their payments for current retirees.
I guess we have some agreement and some disagreement.
IRAs, basically a personal retirement plan set up by the Government with great tax benefits/incentives, is considered an ideal Retirement Plan. But most hand-to-mouth workers can't afford to contribute. So, SS is THE Plan for them.
Removing the cap on Wages and letting the Millionaires and Billionaires contribute only seems fair. Real easy and not complicated.
Let people retire early and get them out of the Workforce. Some people aren't doing that well. Let them 'retire' before they die 'working'.