New Republican Controlled Congress Prepare To Eliminate Social Security

[thoughtone]

source: Huffington Post

Dems Decry Social Security Sneak Attack

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WASHINGTON -- Democrats and Social Security advocates are accusing House Republicans of launching a sneak attack on disability insurance on the very first day of the new Congress.

The House on Tuesday passed legislation laying out parliamentary rules for the year. The bill included a little-noticed provision blocking Congress from shifting funds to prevent a 2016 shortfall in Social Security's disability insurance program.

The Social Security Administration's actuaries have projected that the disability insurance program's trust fund will run out of money next year, resulting in a 20 percent benefit reduction for nearly 11 million Americans. Since last year, Social Security advocates have been calling on lawmakers to shift funds from the retirement program to make up the difference -- something Congress has done 11 times since the 1950s.

Democratic aides said the Social Security provision was added to the broader rules package by surprise late Monday night. The broader bill, which the House approved on a largely party-line vote Tuesday, says it would be out of order for Congress to reduce the actuarial balance of the Social Security retirement account. (The rules legislation also included a controversial provision requiring the Congressional Budget Office to give more favorable analysis to tax cuts for the rich.)

Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas), chairman of the subcommittee that oversees Social Security, championed the rule's Social Security provision and said shifting the funds would constitute a "raid" on retirement insurance, which is solvent until 2033.

"This is worse than kicking the can down the road -- it will actually make the retirement program worse off, and it does nothing to fix the disability program," Johnson said in a press release.

"To address this issue, my measure creates a point-of-order to prohibit any diversion of funds from the retirement program to the disability program," Johnson said. "But more than that, the rule seeks to encourage much-needed reform.”

Congress could prevent the shortfall by raising taxes, cutting benefits, or both -- though cuts are a favored GOP option. Many Republicans have lamented the rise in disability rolls, which they have suggested is something of a welfare sham. Johnson described the program as "fraud-plagued."

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) sharply criticized the measure in a Tuesday statement that argued shifting Social Security funds from retirement insurance to disability insurance has been routine in the past.

“Reallocation has never been controversial, but detractors working to privatize Social Security will do anything to manufacture a crisis out of a routine administrative function,” Brown said. "Rather than solve the short-term problems facing the Social Security Disability program as we have in the past, Republicans want to set the stage to cut benefits for seniors and disabled Americans."

Social Security Works, an advocacy group that opposes benefit cuts, called the GOP strategy "hostage taking."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) blasted the rule on Twitter.<object data="http://cfiles.5min.com/flashcookie/StorageCookie_03.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" name="fivemincookieswf" id="fivemincookieswf" height="1" width="1">


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[Greed]

Don't you ever get bored?

 

[thoughtone]

Don't you ever get bored?

This would only upset you.

 

[ronmch20]

Totally misleading title.

 

[thoughtone]

Totally misleading title.

Oh is it?

“Reallocation has never been controversial, but detractors working to privatize Social Security will do anything to manufacture a crisis out of a routine administrative function,” Brown said. "Rather than solve the short-term problems facing the Social Security Disability program as we have in the past, Republicans want to set the stage to cut benefits for seniors and disabled Americans."

 

[Greed]

Republicans have a history regarding their intentions towards the welfare state.

There's empirical evidence from when they were in charge of all three branches...they expanded government spending and authority. You should never have any complaints about them.

And why are you quoting a democratic senator to prove the title of your attention-whoring thread title?

 

[SPECTRE1]

Social Security was designed to be a Ponzi tax scheme. Like all Ponzi schemes, you get a fake statement regarding the status of your investments.

Here you get a retirement or disability statement promising you benefits from taxes paid that will never be paid when the time comes. You have to jump through careful designed administrative hoops designed to block you.

We need to get rid of all these programs and move toward a more advanced economic system.

 

[SPECTRE1]

A pension plan sets aside a pool of money to pay future beneficiaries. The minute a company takes that money, and leaves an IOU behind, it defeats the purpose of that pension plan. Your paying retirees through current operations, rather than the time period attributed to the work that the retirees did.

The government does the same thing that would be laughable in the private sector. They create this shortfall and falsely blame it, to cut benefits, when it was really a ponzi scheme to never pay that money.


A company also invest their pension money in assets versus expenditures like the government.

 

[thoughtone]

Republicans have a history regarding their intentions towards the welfare state.

There's empirical evidence from when they were in charge of all three branches...they expanded government spending and authority. You should never have any complaints about them.

And why are you quoting a democratic senator to prove the title of your attention-whoring thread title?

All I know is that the history of GW recently and the republicans period want to get their hands on the $1 trillion social security fund for their hedge fund benefactors.

This is their goal, this is what they do, this is what they have done and they never waver from this.

 

[thoughtone]

Social Security was designed to be a Ponzi tax scheme. Like all Ponzi schemes, you get a fake statement regarding the status of your investments.

Here you get a retirement or disability statement promising you benefits from taxes paid that will never be paid when the time comes. You have to jump through careful designed administrative hoops designed to block you.

We need to get rid of all these programs and move toward a more advanced economic system.

It worked for 70 years, when all other so called investment schemes have failed to one degree or another.

How much money was lost during the crash of 2008?

How far will the market fall from it's inflated high of today?

 

[Mrfreddygoodbud]

stupid solution,

how about shutting down the irs and cia..

thats like five trillion right there!

Boom problem fixed for life!!!


acting like there are no other fuckin options

but to reach in our pockets..

that shit is wearing thin!!!

shut down fuckin nsa what do they do,

but spy on us.

we pay them to spy on us...

we are really that dumbed down B!!

 

[QueEx]

​

 

[QueEx]

​

 

[QueEx]

How a brighter economy changes the GOP playbook​

Republicans have spent much of Obama’s presidency blaming him for a weak, job-killing economy. So what happens to the GOP playbook when those jobs come back?

The economy has already added back all the jobs that the financial crisis destroyed. In 2015, the positive momentum is expected to continue: unemployment will continue to fall, GDP growth will be faster, and wage gains might finally start to pick up. Cratering oil prices are more likely to help us than hurt us, at least for the time being. Consumer confidence is now at the highest level since 2008—and President Obama’s approval ratings are finally above water for the first time since September 2013.

It won’t be anything like a 1990s-style boom. But if and when the recovery finally starts to feel real, the public is likely to give Obama the credit, whether he deserves it or not. “Absolutely it should help lift the president’s approval numbers—it absolutely helps the Democrats,” said John Sides, a political scientist at George Washington University. When it comes to the economy, research shows that “the president bears the vast majority of the credit and the blame,” he explained.

Republicans are already massaging their message, but they’ll need a whole new approach if the notion of a booming economy jumps from promising trend to national consensus. And conservatives are now wrestling with what Republicans should stand for.

“Should Republicans congratulate President Obama on a job well done and leave it at that? Well, no. They need to do what they’ve failed to do for the past half-decade and explain why they can do a better job than the Democrats of steering the American economy,” said Reihan Salam, National Review’s executive editor.

‘Where are the (well-paying) jobs?’

For years, House Speaker John Boehner had the same take on the monthly employment report: “Where are the jobs?” Then November’s blockbuster jobs report finally prompted a different kind of response. “While it’s welcome news that more people found work last month, wages remain stubbornly flat while costs continue to rise, squeezing middle class families and putting the American Dream further out of reach,” Boehner said.

RELATED: Jobs report blows past expectations​

The reality is that even the best-case scenario for the economy in 2015 will leave many ordinary Americans wanting. Wage growth could pick up, but the bar is exceedingly low, given that wages barely rose faster than inflation in 2014 and have languished for decades. So far it’s mostly been Democrats who’ve focused on the issue of stagnant wages, using it as a rationale for raising the minimum wage. But Republicans are starting to seize the issue as well, turning the focus to higher-wage, middle-class workers.

“I do think Republicans have an opportunity on some of those issues to focus on wage stagnation and to focus on middle class,” says Patrick Ruffini, a GOP strategist and co-founder of digital research firm Echelon Insights. “That person right in the middle— how are they doing? Are the gains we’re seeing in the stock market being held by them?”


Growth and mobility, not income inequality

What will be Republicans’ proposed solution? Some will undoubtedly resurface the reforms that the party has spent years billing as “pro-growth,” arguing that they will result in more broadly shared gains. “They’ll go to the list of reforms for better growth,” says Doug Holtz-Eakin, president of the conservative American Action Forum, citing comprehensive tax reform and deregulation as examples. The same rationale will prompt Republicans to try to block or slow any new regulations from the White House.

But other conservatives argue that Republicans have tried and failed to convince ordinary Americans that sweeping policy prescriptions are enough. Republican strategist Liz Mair says that the party needs to focus more on “kitchen-table type issues” that resonate with basic concerns about economic mobility in order to make a compelling pitch to the public.

“A lot of people out there still have concerns about education costs, costs associated with health care and health insurance, childcare costs, and increases in take-home pay (as opposed to overall compensation),” says Mair. National Review’s Salam similarly suggests focusing on education and health-care reform, as well as affordable housing.

“If we have income growth for the broad middle, then the broad middle will care a lot less about income inequality,” says Michael Strain, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. “I think that people are more interested in growth than in shrinking the rich/poor gap.”


‘Things could be so much better’

Confidence in Congress is at an all-time low, and expectations are even lower. But with full control of Congress, Republicans will be increasingly under pressure to demonstrate what they want to accomplish, particularly as the next presidential election creeps closer.

Republicans will need to make the case that, yes, progress has been made, “but they could be so much better if more Republican ideas were taken onboard,” said Mair. But, she added, the only way for Republicans to make a credible critique of the economy is if they actually flesh out and move forward with concrete policies that will help ordinary Americans.

That includes policies that help those who’ve been left out of Obama’s recovery as well, said AEI’s Strain. With Democrats united behind the minimum wage and Medicaid expansion, the GOP may be pressed to propose their own solutions to helping lower-income families, as Republicans like Sen. Mike Lee have argued.

“I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect to 2015 will be some kind of magic wand to heal wounds—we need micro policies to help some of the folks who’ve been left behind,” he said, pointing out that more people have stopped looking for work altogether, and the problem is expected to persist even after we return to full employment. His preferred solution would be an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income Americans—one issue that both Obama and Republicans like Rep. Paul Ryan and Sen. Marco Rubio have flagged.

In fact, what’s striking about the next chapter for the economy is how much Democrats and Republicans will end up agreeing on the biggest issues holding the country back: an outdated tax code, low-quality education, stagnant incomes, and fewer people in the workforce. In theory, a stronger economy could help move some of the solutions forward, as higher revenues and lower spending on the safety net could fund help tax breaks and new investments. But a significant legislative breakthrough is still unlikely to happen.

“Even if improving economic times might alter the type of issues on the agenda, an improved economy doesn’t make legislative compromise all that much easier,” said Sarah Binder, a political scientist and Congress expert at George Washington University.

“In an age of toughly competitive and polarized parties, it’s party control that really pays the biggest dividend for making major policy change. “
​

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/how-brighter-economy-changes-the-gop-playbook

 

[thoughtone]

stupid solution,

how about shutting down the irs and cia..

thats like five trillion right there!

Boom problem fixed for life!!!


acting like there are no other fuckin options

but to reach in our pockets..

that shit is wearing thin!!!

shut down fuckin nsa what do they do,

but spy on us.

we pay them to spy on us...

we are really that dumbed down B!!

Shut down the IRS?

How does the IRS penalize you?

Do you make over $250,000/yr?

If you make less than that, the IRS has little or no impact on your earnings.

I have no idea why 80% of the population, earn less than $250,000/yr think their interests are the same as those that make more than that. A whole lot more!

This is why things are fuck up. The gullibility of the American citizens.

 

[thoughtone]

stupid solution,

how about shutting down the irs and cia..

thats like five trillion right there!

Boom problem fixed for life!!!


acting like there are no other fuckin options

but to reach in our pockets..

that shit is wearing thin!!!

shut down fuckin nsa what do they do,

but spy on us.

we pay them to spy on us...

we are really that dumbed down B!!

Shut down the IRS?

How does the IRS penalize you?

Do you make over $250,000/yr?

If you make less than that, the IRS has little or no impact on your earnings.

I have no idea why 80% of the population, earn less than $250,000/yr think their interests are the same as those that make more than that. A whole lot more!

This is why things are fuck up. The gullibility of the American citizens.

 

[Mrfreddygoodbud]

Shut down the IRS?

How does the IRS penalize you?

Do you make over $250,000/yr?

If you make less than that, the IRS has little or no impact on your earnings.

I have no idea why 80% of the population, earn less than $250,000/yr think their interests are the same as those that make more than that. A whole lot more!

This is why things are fuck up. The gullibility of the American citizens.

fuck all that, bullshit, shut em down,

the folks making over a qtr milly are always

tryin to hide shit, or find some loophole or shelter..

those making under that, cant really afford the accountants

to play that game, so we just get fucked...

 

[thoughtone]

fuck all that, bullshit, shut em down,

the folks making over a qtr milly are always

tryin to hide shit, or find some loophole or shelter..

those making under that, cant really afford the accountants

to play that game, so we just get fucked...

Bullshit!

Name one person making less than $250,00/yr that lost any thing because of taxes?

Rich tax cheats are getting away with shit just like rich criminals. They can hire better lawyers and accountants.

Should all laws be abolished because the rich get over or should we close the loopholes and enforce the laws?

Ain't no such thing as a free lunch son!

 

[actinanass]

From what I read, it sounds like the new republican congress is trying to fix social security for the long run.

 

[thoughtone]

From what I read, it sounds like the new republican congress is trying to fix social security for the long run.

"This is worse than kicking the can down the road -- it will actually make the retirement program worse off, and it does nothing to fix the disability program," Johnson said in a press release.

I guess from your perceptive.

Kind of like Darrell Issa "trying to fix" the Post Office!

 

[actinanass]

I guess from your perceptive.

Kind of like Darrell Issa "trying to fix" the Post Office!

and we had record parcel deliveries this last holiday season.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...-reports-record-holiday-numbers-for-packages/

Why do you say stuff that you know nothing about?

First of all, Fedex, and UPS sends the post office their ground shipments to deliver.

Secondly, Amazon pretty much owns a portion of the post office because of the contract we have with them. Thats why there's sunday deliveries.

Third of all, the post office has the cheapest parcel delivery out of any of the other brands.

 

[G0nBad Real B@d]

The onslaught of ADD, mental Disability, and grandparents adopting grandkids has drained the system.


Sent from my big ass Note 3

 

[thoughtone]

and we had record parcel deliveries this last holiday season.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...-reports-record-holiday-numbers-for-packages/

Why do you say stuff that you know nothing about?

First of all, Fedex, and UPS sends the post office their ground shipments to deliver.

Secondly, Amazon pretty much owns a portion of the post office because of the contract we have with them. Thats why there's sunday deliveries.

Third of all, the post office has the cheapest parcel delivery out of any of the other brands.

I'm pro Post Office.

It is the most efficient way of sending mail. One of the great socialized institutions the Constitution created.

I'm happy for the record December. This indicates that more people are shopping online.

I would prefer more Brick and Mortar buisness. This helps local economies, but technology moves forward.

That being said, this further exposes Issa's nefarious attempt at killing the Post Office with a thousand cuts, literally and figuratively.

Republicans continuously vote against their own personal interests.

 

[thoughtone]

The onslaught of ADD, mental Disability, and grandparents adopting grandkids has drained the system.


Sent from my big ass Note 3

Another right wing republican lie.

Site your source.

 

[actinanass]

I'm pro Post Office.

It is the most efficient way of sending mail. One of the great socialized institutions the Constitution created.

I'm happy for the record December. This indicates that more people are shopping online.

I would prefer more Brick and Mortar buisness. This helps local economies, but technology moves forward.

That being said, this further exposes Issa's nefarious attempt at killing the Post Office with a thousand cuts, literally and figuratively.

Republicans continuously vote against their own personal interests.

You will never get it. The cuts, and deals made by the post office made this record setting season happened.

You're going to have to trust when I say this. The best thing that will really send the post office back to dominance is the fact that gas continues to go down *especially with Keystone eventually*.

 

[thoughtone]

You will never get it. The cuts, and deals made by the post office made this record setting season happened.

You're going to have to trust when I say this. The best thing that will really send the post office back to dominance is the fact that gas continues to go down *especially with Keystone eventually*.

I did part time Christmas work at the post office.

Trust me, the volume of Christmas mail at the post office has gone up every year for over 10 years.

The rise of on line shopping is the reason for this. Cyber Monday?

Issa is forcing the post office to fund their retirement at a rate no other business is required to do. He is trying to force the post office to take on financial obligations at the expense of the non-union parcel companies.

Actually, republicans will be hurt by Issa's assault on the PO.

Closing down smaller post offices in rural areas and ending Saturday mail affects republican areas more than democrats.

Cities always have more post offices.

And oil is become less and less important to the post office. They are in the process of replacing the delivery trucks with CNG and electric vehicles over next next several years.

You sure can work those GOP talking points in to your posts.

 

[SPECTRE1]

The retirement system needs to be completely revamped and updated to modern standards. When the Social Security system was created, very few people had access to the stock market. If we created a retirement system today, it would look completely different due to technology.

1. Impacts the Labor Markets due to retirees and allocation of capital.
2. Affects Economic Development
3. More flexibility in selecting retirement age and allocating capital between the government or private sector based on our choice.

It boils down to this...Do we pump retirement money into the private sector to fund the next technology bust/boom or put money into the government to fund infrastructure projects that improve the quality of life?

There is also other serious errors costing trillions of dollars!!! This makes my improved bank analysis look small.

 

[Mrfreddygoodbud]

Bullshit!

Name one person making less than $250,00/yr that lost any thing because of taxes?

Rich tax cheats are getting away with shit just like rich criminals. They can hire better lawyers and accountants.

Should all laws be abolished because the rich get over or should we close the loopholes and enforce the laws?

Ain't no such thing as a free lunch son!

oh yea,

tell that to the cacs that stole every land they ever been on.

they had a gotdam buffet.... fuck a free lunch...


look you could stay in a sinking ship if you want, I cant wait till it falls apart

and has to be restructured...

how long you think the greedy could keep hoarding and stealing, and the corporate govt keep, printing worthless dollars

so I hope you get your way and everything stays the same..

its only a matter of time then BOOM,

whatcha going to do when all them green paper promissery notes you

been stackin up is worthless??


Im trying to provide solutions to this mess...

and one is

to get rid of agencies, like the irs, federal reserve, cia, and nsa...

trust me, thats ten trillion right there..


sheet cia alone is five trillion a year, them fools got a blank

check with our money


selling crack and shit,

IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD!!!!

there would be NO real ricky ross drug kingpin without the cia!!


is that the bang we getting for our buck???