When Bears Rant…..people should listen

MoonHowler

I got the following email last night.  It seemed to be more than a rant.  Often our words are careless–like when we call something people have paid in to most of their lives an entitlement, like someone is doing them a favor. 

Go Bear!

Guest post by BEAR Jones

The following is a rant, feel free to delete without reading!

I spent some time today looking over my Federal Earnings Record.

I started paying Social Security Taxes in 1959 (year before I graduated High School)

I started paying Medicare Taxes in 1966

I continued paying both until I retired in 2005

I’m 69 years old now and those A-holes in Washington say I’m in an “Entitlement Program”

I feel like I spent 40+ years paying “Retirement Insurance” premiums. Now they want to screw with the funding of these programs! I’m not even complaining about all the tax money I gave Federal , State and Local government to fund their activities.(which I’m still paying) I held up my end of the deal with the Government and they shouldn’t be allowed to change their end of the deal.

 Sorry, I needed to vent…..Bear

We all need to think before we call Social Security and Medicare ‘entitlement programs.’  It sounds like our retirees are on some sort of free hand-out program rather than something they have paid in to their entire lives. 

[Plan taken down.  Too expensive.  But the rant remains.]

The Republican Debate: The Social Security Question and the Baby Boomers

MoonHowler

Social Security was the top question during tonight’s CNN/Tea Party Debate.   Everyone admits that there are serious problems with Social Security and that the program, as it exists, it not sustainable for those young people who are now paying in to it.

At least one  of the candidates has called it a ponzi scheme.  Others would give young people the option of putting their funds into private accounts.  There are many fixes out there being discussed.  However, none of the answers address how you fund for the people still in the program.  What needs to happen to Social Security and how can any candidate who wants to tweak Social Security get elected?  The baby boomers are going to be a serious force to be reckoned with. 

Anyone 50 to 65 is a baby boomer.  That is a rather huge voting  block.  I simply don’t think anyone who seriously challenges the Social Security is going to be elected.  There are too many boomers and seniors.  The boomers aren’t nuts and they will turn up the heat on this issue.   They have the numbers.  They have been paying in to a system for a life time and it is going to be pay back time.

What would you do if you were running for president?  How would you do the impossible?