Tag: SS

It’s been awhile since I’ve written you because — well, let me be honest — you’re really not interested.  In one of my wilder moments, I wondered:  What if I stole some stationery from Peter Peterson’s office, or faked his stationery.  Perhaps that would get Dick’s attention though no doubt they speak on the ‘phone often enough and do not bother with letters.

At any rate – you have been been at it again – the entitlement blitz.  Recently on Fox, you said:

…because Social Security is going to run out of money in 20 years.  I want to fix it now before we reach that cliff.  Medicare may run out of money in ten years.  Let’s fix it now.  And that means addressing the skyrocketing costs of healthcare.  That’s what Obamacare is focused on.  If we don’t focus on healthcare and dealing with entitlements the baby boom generation is going to blow our future.  

Oh my –

This is a lie, Dick and you know it.  Though very clever indeed you somehow putting Obamacare in the white hat and the entitlement progams in the dastardly black hats.  But we’re on to you buddy and your cohorts in DC – you guys need to get real jobs.  

A few months back this site was awash in pro-libertarian sentiment, but since the Paul boys have been a big part of the successful “Attack on America’s Poor and Middle  Act, Pt 1,” we’ve heard crickets about them.

Ron Paul (who voted for the original and totally crazy house bill) has criticized this act, because it didn’t hurt the poor enough:

According to the non-partisan CATO Institute, this bill merely commits Congress to spending less than it otherwise would

(yes, sure Ronny, CATO is non-partison)

Well, in fairness, he did criticize the “Super Congress”.

But, um…  why?

The rich might get taxed a little bit:

This guarantees that Members will face tremendous pressure to vote for whatever comes out of this commission- even if it includes tax increases.

Sen. Paul and Rep. Paul were both signatories to the Cut, Cap and Balance Pledge on the debt ceiling. The debt ceiling pledge required its signatories to pressure lawmakers to cut federal spending, cap federal spending and pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution as preconditions to a “yes” vote on the debt ceiling.

So, the ‘libertarians’ want to amend the constitution? Nice.

Meanwhile, Rand has been babbling about

runaway entitlement spending

.

Really, bucko?

When exactly did the ever falling bit of money the richest country in the world spends on the same people whose money it actually is in the first place become “runaway” ?

Who exactly pays for Social Security anyway? You congress perps?

The rich people you want to ‘liberate’?

No.

maximum wage base for social security tax is $106,800

Meaning that for every millionaire or billionaire, the max they pay is based on  $106,800.

Workers pay either 6.2%, or 12.4% if self employed.  For employers, this 6.2% is basically tax deductible, so in many cases, they don’t pay it either.

If a young bride were to come to me and ask for homemaking advice (unlikely since I’ve never been married) – my maxim would be “Never Leave an Ironing Board up Overnight in the Kitchen.”  You can leave it up in the dining or living room because when company comes – you are sure to clean it off and parcel it off to the basement or nearest closet.  But in the kitchen, it becomes counter space, and one morning with a cab honking outside waiting to take you to the airport, you will be ironing your white cotton blouse on the real granite counter space and wondering where your luggage tags are, the ones you bought last year.  They are on the ironing board where you put them about six months ago, now covered by unfinished crossword puzzles, Spanish grammar books (unopened), several items of clothing needing new zippers and buttons and three cats sitting with their paws folded watching you with interest.  (Where is she going do you think?  Who will feed us?)  A minor advisory warning, but certainly worth thinking about.



Social Security and Self-Esteem – Self-Worth – Self-Confidence (you know that kind of stuff)

If SS is cut in a real meaningful way, older women will be in the center pathway of that oncoming truck crash. I am a member of the Silent Generation – raised by children of the depression.  I watched my father especially trying to navigate in this money equals worth world with a kind of timidity and lack of self-esteem as closely as only girl children observe their fathers – with a mixture of anger and pity.  It certainly was a marker to my future choice of men – I am a rescuer and then I get angry.  ‘Nuff said.  That would require a novel so I won’t elucidate.  My mother was feisty but looking back I think women are allowed a leeway that men aren’t as far as rebellion against an unjust society – just enough, mind you – but women just aren’t threatening the way men are.  Or maybe it was just a reaction to the husband she married.  My father was a good and gentle man.  He was very smart – could have been an engineer had he been born a few years later or had some meaningful help.  But I am pretty much what I am due to the scars of that 30s depression – it defined him and I have to fight for other definition markers.  My son, having been raised by me alone, has exactly the opposite tendencies.  He needs to worry more, not less.  He may be learning these hard lessons now (another diary) but that is also a legacy of that ’30s political and economic landscape – these damages are handed down one, two generations.  And they are costly, in oh so many ways, financially and damming up a creativity and spirituality and generosity of spirit because we are afraid.  As to self-sacrifice, in my experience we are good at that.  Dick Durben, in his exhortation to us older ladies to stop whining and face the reality of self-sacrifice needs to observe his constitutency (or should I say prior constituency) – and honor us, not slap us around.  But what the heck – he’s a member of Congress.  What can we expect?

Self worth, self confidence translates into a productive society with enough for everyone, happiness included.  These financial breakdowns managed by thieves and murderers and aided by sissy lawmakers make sure there will be monumental breaks in society every so often.  Count on it.

 

This morning on my way home from the Italian deli, I stopped in at a corner shop that sells cigarettes, milk, candy – that sort of thing.  Normally, I walk in get what I need and smile at whomever is around.  It’s a place where working class guys hang out and truth to tell, sometimes in the morning you can smell the liquor on their breaths.  But mostly, they stop for awhile to talk to each other and get back in their delivery trucks or construction trucks and move on.

I bought a 99cents bag of potato chips – it’s a real treat.  Salt is not good for me but occasionally I’ll eat a few chips and throw the rest to the birds.  I put a dollar on the counter and the female clerk (certainly not working toward any award for politness) said “That’s a dollar and nine cents, lady.”  (Okay, for one wild moment I forgot I lived in Cook County, Illlnois.) and I said:  “Oh right, got to pay for their Cook County pensions.”  Now there is nothing wrong with government pensions but there are such a slew of stories of how many Cook County employees abuse the system – it’s newspaper worthy at least once a week.  

And what followed was a chorus worthy of spectators at a wrestling match.  Three men in the back started yelling about their years of working and how they expect SS payments.  The woman clerk told me she tore up her voting card, mailed it to the WH and told the President to stick it up (well you know).  Another man grabbed my arm and told me he sure as hell was entitled and spelled the word for me “e.n.t.i.t.l.e.d.” after working since 1970.  The others in the back continued to yell about the Democrats – and some guys standing on the corner came inside and began a riff about government workers.  Now this is a Democratic suburb – a working class suburb, though it is showing signs of moving up and I’m sure the slimy developers will be here soon.  

I talked briefly to the guy who was hanging on to my arm.  He had sketchy information and I shared what I knew.  He was afraid Republicans would win elections because of the SS scare and they’d be worse than what we have now.  And boy did I learn some new words and/or phrases from the guys in the back as to the political class we have now.

All told, there were about 15 guys in there when I left yelling about the system and their SS.  

Okay – here’s what I want to know.  Where the hell is the Democratic Committee of my suburb and the Democratic Party of Cook County talking to its base about what is going on.  Giving them the proper information (if they even get it themselves) – making some sort of “plan.”  A sensible plan to get these people to take the right kind of action – instead of their endless golf outings, cocktail parties and general ennui.  Don’t they get it.  These people need to be educated.  I’ve sent a lot of material to the newspaper here in the hopes that a reporter I was dealing with on another matter would write a column about how it is going to affect our people here – elderly and boomers – and well, everyone.

Most of our elderly couples and women especially own their own homes outright and are making a serious effort to remain there ’til the end.  We are talking about a suburb known for its beautiful old brick bungalows.  That phrase: “They don’t build them like this anymore” – that phrase belongs in our suburb.  I have considered myself would that be considered an “asset” if they do means testing.  And from our Democratic Party here:  crickets.  (Caveat:  our City does do a good job with its older population on many matters but apparently education is not necessary to their way of thinking.)