Sanders: 'We have got to apologize for slavery

[churchmouse]

You already have something in excess of 12% contributed to social security. If this amount was "yours", rather than a government trust account, I think there would be less objection. Take it out of the hands of government and make it a quasi-corporation. No political involvement.

Looking back, I know I would have felt better about having a plan that I own.

Was there not a time when SS was solvent. Then the Dems. started raiding it and leaving IOU's or some such thing. I may be off on this but if memory serves.

 

[BugI02]

Let me get this straight. There is a legal mechanism through the courts by which people who have suffered financial loss due to the negligence of another can recover part or all of their losses, and that mechanism does not require government regulation? That's just crazy talk.

Even with Kirk AND HoughMade in your corner, good luck suing JPMorgan Chase. Don Quixote would be proud.

 

[BugI02]

Was there not a time when SS was solvent. Then the Dems. started raiding it and leaving IOU's or some such thing. I may be off on this but if memory serves.

You remember correctly. If they had left T-Bills instead of IOUs we might not need to be having this discussion.

 

[BugI02]

And IIRC I believe you will find it was the Repubs who didn't want SS investing the money as they were concerned about such massive gov't investing distorting the markets (and this was a valid concern)

 

[Alpo]

You remember correctly. If they had left T-Bills instead of IOUs we might not need to be having this discussion.

It seems to me that T-Bills and IOU's are the same thing. Soc Sec Notes presently draw 4% I think. Either way, money is printed when needed or public debt is incurred.

The social security trust fund is solvent. Actuarially, there are problems down the road, but if we put a stake in the ground today, I believe that those 55 and older will be able to be funded fully out of the trust fund and its earnings into the future. That would give those younger than 55 a chance at a new type of plan.

Disability is where the problems occur and will really be in trouble within a year or so. 60 minutes did an expose' on this program and it is fraught with corruption on the part of claimants, their lawyers and their doctors. That program needs an immediate fix or congress needs to stop funding it. The program is so abused that I'd elimination of funding it is a wise alternative. Get the people of West Virginia working at Wal-Mart but close the fund.

 

[BugI02]

Have to agree on SSDI. Cant see any way to reform the program enough to overcome its problems . Time to put it down (and who didn't know this when you hear SSDI benefits lawyers advertising on late night TV with the ambulance chasers). T Bills are indeed a form of gubmint IOU but they have very specific repayment rules and schedules as opposed to IOUs. I predict peeps still wouldn't want to pay the bills when they came due, they just may have come to that conclusion sooner when the bills were smaller.

 

[churchmouse]

It seems to me that T-Bills and IOU's are the same thing. Soc Sec Notes presently draw 4% I think. Either way, money is printed when needed or public debt is incurred.

The social security trust fund is solvent. Actuarially, there are problems down the road, but if we put a stake in the ground today, I believe that those 55 and older will be able to be funded fully out of the trust fund and its earnings into the future. That would give those younger than 55 a chance at a new type of plan.

Disability is where the problems occur and will really be in trouble within a year or so. 60 minutes did an expose' on this program and it is fraught with corruption on the part of claimants, their lawyers and their doctors. That program needs an immediate fix or congress needs to stop funding it. The program is so abused that I'd elimination of funding it is a wise alternative. Get the people of West Virginia working at Wal-Mart but close the fund.

Well........now you are getting into an area I fully understand. My wife is 56. She is drawing disability. There is not another person more deserving. She has worked hard all of her life and paid the premium tax rates on a high income career. Even with a paper trail of medical issues miles long we had to fight to get this for her.
Now, also knowing maybe 6 people that are drawing it and are doing so fraudulently. They have paid little if anything into the system but feel OK scamming it.
Yes, get the frauds out of the system. There are many who are not taking advantage.

The frauds have been reported to no avail.

 

[KG1]

Yeah it's pretty amazing how the SSDI ranks swelled when the economy tanked and jobs dried up.

 

[BugI02]

No onus on the Mrs intended CM. You would think that with all they can do with 'big data' that they could weed out some of the fraudsters

 

[churchmouse]

No onus on the Mrs intended CM. You would think that with all they can do with 'big data' that they could weed out some of the fraudsters

Exactly. I did not take it as directed our way. It is a huge burden on the system.
There are many who do need the help. There are just as many snaking the program.
I do believe it is another way that those in power are buying support through fraud.

 

[Alpo]

I knew that was probably a lightning rod. But the system is widely abused and also covers more types of claimants than it should methink. Childhood disabilities are probably another hot area, but with so many kids diagnosed with autism, the system wasn't designed to handle that volume of claimants. Disability for the worker, sure. There are many people injured on the job or experience a debilitating illness or injury that paid into the system. But it's not insurance for the whole family or those who run out of unemployment payments.

 

[KG1]

I knew that was probably a lightning rod. But the system is widely abused and also covers more types of claimants than it should methink. Childhood disabilities are probably another hot area, but with so many kids diagnosed with autism, the system wasn't designed to handle that volume of claimants. Disability for the worker, sure. There are many people injured on the job or experience a debilitating illness or injury that paid into the system. But it's not insurance for the whole family or those who run out of unemployment payments.

Bingo. That's what I was referring to with my previous post.

 

[Ericpwp]

I believe that there are people that raise their kids to have behavioral problems to get the extra income.

 

[PRasko]

Why should I apologize for slavery? My great grandparents came here in the '20s....

 

[churchmouse]

I believe that there are people that raise their kids to have behavioral problems to get the extra income.

It is a way of life for more than you know.

 

[churchmouse]

I knew that was probably a lightning rod. But the system is widely abused and also covers more types of claimants than it should methink. Childhood disabilities are probably another hot area, but with so many kids diagnosed with autism, the system wasn't designed to handle that volume of claimants. Disability for the worker, sure. There are many people injured on the job or experience a debilitating illness or injury that paid into the system. But it's not insurance for the whole family or those who run out of unemployment payments.

Emotions can run deep on this one. Being a part of that program does make me want to defend it but on the other hand I see the scammers as well.

 

[Alpo]

The fraud could be stopped. Put IRS agents (take a few ATF guys too) on it instead of pestering working folks and things would improve soon. As it is, it's up to Justice and who knows what priority it has?

When the program starts hitting a liquidity issue, things might get done.

But you have my sympathy. Being eligible for funds normally means something serious on the health side and that is never good.

 

[churchmouse]

The fraud could be stopped. Put IRS agents (take a few ATF guys too) on it instead of pestering working folks and things would improve soon. As it is, it's up to Justice and who knows what priority it has?

When the program starts hitting a liquidity issue, things might get done.

But you have my sympathy. Being eligible for funds normally means something serious on the health side and that is never good.

Thanks. Yes, there are a series of issues. Mere shadow of her former self. She is the reason I retired early (62) and I was fed up anyway.

I would be OK with anything they did to clean it up. If you worked on the books and have a serious issue that will keep you from working is 1 thing.

 

[Woobie]

Beyond a certain point, A tool in whose hands. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

A tool in anyone's hands. A hammer is a tool. Period. In a carpenters hands it is a constructive tool. In a murderer's hands it is a weapon. In my 5 year old's hands, it is a tool of destruction. In my hands it is a tool for smashing thumbs. Use does not change nature.

Incidentally, mammon, or mammonas in the Greek, is not money. It is treasure, or riches personified. Once you live your life for wealth, in other words, you have made an idol out of riches, thus personifying it in a sense. It is a more complicated term than just money.

 

[Woobie]

Even with Kirk AND HoughMade in your corner, good luck suing JPMorgan Chase. Don Quixote would be proud.

Large corporations are successfully sued all the time. Usually it is in the form of a class action suit, which would most likely be the case in the situation of the negligence of executives.