So my question for the folks like you is... are you willing to take reduced benefits so my generation doesn't have to keep paying in to an ineffective program? You are in the cat bird seat. You paid in for a lifetime, and will get your benefits. Folks like TB TRumpet and myself would get better return throwing our 6.2 % in the bush.
and if your old ass lives a long time, you'll probably collect more in SS and medicare than you paid in. That means that you'll be no better than the bums living off the goverment dole.
Here's the deal, if you don't pay into SS and have that safety net, everybody know's damn good and well that a large portion of the population will do NOTHING. The goverment will not let a large portion of the old folks starve or end up on the streets, so they are going to recieve goverment help, and you and me will pay ALL of that, at least now, everyone who's working and getting paid on a payroll is contributing something. And all that bullsh!t on here about let them fend for themselves is just not reality. We all know that's not going to happen
Sounds good, let those who either mismanaged their money or have a catastrophic illness that bankrupts them live on the street. Tough titty, right? That's just not reality.
Pie in the sky. I worked with a guy, consevative, followed all the rules, wife worked, paid off his house in 10 years, saved a nice nest egg. He was a contractor, so he didn't have company benefits like I did. Got horribly burned in an electrical arc flash at the plant I work in. Medical insurance covered him 80%. Burn unit, sugeries, therapy sessions, while living on disability insurance cost him his whole life savings and damn near his house. Thank god for those money grubbing, worthless, lawyers, who got him a fair settlement. Bad stuff happens to good people, no matter the "Effort in one's job and fiscal responsiblity " Don't confuse being born on third base with hitting a triple, kemosabe.
I am in the 1st group to have the retirement age pushed back (66th birthday instead of 65th birthday). That's another year I have to work for full benefits even though I paid in for over 40 years. I realize that something needs to be done so I would support any reasonable proposal, including cuts in my benefits. I think privatization is a workable idea except it would only work for people with initiative. It won't work for people who have become accustomed to the liberal idea of something for nothing. Of course George Bush proposed it so it's a horrible idea.
