Get Ready for the Coming Social Security Fight

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The critical question, to be asked in any proposal to change Social Security, is what happens to the payroll tax contributions already being collected? Pres. Ronald Reagan successfully cut back welfare programs, but then diverted the savings to the defense budget. He chose bombs over people. How America spends its money says a lot about who we are.

Tom Tripp of MN 6:02AM June 10, 2012

We need to cut the salary for the senators and congressmen, take their retirment package and give them Social Security and Medicare. Cut all their vacation time, maybe they would get some work done, give the 3 weeks a year. Give a much earned raise to the military and better benifits, they deserve more than the politicans. Plus we never gave any of these benifits to the politicans, they gave it to themselves. It's nice to be generous to me while the rest of the country does without. If they have our benifits we will see how fast and willing they are to fix it. Next There should be a law against them taking any money from anyone for any reason. We don't send them to Washington to sell themselves to the highest bidder, we send them to represent the people. It seems as soon as the get there they forget why they went and now they are just a prostitute. There should be a law, and if they are caught they should lose their seat and be prosecuted. When are people going to realize there is nothing special about them and there is no reason why they should be getting away with the crap they do. This still is America, the rich haven't bought us out yet, but they will if Romney gets in office.

Marge Berkeyheiser of NJ 6:43PM June 09, 2012

What we need is to have all Senators and congressmen pay into the system as every working American and them cut their Retirement in half so this way we all can manage our retirement and future retires.No free medical as they are to use the medicare system as we do and give more to the military for their healthcare for fighting a war on foreign soil, these people fought so others can live free.I'm tired of the whining by Polititions who live off the working class,represent me like you should and not to load up your pockets .

Bill G of NY 10:15AM June 09, 2012

Re: 12: Look, we already tax Social Security benefits for retirees with sufficient other income. That seems close enough to "means testing" to be regarded as such. If you want more, Congress surely can adjust the rates.
13. Calculate SS benefits just as is done now. Then make a forward projection (just as is done now.) If the forward projection goes negative any time in the next 50 years, reduce the computed benefits by 1% (but not lower than they are.) The compounding of those 1% cuts should guarantee perpetual solvency.
This is a cut in benefits. The idea is to make preserving the self-funding of Social Security of a higher priority. In the future Congress could increase benefits if needed and if that can be afforded. Absent that, keep the program going, keep it self-supporting.

Brad Spencer of WI 1:30PM June 08, 2012