Social Security's Wheel of Fortune

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Social Security, as it is presently structured, is a social welfare program. I believe that about one third of payments are to those who have not paid into the system. Why then do we allow so many people (Senators, Congressmen, municipal employees, teachers) opt out of the system. They should, at a minimum be required to pay their share of the social welfare part of the system.

Russell of CA 2:25PM November 25, 2009

I like Ronald F. answer. It sounds like a great solution.

Martha Maust and Larry Brown of IN 11:17PM October 16, 2009

John of MA is right.If the average person on the street did what our political folks in DC did to SS,they would be in prison!How about all the State Attorney Generals in this nation bring criminal charges against all the Congressmen and Senators who got the idea to borrow(steal) from Social Security.If we don't do that first,they will just turn around and steal whatever is done to put more money into it.Next,take some of the great ideas in this forum and fix SS.Also,fix some of the gross injustices of SS like keeping the disabled stuck in time.Example;a person permanently disabled in 1984 is drawing $869 per month after 25 years while a person disabled today would start out around $1200 per month.It's not right.Inflation overtook the 1984 person many years earlier.It's a very sad state we have allowed them to get in,plus they're disabled,so they can't go out and earn a little bit of money to help themselves.

JP of AL 10:49PM October 16, 2009

I am currently receiving Social Security benefits & believe me-it's impossible to make ends meet every month. Not getting a cost of living increase is going to hurt alot of people, most of them law abiding citizens who worked hard all their lives & had S.S. taken out of their wages. Something needs to be done soon!

dyan moore of CA 7:13PM October 16, 2009

Stop all retirement payments to all members of Congress until they really fix the system so the poor citizens are not always at the end of the line.

Chris Davy 4:42PM October 16, 2009

If the government would leave the surplus in Social Security that is left after everyone has been paid (Yes there is a surplus and the government writes an I.O.U. every month for it and just takes it to do what ever they please.) Then there would be more than enough money and maybe it would be funding itself by now the benefits would be higher and less taxes taken out of our checks if any.
Al Gore was right Social Security should be a locked box.
It's the government's fault and the taxpayers problem again to suffer. Glad the big shot politians had fun with our money again.
When is it ever going to start ending. Vote the good old boy network out.
People in this country have got to get a clue look at us now.

John of MA 3:04PM October 16, 2009

It seems to be the logical choice to inact a combination of adjustments. First,increase the cap to reach the 90% range. Secondly, increase the initial age to 65 and for full benifits to age 70. These changes may be painful but they are manageable.

jcl of NE 12:26PM October 16, 2009

It seems to be the logical choice to inact a combination of adjustments. First,increase the cap to reach the 90% range. Secondly, increase the initial age to 65 and for full benifits to age 70. These changes may be painful but they are manageable.

jcl of NE 12:26PM October 16, 2009

Dr. Ron
Your comment was indeed eye-opening -- and I've been searching the Internet for over half an hour trying to find your referenced "Social Security Actuary Depatment in their February 2005 report to Congress."
The following appears to be the weblink
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/TR/TR05/trTOC.html
but there is no mention of a "... Provision #14 in the report that says raise the wage cap to unlimited but keep benefit payouts per the current system."
A link would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Michael
Denver, CO

Michael C. Schaefer of CO 12:46AM October 14, 2009

We have been advocating to our representatives and senators for years to increase the cap and the tax rate to no avail. Even though we would be subject to increased taxes by raising the cap, we would gladly pay it. Second, and missing from the article, is the python effect of the upcoming baby boomer retirement bulge. For those who care to look longer term, if the current rate and current cap remain in place, by 2060 or a little later, the social security system will once again be in balance and taking in more money than it pays out when all us baby boomers start to die off. A true alternative would be to both raise the cap and increase the tax slightly with an expiration date sometime after the baby boomer bulge is passed.

of 8:32AM October 12, 2009