AARP on Social Security: A Game-Changer for Entitlement Programs?

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I am a member of AARP. To me, it exists for one reason and one reason only, to protect Social Security and Medicare. If it can't do that, then what is the reason for it to exist. Mr. Rother should pack up and leave immediately and that would not be soon enough for me.

DonB of AL 12:04AM June 22, 2011

prior to the Nazi extermination of Jews Hitler began conditioning his people with first vague references to Jews as parasites. He gradually accelerated his program of disinformation until he was blaming Jews for just about every problem Germany had. Now this country is doing that to Seniors. They begin calling our trust funds of medicare and Social Security, a completely off budget items "entitlements" as if it were some kind of welfare program. This is not entitlement, it's our own money that we paid into for 40 years believing it would be paid back when we needed it. Politicians just can't get it off their minds. They booted us out of the workforce at age 50, far to young to retire, and wouldn't let us back in. They borrowed our social security never intending to pay it back. They borrowed against the next three generations, children and grandchildren, and won't be alive to pay that back. the problem is a greedy undisciplined generation that will spend and exploit any source of money they can get their hands on. supplemental security income is stolen from social security funds, that's welfare because recipients, mostly illegal aliens, winos, addicts, and X convicts paid nothing into the fund. they have no right to receive benefits, we working people paid into for our own retirement. Kick the freeloaders off and medicare and social security will be funded for all the foreseeable future. Also send the tax avoiding illegal aliens home and give their jobs to tax paying Americans.

xzimppledink of CA 11:02PM June 21, 2011

I am cancelling my AARP membership ASAP

JOAN PETERS of GA 9:51PM June 21, 2011

repeal the windfall eliination provision...

US News 77 of MA 7:11PM June 21, 2011

A newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch's corporation got a major story wrong.

What a shock.

Tom of NY 4:59PM June 21, 2011

With all the live testimony presented to the President’s Fiscal Commission during its 9+ month life in 2010, I don’t recall one representative from AARP testifying. With all the tens of millions of dollars they collect from members, this is unconscionable! Now that the Fiscal Commission has set an agenda with Medicare/Social Security cuts are under serious consideration, AAPR is scrambling trying to raise fund from its members to fend-off the very real treat of cuts. By definition, whatever cut materialize, they will be much more than if AAPR made the Fiscal Commission’s agenda a 2010 election issue and gave the Tea Party a fight. As the saying goes, “A stich in time saves nine”. For AARP to agree to cuts with increasing tax revenue remaining off the table is unconscionable.

The Tea Party thanks you, AARP!!!

Hugh Campbell of NJ 1:38PM June 21, 2011

One of the biggest impacts on the Social Securities financial crisis (bankruptcy) is the outsourcing of hundreds of thousnads of jobs overseas. Companies fight to keep costs down or try to increase profits by outsourcing jobs overseas. These jobs are lost forever as well as the contributions made by both the emploee and the employer. The overseas outsourcing is killing Soc. Sec.

George of NY 12:43PM June 21, 2011

NOTHING HAS CHANGED. So why is the AARP changing its position?

Here are the facts:

1. The Social Security Amendments of 1983 were designed to "fix" Social Security's long-term solvency problem.

2. The 1983 payroll tax hike has generated $2.6 trillion in surplus Social Security revenue.

3. If the surplus revenue had been saved and invested, as was the intent of the law, the trust fund would today hold $2.6 trillion in real marketable assets that could be sold in the open market to raise enough money to pay full benefits until 2036.

4. The government did not save or invest any of the surplus revenue, Instead, it was all diverted to the general fund and used to finance tax cuts, wars, and other government programs.

These facts have been true for many years, and the AARP has always acknowledged the first three. But the AARP has adamently denied fact number 4. It has repeatedly argued that the money was saved and invested in government bonds "just like the bonds held by the Chinese government." Is the AARP now acknowledging that the money is gone, and it is, therefore, necessary to cut benefits?

Allen W. Smith, Ph.D.

Professor of Economics, Emeritus

Eastern Illinois University

Allen W. Smith, Ph.D. of FL 12:17PM June 21, 2011

Why is the government discriminating against social security and medicare benefits? We all paid about 20% of our earnings for these retirement plans. The government should reduce all other federal retirement and health care programs as well to make up any shortfall. After all, Congress spent or lost the money that was contributed to these programs by American Workers. What am I missing here?????

Any comments?

USA Worker of NY 11:49AM June 21, 2011

Rother must GO! My 401k has been reduced a third, my house the same; now he throws in the towel on the last leg of retirement. This fund which had been pay as you go is fully funded for nearly 30 years does not need to be touched. It is backed with the same bonds as China and the US has never not met a bond obligation. Even if we are in a depression we will be out of it by 2018 or 2020. The benefits now earned will still be around. The smaller x gen will be augmented by the larger Y gen offspring of baby boomers. Social security is the last leg of your retirement and should not be lowered or means tested, it is an earned benefit put there by my employer and myself with 7% of my earnings deposited by each of us. It has been paid a paltry interest to the governments benefit even in double digit interest rate years. The cola should reflect the costs of food, energy and medical costs and not be lowered under any circumstance.

Foxlor of CA 11:30AM June 21, 2011

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