I kinda think (under OUR economic system, supposedly of opportunity) that ALL benefits should be means tested.

Ergo. IF you prospered so well under our Laws and freedoms as to have a genuine excess then you should be willing to forego SOME of your benefits to the overall fund (those that paid in less than they collect).

As to any Federal Income Tax rate. THAT should be just low enough to fund the Gov't BUT make OUR Representatives actually do their jobs and make choices sanely as to HOW to spend the tax dollars!
AND, once the budget is balanced (as it WAS under Clinton!) and we can start paying down the National debt THEN the rate could ostensibly be LOWERED!

Posted by strikeout26 on 2/16/2023 8:39:00 AM (view original):

Posted by wylie715 on 2/15/2023 9:50:00 PM (view original):

Posted by strikeout26 on 2/15/2023 9:02:00 AM (view original):

Posted by wylie715 on 2/15/2023 2:25:00 AM (view original):

Posted by strikeout26 on 2/14/2023 10:45:00 PM (view original):
Social security should be dissolved. People that have paid in deserve their money, but it’s a terrible system. Yes. I understand a lot of elderly people rely on it for survival, but it is the government’s way of compelling people to invest in retirement. The government’s job is not to protect people from themselves. That is what SSI does. If people invested the same money that is withheld for SSI in mutual funds they would see a MUCH bigger return over a 40 year period than what they receive from social security.

Government welfares programs are also garbage. They disincentivize hard work. We have them because the religious and social communities have failed. I do believe that we need social safety nets, but the federal government should be the last line of defense. It has become the primary line. Also, able-bodied people should not receive wages without earning them. If people receive welfare, they should be required to work. I believe San Diego County has this, but one of you west coasters can correct me if I’m wrong.

don't know that I agree about SS. My mom, could not have survived without SS the last 10 years of her life without it. Was her lack of any retirement funds her fault? Partially, but my Dad had alzheimers and much of her saving (which admittedly were not much) went towards his care. What should she have done?
I do agree that SS is not a great system, but I doubt our government can come up with anything better. Unles of course it benefits the congressmen and senators who would need to approve it.

Had your mom invested the same money that was withheld from her check, she would have had more money in retirement. Obviously I didn’t know your mother, so I’m speaking generally, but the problem is that most people are financially irresponsible.

Knowing my Mom & Dad, they probably would have been broke a lot earlier than with social security. My parents were both very intelligent people(no, I don't know what happened to me) but they were not the greatest financial planners.

Unfortunately your parents were and still are the rule, not the exception. My parents are the same way. But I still believe it’s not the government’s responsibility to protect people from themselves. SSI penalizes those that are financial responsibility to provide a safety net for those that aren’t.

so, maybe SS should be a choice. Opt in and it is deducted from your paycheck. Don't opt in and it is not. If you don't opt in and foolishly lose all your money that is on you.

Sounds like a winner to me, Wylie!

yeah, me too...so it will never happen.

Lol. You ain’t wrong about that.