Today's paper says Disability Funding is running low and ....

[DDD]

some Gov't leaders suggest that they use the Social Security fund to make sure disability checks can still go out. WTH! Social Security Funds were guaranteed to be locked away for the protection of the senior citizens etc. who put the money in the fund. In their wisdom some years ago they started "stealing" the SS funds for other purposes, SS's future is in jeopardy and now they want to rob that fund to pay for disability?

I am not political activist. I am a consistent voter. Somehow, however, I think each of us has to take some kind of action to curb the insanity in our government. The majority leadership refuses to even consider taxing the highest echelons of our financial community. That's "off the table". Otoh taking funds from disability and social security is "on the table". I think I need to find time to increase voter registrations. The ballot box seems to be the only recourse. Sigh! DDD

[donna723]

DDD, I agree with you 100%! And now that I'm retired, I'll tell you something else that burns me up! If I hear Social Security and Medicare referred to as "entitlement programs" one more time ... I might just lose my reputation forbeing a non-violent person! This makes it sound like a handout, a giveaway! I worked and paid in to those programs all my adult life! Nobody is "handing" me anything I haven't already paid for! And Medicare certainly is not a handout! I PAY for it, and I pay over twice as much now for my Medicare coverage as I did for my medical insurance when I was working ... and I have less coverage now than what my group insurance at work covered!

My kids are now 35 and 30 and both of them have worked and paid in to the system since they were 16. And neither one of them will probably ever get a dime of that back!

[Hound dog]

I don't care which party side they're on, politicians today are so caught up in dancing to the tune of special interests and others that will get them funds for the next election they've stopped worrying about the country as a whole or the people that populate it. I won't even get into how they manage to line their own pockets along the way.

I've found a potential candidate I like. The man has a brain and knows how to use it. He has good sense. I like what he has to say better than those continuing to just spout the line of whatever party they happen to be in or what they "believe" people want to hear. Sad part is, his odds of being elected are slim as he's never held an office before. Which to me at this point is a HUGE plus in his favor.

And then what are they gonna do when there are no funds to pay either the disability or the social security checks? Idiots.

At some point they've got to stop the bandaide approach. It doesn't work. It's never worked. It's what has gotten us to this point in the first place. And they're still at it. Disgusting.

I've voted in every election since I turned 18. This time I'm finding it difficult to find any one of them I trust worth a snot not to make it worse.

[witzend]

This is the very reason that I AM a political activist. The government is not going to take care of us now that we let them get away with stealing from the poorest of the poor for the past 30 years. As a payroll specialist I can tell you that this IS going to happen in some way. There is a cap on the contributions to Social Security Once you make more than $106,000 you pay a lower rate on that income above $106k. And that the "tax relief" we got last year was that they started taking the employee's SS tax out at half the rate they have, and only the employer pays the full portion. That wasn't "tax relief" that was stealing from your pension. The employer is not going to stand for that forever they have a MUCH bigger lobby than you and I do. And they're talking about extending the break to employees which was only to have lasted for a year. The employers are BOUND to cry "foul" for getting left out of that!

Social Security and Medicare are for the most part self-funded. It made a heck of a lot of sense to limit the tax to medicare to your first $200,000 in 1954 when it was created. Who thought that so many people would be earning more than $200,000 a year? They've NEVER raised it. Who thought that they'd add prescriptions to it and NOT FUND THEM?

They need to raise the cap on these programs. They already robbed these programs for a year by asking people only to contribute half of their previous contribution. If they didn't have caps on the taxes on wages MOST employers - who DON'T have employees making over $200k a year - won't see any difference. In fact, they could lower the tax for employers AND employees and get rid of the caps and make both programs solvent. Instead they want to call the sick and the poor "Socialists" and "lazy". Well, let me tell you, this is absolutely what our next set of elected officials plan to do to us. They won't do it before 2012 but it hangs in the balance after that. There will be the "well, I had no idea it was so bad when I was running for office". BS. It's that bad. And it's that easy to fix. If these things matter to you (not singling anyone out here, this is for everyone I know) you need to find out who your candidates are, and more importantly you need to tell them who YOU are and what matters to you. Because I guarantee you we are on our way to being the next poverty class and they won't bat an eyelash as they do it to us.

[Dammit Janet]

I also think its idiotic to have people like Bill Gates and folks who make millions and billions of dollars a year over their lifetimes eligible for SS and medicare. They have the ability to line up very lucrative retirement funds all on their own. They dont need the measly amount SS is going to pay them.

I am on disability but I paid into it for however long I was able to work. Yes it wasnt as long as I will get disability should I actually live until I am actually elderly. Its a sad state of affairs.

[DDD]

Interestingly the article said that the "crisis" with Disability benefits is that many of the disabled were able to hold jobs and be at least partially independent before the economy tanked. Now there are more apps. and the fear that there will be no money to cover the need. How many times can we say "DUH!"

A few months ago I encouraged people to contact their elected officials about the Budget Crisis. I did contact all of mine. One...yes, ONE...did more than send a canned message. His "people" have me on their list and email me his press releases before he goes to press. Is that a huge thing? No, of course not, but he is the only one. He is not a member of my party but unbeknowst to him I have voted for him before and likely will again. These guys live in their world and with the PAC money they only reach out during election season. DDD

[witzend]

You know, if Bill Gates would pay into the funds on all of his income I wouldn't have a problem with him collecting. Don't forget, he has to retire first, and I doubt he ever will. I never would! But just like everyone else, he stops paying into Medicare after the first $106,000, and his SS payment goes down after $200,000 and eventually goes away. It's not right that the wealthy get all the breaks on ALL of their income and don't also CONTRIBUTE on all of their income.

[Hound dog]

DDD

We passed signs today, I kid you not, in the lawn of one of our locally run counseling services that do a LOT for the county. Guess what they read?

GET YOUR DISABILITY NOW! SIGN UP TODAY!

No bet where katie went to sign M up, and probably herself and Evan while she is at it. It's the same agency that gives her free rides.

[witzend]

Lisa, I'm sure the kids could use the help... Somebody has to look out for them. Too bad Katie will be cashing the check.

[Hound dog]

Katie would've done it anyway. She'd planned it at least as far back as Dec.

It's the sign that caused my jaw to drop. I've never seen something like that ever!