We need to propose bold ideas like reducing SocSec to age 50.

[CK_John]

This will generate a heated response and force the GOP to produce a jobs program.

Take a look at Europe and tell people that will be us if we don't try new things. A new TVA progran, a CCC program.

A big gamble but without some bold no Nov fun.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

1. Agreed. That's the best way to compromise. Aim high, settle for what you really wanted. nt

[CTyankee]

13. Yep, but I doubt if that would be a realistic opening bid. Do you really think so?

I would say 55 or maybe 60. But not 50.

Certainly, I would LIKE to say 50 but that is not going to happen.

We have to be somewhat realistic....even 60 is pretty unrealistic at this point, don't you think?

[annabanana]

14. Doesn't matter

You always start out aiming high... even astonishingly high..

Watch "American Pickers" sometime. It's a great lesson on the art of barter...

[CTyankee]

15. I don't know about american pickers. What is that? It's interesting to me...

[annabanana]

19. TV show on the History Channel

Couple of guys drive around the country buying "junk" off of eccentrics and other interesting people way out in rural America..

http://www.history.com/shows/american-pickers

[CTyankee]

50. OMG, that sounds like the least likely program I would want to watch.

Not at all my cup of tea...but, thanks, for the information!

[limpyhobbler]

33. Or watch Pawn Stars.

It's that reality show in a pawn shop. They buy stuff and negotiate prices. Same concept.

[CK_John]

17. The problem I see is that jobs will never come back for 50+ group.

It will be 10-15 yr before population catches up with the jobs. If you over 50 and unemployed, your only hope is Mc Jobs, at least a soc sec check will give them some dignity and let them move on with their life.

Also we can give 50% of graduates jobs, so we need to stop having freshmen classes for at least 5yrs.

[karynnj]

53. No college out of high school for a cohort of people born in 5 birth years?

That would be incredibly unfair to them. How do you tell the top student in a competitive school that he/she needs to do something else because there will be no college for 5 years? Also, what do you do with all the suddenly unemployed professors and other school employees. (Consider that by year 4, there will be very very few students left - only those who took more than 4 years to complete. This would kill most private colleges.) Not to mention, the government does not control the class sizes. At most they can influence the size by cutting back on aid. What that will do is make it so fewer people not born wealthy can attend.

[gkhouston]

35. Hey, it's not like the other side starts with realistic opening bids. n/t

[RKP5637]

2. Yep, agree! No offense meant to Obama at all, but the US is stuck in

a rut. Bold ideas need to be brought forth by all parties to help the majority of citizens, otherwise, we will definitely be Europe. "A new TVA program, a CCC program" would definitely be starters. This, is the country that used to be able to innovate and move forward, now, for several decades, we've been backsliding IMO.

[CK_John]

4. We need to replace every interstate bridge over 25YR before they

fall. Just doit with executive orders if need be. They will yell and scream(GOP) but so what. Bold is good.

[RKP5637]

8. Yep, agree! The problem with the dems is they are too cautions, too

worried about what the R's might think/say/do. It doesn't matter what the R's might think/say/do, if we start moving forward people will see the results and the R's opinion and smears will be meaningless.

[CTyankee]

16. Europe isn't all bad, just some of the southermost countriesl Certainly not the north.

For all the press given Germany Americans don't know how socialistic that country is. It ain't Alabama. Think universal health care, child care, education all the way through either university or trade school. There are social safety nets in place there that would blow the minds of most Americans.

Don't believe this shit about how Germany is some capitalistic paradise! Plenty of socialism there for their people!

Oh and BTW, Socialist Sweden is now now running a budget SURPLUS!

Go figure, republicans!

[RKP5637]

18. We need to change the financial model so desperately for the US,

but with the mix of money and power, greed and all those on the take in politics with the corporate revolving doors I really don't see how it's going to come about. And SCOTUS is of little help, with their inane Citizens United decision. All they did was add fuel to the fire.

[muntrv]

3. And Medicare For All.

[CK_John]

5. Put it out there on the table and meld it with new plan for next year.

[slipslidingaway]

24. Yes, and the Dems silenced that idea for the second time under Obama :( n/t

[freshwest]

6. AFL-CIO has proposed something similar, removing the cap and increasing the payments. We have to

Vote the Rethugs out of office before they kill us all. And give their media sources, both print and televised, major hell for propagandizing against Social Security.

[xtraxritical]

29. Corporations are hoarding 2.5 trillion their % of SS should be increased

for all employee income, with no rise in the employees share. Get some real Democrats in Congress!

[NNN0LHI]

7. SS was never intended to be more than a supplement to a real retirement pension

SS alone is barely enough to keep someone from living under a bridge. For a while any way. Because the increasing cost of living will eventually send most people depending on just SS under a bridge to live if they live long enough.

Be better off to unionize and negotiate a real pension. And a 401K is NOT a real pension.

Don

[RKP5637]

9. I spent decades working very hard and have no pension, just a meaningless

401K which lost much of its value.

[DavidDvorkin]

10. Irrelevant

Pensions have largely disappeared. Even the companies that still offer them tend not to keep individual workers employed long enough to earn pensions.

Because of the way the economy has changed, Social Security must be expanded to become a true national pension.

[SunSeeker]

27. Exactly. Pensions and healthcare should not be tied to employment.

Your healthcare should not be dependent on an employer any more that having and living wage in retirement. We should not be left to the whims or incompetence of our employers. These basic human needs should be guaranteed by the taxes you've put in all your working life. We need single payer healthcare and SS at 55.

[limpyhobbler]

41. +1 for a "a true national pension"

Seems like obvious common sense. And so of course we'll be told it's impossible. People deserve to retire with dignity, even if they aren't part of the country club crowd.

[rhett o rick]

12. It is not clear if you agree with the OP or not. Do you support SS or not?

Negotiating a "real" pension is a joke. Ask employees of North West Airlines and many, many other companies. Ask GST steel workers how their "negotiated" pensions worked out. They ended up in Rmoney's Caman account.

Pension plans are an easy target for pirates.

Get the private businesses out of pensions.

[Vincardog]

55. SS lifted the MAJORITY of seniors out of poverty. The problem is that it used to tax 85% of all wage

It has not kept pace with the increase in the top incomes.

We need to lower the retirement age to 45 if that is the age BIDness decides they will no longer hire after.
WE also need to automatically raise the COLA every time Congress raises their own pay.

If you are waiting for America to get strong unions back before doing anything about senior economic security you will be waiting a long time. I can not afford to wait.

[NCTraveler]

11. I think that negotiations from the administration have been lackluster.

I think on many issues they have set their starting point where the would like to be at the end. They must start the negotiation at a more preferable position than where they want to end up.

Instead of discussing the need for changes to SS, do as you have said. Start the conversation with the benefits of lowering it.

Instead of starting the negotiations with support for a public option, begin by educating the populace on the benefits of single payer.

Instead of supporting tax cuts in a stimulus package, tell the people why straight spending will benefit them much sooner.

[xtraxritical]

30. Get a strong Democratic majority in Congress and the President will be FDR's clone!

[NCTraveler]

34. I am not looking for FDRs clone. nt.

[limpyhobbler]

36. What makes you think that? Has he given some indication

of supporting New Deal style policies? If he was going to be FDR's clone wouldn't he already be advocating those kinds of policies?

[hughee99]

43. With a 100 Dem Senators and 435 Dems in congress, we still wouldn't see FDR's clone.

Too many people in congress have to answer to people, and I don't mean "the people".

[RobertEarl]

20. hell yeah

SS and Medicare for everyone over 50 would flat out make this a great country.

Do that and so many jobs will open up it will make china spin.

This is a job for Occupy. Next GA.....

[TrollBuster9090]

21. Medicare for all would be an even better/bolder idea.

MEDICARE FOR ALL.

Three words. It works. It's catchy. It has traction.

They can start by simply bringing all federal government employees (especially the military) under the administration of Medicare. Screw all the other government health care programs. Just erase the other agencies in the name of 'government efficiency.'

Medicare has an overhead of 3% compared to an overhead of 20% or more for private HMOs. And that 3% overhead is the cost of insuring THE MOST EXPENSIVE clients (the elderly) compared to a 20% gouge to provide (or often DENY) health care to the most healthy clients.

[unkachuck]

22. K&R....n/t

[tinrobot]

23. Start reducing the eligibility age for Medicare.

Lower the age by 5 years every year until everyone is covered.

That'll give health insurance companies a decade to find other work.

[Cleita]

25. I'm all for it.

I think people should be able to retire, while they still have their health and stamina to follow a dream, perhaps launch a new career or even to volunteer at something they like doing.

[coalition_unwilling]

26. Time to resurrect Sen. George McGovern's idea for a Guranteed Annual Income for

every citizen regardless of employment status. We're a wealthy enough nation that it can be done, we lack only the will to date.

[Godhumor]

28. Sorry, peak earning years are the 50s. I fully intend to take advantage of that fact

So I can actually retire the way I want to do so when it really is time. I have no intention of depending on social security regardless of the retirement age.

[coalition_unwilling]

32. There is no requirement that you start receiving SS at any age, although

you currently become eligible for it at 62.

Likewise, under this OP's proposal, there would be no requirement that you or anyone else be required to take SS beginning at age 50.

Your opening word 'Sorry' implies that you cannot support the proposal because you fear it would somehow cut into your peak earning years. Now that you know that no one proposes to take those away from you, what say you to the OP's proposal?

[Godhumor]

47. My point in saying what I would do was to illustrate I disagree with the idea

Pay out benefits at 50 for those who want to retire? What would be the point? The contribution one would receive would be miniscule and further drive down the benefits of those who retire later in two ways: money being spread in a wider pot, and less contributions coming in due to the early retirees.

All around, I don't think it is a winner of an idea.

[NYC_SKP]

39. Fuckin Hey! Where on Earth do people quit working at 50???

I guess if one never found their calling, or can't find a way to be productive, retiring would be somehow acceptable.

I don't know anyone who's done it with integrity AND happiness and fulfillment.

[Godhumor]

48. Absolutely agree. The way I see it, the fifties are when you prepare for your golden years

I want to travel and maker a real go at knocking some items off my bucket list. To do that, I am depending on my last 15 years or so in the corporate world to be damned good compensation. Retire young to a fixed income just doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

[dkf]

31. There would be such a huge reduction in social security you would have to be wealthy anyway.

The people who can afford to retire at 50 are the people who don't need social security.

The benefit reduction in taking SS at 62 vs 66 is around 25%. Take that down another 12 years and that isn't going to get you very far.

[CK_John]

54. First you are counting on the lack of age discrimination. If you have a job at 50

you have slotted for dust bin.

The new corp model is work'em till they drop and toss'em after 50.

[NYC_SKP]

37. Really? Why not 40? Or 45?

Am I in the minority for loving my job and not being able to imagine having nothing productive to do?

What are the millions of people over 50 supposed to do with themselves?

Play golf?

[Go Vols]

40. I travel.

Beats working.

[NYC_SKP]

42. So you're a consumer, not a producer or a leaver of the the world in a better place.

Or maybe your travel is in the betterment of mankind...

What's your carbon footy print?

Can you honestly say that wherever you go you...



http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NFyPQFPnDnQ/TA4B-8zrP7I/AAAAAAAABLc/rPHICdlk1So/s1600/mountaineer%27s+motto.JPG

[Go Vols]

46. I am a consumer and producer.

Not sure what you mean by the "betterment of mankind" as I cant heal people or such.

But I do help US mankind by patronizing local business even when it means paying more,I rent out land to those that keep crops local as best they can.

Not gonna apologize for doing well and wanting to ride around and look at the US.

[ErikJ]

52. Many unemployed over 50 find it impossible to find a job.

Most economists say that they most likely never will find another job.

You have to be pretty boring to think that working a regular job is the only option in life.
The chioices are endless. Go back to school and get a degree, travel and teach english anywhere in the world, start a new business or develop a new prioduct, write a book, create art go full time into politics, volunteer for the homeless hungry etc etc.

[Go Vols]

38. Retire with 20 years of service

is what good unions provided.

Tis a shame the rich keep that money today.

[FarCenter]

44. You can't live on social security, especially after they deduct your Medicare B and you pay for D.

[limpyhobbler]

45. Somehow I agree.

Some how that makes sense to me.
Can't explain it but I like it.

[just1voice]

49. Rec'd, and doubling the payout

There should be a 4% govt debt bill as well, offering everyone a way out of usury from corrupt banks. War criminals should be tried in a court with actual evidence presented as well. Anyone with a job history in banking should be banned from govt as well.

Ideas are great but worthless in our corrupt country; it's still fun to share them with other 99%ers. I wouldn't expect the GOP to produce any ideas of their own though, other than new ways to beat protesters or take money from criminals.

[ErikJ]

51. It would almost wipe out the 25% unemployment rate of youth.