When I was running for state rep and state senator in the western suburbs of Cleveland, I would make my rounds of the Union Meetings.

In those meetings, for about 40% of the folks gathered for the meeting, didn't even want to shake my hand or take my lit because they were certain that if I was elected, as a Democrat, I would take their guns.

They rallied around the GOP even though the party of Lincoln was dead set against workers rights. They would vote against their economic interests to safe guard the right to bear arms as they were sure the imaginary talk about confiscating guns on talk radio was true. They wouldn't even listen to me. Didn't care that the president and business managers said I was a Union supporter, came from a family of Union members. None of that made any difference.

It's your mandatory contribution to the Social Security fund and determines your benefits when you retire.

It's called the payroll tax but it's real name is FICA or Federal Insurance Contribution Act.

It was lowered by 2% when the economy was on the skids to immediately get money into the hands of people who would actually spend it on stuff. This probably put an immediate floor on the downturn and was one of the reasons the Recession didn't turn into a Depression.

It was never meant to be permanent. If it was made permanent, it would have undermined the Social Security Trust Fund and cost more to future retirees more than any chained COLA.