For the Ideologue Left, Social Security Concern Trolling is a Racket

[JDPriestly]

99. I'm all for raising the Social Security benefits, but for everyone.

Right now, people who do not get enough Social Security to put them above the poverty line (about $11,490 per year) get things like food stamps, housing subsidies, Medicaid, etc. to put them over that line.

http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/13poverty.cfm#guidelines

The money to fund those extras comes from the general fund. That is fair because those who receive those supplements (which they desperately need) did not pay enough into the Social Security system to be eligible for the benefits they need.

Obama's plan is to take the money to bring people who did not pay enough into the system to receive benefits above the poverty level FROM THE SOCIAL SECURITY FUNDS.

That is wrong. Why? Because while raising the Social Security benefits of seniors under the poverty level is a wonderful idea, to do it, Obama has to LOWER the benefits of everyone else, LOWER the benefits of the people who paid in enough during their working lives to be eligible for higher benefits.

Think of it. If I were not right, then the chained CPI plan would not cut the debt or deficit of the general fund at all.

We all know that Social Security has nothing to do with the debt or the deficit. The debt or deficit is in the general fund.

Obama's transferring, moving, unloading the cost or burden of providing for people not eligible foro Social Security benefits that meet or exceed the poverty level from the general fund to Social Security means that MIDDLE CLASS SENIORS (lower middle class seniors) who are receiving the average Social Security benefit of $1,261 per month have to receive less per month.

The maximum Social Security benefit now is $2,533/mo. That would, I assume be the benefit of someone who earned at least the maximum amount that is taxable for Social Security for enough years to qualify for the maximum benefit. Right now, the maximum income subject to the Social Security tax is around $110,000 per year.

So the plan is to take from the "rich" who are getting from $11,490 per year up to $2,533 per month ($30,396 per year, an amount that we usually do not consider to be the income of someone who is "rich&quot to pay for higher benefits for the poor and to take the money out of the Social Security fund rather than out of the general fund. Not many Social Security recipients receive $30,396 per year. And those who do probably also have other income and pay taxes like everybody else.

I am opposed to Obama's plan. I am opposed to chained CPI.

People who are getting $2,533 from Social Security are not suffering from poverty, but that is, in itself, not enough to make them rich. And most of the people who will lose in this scheme are the many, many people who paid into Social Security for many years if not their entire working lives only to receive just enough to keep them above the poverty level.

It is a very bad idea. Everybody is wondering why the chained CPI can help solve the debt or deficit problem since the Social Security fund is completely separate from the regular budget. In addition to the fact that the chained CPI will also save the general fund money awarded to veterans, etc., my theory is what I have explained here.

Obama is pulling an accounting trick that will hurt lots of people who worked hard all their lives, paid by the rules and trusted the government to take care of Social Security.

Shame on Obama.

This is a big, big deal. It is a betrayal of millions of Americans.

This scheme stinks of Pete Peterson and his desire to sour Americans on Social Security.

If it is so important to have a strong private sector in America, then why do wealthy people invest so much in the private sector of a Communist country like China?

It makes no sense. There is a lot of hypocrisy among the rich in America. And this meme that Obama is going to increase the Social Security benefits of poor seniors is also very sneaky. Obama should be better than this.