Here is my email reaction to the latest pack of right-wing lies. I don't know how to enter bold text here, so I have prefaced my entries with **
***
Xxxx,
Congratulations on coming up with this one. Usually this type of Republican propaganda contains disinformation mixed in with some truth, but this one is almost totally a string of lies.
Below in bold text I have provided my reaction to this shameful list of distrotions. Please refer to the following 2 web pages to see that everything I say here is based in fact.
http://www.ssa.gov/history/InternetMyths.html http://www.ssa.gov/history/InternetMyths2.htmlXxxxx
***
Subject: Social Security
I don't know how true the first part is -- but the
itemizations are correct.
Many years ago in Seattle, two wonderful neighbors,
Elliott and Patty Roosevelt came to my home to swim
on a regular basis. They were a great couple full of
laughter and stories that today I continue to marvel
at. Both are now deceased, but their stories remain.
During the years of our friendship we had many, many
discussions about his parents (President Franklin D.
and Eleanor Roosevelt) and how his father and mother
never intended for the Social Security and Welfare
programs to turn out the way they are today. Elliott
used to say that if his mother returned to earth and
saw what the politicians had done to their programs
she would have burned all of them in hell.
Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the
Social Security (FICA) Program. He promised:
1.) That participation in the Program would be
completely voluntary,
** Like all taxes, this has never been voluntary.
2.) That the participants would only have to pay 1% of
the first $1,400 of their annual incomes into the
Program,
** The tax rate in the original 1935 law was 1% each on the employer and the employee, on the first $3,000 of earnings. This rate was increased on a regular schedule in four steps so that by 1949 the rate would be 3% each on the first $3,000. The figure was never $,1400, and the rate was never fixed for all time at 1%.
3.) That the money the participants elected to put
into the Program would be deductible from their income
for tax purposes each year,
** There was never any provision of law making the Social Security taxes paid by employees deductible for income tax purposes. In fact, the 1935 law expressly forbid this idea, in Section 803 of Title VIII.
4.) That the money the participants put into the
independent "Trust Fund" rather than into the General
operating fund, and therefore, would only be used to
fund the Social Security Retirement Program, and no
other Government program, and,
** The idea here is basically correct.
5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would
never be taxed as income.
** Originally, Social Security benefits were not taxable income. This was not, however, a provision of the law, nor anything that President Roosevelt did or could have "promised."
Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and
are now receiving a Social Security check every
month -- and then finding that we are getting taxed on
85% of the money we paid to the Federal government to
"put away," you may be interested in the following:
--------------------
Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from
the independent "Trust" fund and put it into the
General fund so that Congress could spend it?
A:It was Lyndon Johnson and the democratically
controlled House and Senate.
** There has never been any change in the way the Social Security program is financed or the way that Social Security payroll taxes are used by the federal government.
--------------------
Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax
deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?
A: The Democratic Party.
** There was never any provision of law making the Social Security taxes paid by employees deductible for income tax purposes. In fact, the 1935 law expressly forbid this idea, in Section 803 of Title VIII.
--------------------
Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social
Security annuities?
A:The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the
"tie-breaking" deciding vote as President of the
Senate, while he was Vice President of the U.S.
** The taxation of Social Security began in 1984 following passage of a set of Amendments in 1983, which were signed into law by President Reagan in April 1983.
-------------------
Q:Which Political Party decided to start giving
annuity payments to immigrants?
AND MY FAVORITE:
A: That's right! Jimmy Carter and the Democratic
Party. Immigrants moved into this country, and at
age 65, began to receive Social Security payments! The
Democratic Party gave these payments to them, even
though they never paid a dime into it!
** Neither immigrants nor anyone else is able to collect Social Security benefits without someone paying Social Security payroll taxes into the system. The question confuses the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program with Social Security. SSI is a federal welfare program and no contributions, from immigrants or citizens or anyone else, is required for eligibility. Under certain conditions, immigrants can qualify for SSI benefits. The SSI program was an initiative of the Nixon Administration and was signed into law by President Nixon on October 30, 1972.
-------------------
Then, after doing all this lying and thieving and
violation of the original contract (FICA), the
Democrats turn around and tell you that the
Republicans want to take your Social Security away!
And the worst part about it is, uninformed citizens
believe it!
If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of
awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will
evolve. Maybe not, some Democrats are awfully sure of
what isn't so. But it's worth a try. How many people
can YOU send this to?
Actions speak louder than bumper stickers.
Please forward this E-mail to others so that they can
be informed of the truth.
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