Raise the minimum wage to shore up Social Security

[StephanieMarie]

why aren't any of our "representatives" talking about this? I actually emailed them all this idea back in January, and I'm still waiting....

[Warpy]

1. Because they really don't want to shore it up

you see, it's a socialist program that WORKS, which makes all their antisocialist ranting look like the lie it always has been.

They haven't grown up enough to realize that only a mixed economy of capitalism and socialism can be both competitive and humane. They're a bunch of simpletons who long for purity, and are erring in favor of a pure system that is hurting ordinary people.

When ideology blinds people to the facts, it's time to get rid of them. I sincerely hope we can muster sufficient numbers in 2006 to do just that despite the rigged voting system.

[DebJ]

2. or add more jobs....we're still at a loss of 3million jobs since

9/11.. how much would that add in?

Then you have the effect of people earning an average of $9000 less per year...and face it, that is ALL people earning well under the $87,900 cap.

[JohnnyRingo]

8. Well said

That 3mil figure is misleading as well because of population growth.

This administration should have ADDED at least 3mil jobs per year since 2000, so I figure we're down a lot more than that.

Putting 12mil people to work would add significantly to the fund.

[DebJ]

3. social security solution is so very simple: the tax cuts for the top

1 percent making over $300,000 a year equal $11 trillion dollars over 20 years.
Social security will need $3.7 trillion dollars over 20 years.

Just don't make the tax cuts permanent on those over $300,000, and you finance 60 MORE years (beyond 2052) of social security with just 20 years.

Per Kerry on CSPAN/SSI tour last week.
So simple, so easy.
Those making $300,000 do so because they don't pay US a damn thing. They get more out of this country than anyone else, so they should pay more.

[aden_nak]

4. "If people are paid more money, there's more money in the system."

"I mean, what could be simpler than that?" /bushsmirk

I seriously think we need to start throwing their own oversimplified explanations back in their faces.

[TahitiNut]

5. Their corporatist supporters wouldn't like it.

It's obvious. Raise the payroll base by increasing wages (which have fallen) and increasing the number of people working (which has fallen) ... and the resulting 'payroll tax' revenues increase more than proportionally.

The Bushoilini Regimes have waged war on the working class, and it shows in the Social Security revenues!

[whathappened]

6. heard some caller

on the radio today , he was saying the reason ss was in the dump was because of the cost of living raise that is given to the seniors every year is draining the money from the fund , what a idiot , must of had his head up jr. brain , these dam people have no clue to the real things in life

[DebJ]

10. my mom got her 'huge jump' a few months ago: $9 more a month

[JohnnyRingo]

7. Employers match the SS contributions made by workers, so......

End the Republican ban on domestic hiring.

Stop the outsourcing of American jobs.
Stop the import of cheap foreign laborors.

When fewer workers have to compete for scarce jobs, the minimum wage will naturally increase whether Washington wants it to or not.

Putting America back to work will fund SS unlike any "magic fix" that's been bandied about in the halls of Congress yet.

Keep in mind that the situation has become so severe that former workers have exhausted govt benefits and dropped from "unemployed status" giving the misleading appearance that the jobs picture is improving.

These people are now resorting to "alternative" means of income, none of which pays into the system.

[denverbill]

9. NO,NO,NO. The solution is to cut SS taxes.

After all, isn't the conservative mantra that cutting taxes raises revenue? If that's the case for income taxes, then surely the same holds true for Social Security taxes.

And if it doesn't hold true for Social Security taxes, why is it true for income taxes?

[DebJ]

11. I like the concept of totally lifting the cap and decreasing the

percentage. Like the percentage could probably drop to 8%, but rich guys would pay the difference and then some. I could live with that, LOL