# Proposals to CUT SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS for Seniors



## SeaBreeze

The GOP has plans to not only gut Medicare benefits for seniors, but they also plan to cut Social Security Benefits in the future also...



> *Republican Budget Creates a Fast Track to Cut Social Security and Ends Medicare as We Know It
> 
> *The House GOP’s FY2014 budget proposal, The Path to Prosperity: A Responsible, Balanced Budget, threatens the future of Social Security and Medicare, and the well-being of virtually all Americans. The Republican budget would expand tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, while pulling away critical Medicare and Social Security protections from the middle class.
> 
> *UNDERMINES SOCIAL SECURITY
> 
> *The Republican budget strikes three major blows to Social Security, a self-financed insurance program, which past Congresses have worked hard to keep out of budget discussions, in recognition that Social Security does not and, by law, cannot add to the federal debt of the United States.
> 
> First, bucking legal and historical precedent, today’s Republicans make Social Security a major part of their budget proposal.1 In addition, the Republican budget, proposed by House Budget Committee Chairman Representative Paul Ryan (R, WI-1), would: Create an unprecedented new fast-track procedure to ram through Social Security benefit cuts.
> 
> In a radical departure from the way Social Security changes have been legislated since 1935, the Republican budget would force Congress to fast-track legislation determining the future of Social Security.
> 
> As the following bullet describes, the Ryan budget moves the goal posts, adding a new test of whether Social Security needs reform and then forces the president to submit legislation whenever the new test is violated. Within two months of the president submitting Social Security legislation, Congress would have to consider it “under expedited procedures.”2
> 
> Every year, the Social Security trustees project Social Security’s income and outgo for a 75 year valuation period, far longer than used by private pensions and most other countries for their Social Security systems.
> 
> Notwithstanding this already conservative practice, the Ryan budget requires the president and Congress to reform Social Security on an expedited, fast track basis, even if it is in 75 year actuarial balance—simply because it is found to be out of balance in the 75th year!3
> 
> The new requirement that the Republicans seek to impose is simply another way of forcing draconian cuts that the American people reject.
> 
> Projections over 75 years, by their nature, lack certainty. Projections of Social Security's solvency change every year, which means that Ryan's plan could force big changes to Social Security based on very short-term variations in the program's finances.
> 
> *BOTTOM LINE:
> *
> Social Security affects virtually every American. Moreover, unlike many divisive issues, poll after poll shows that the American people are united and clear about how they want Social Security reformed. They do not want to see benefits cut and they favor asking all working persons and their employers to make payroll tax contributions on...
> 
> Read 6 page PDF with informative links here: http://www.strengthensocialsecurity.org/sites/default/files/Ryan_Budget_2014_Fact_Sheet_FINAL.pdf


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## That Guy




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## Denise1952

SeaBreeze said:


> The GOP has plans to not only gut Medicare benefits for seniors, but they also plan to cut Social Security Benefits in the future also...



Do they cut them after you are receiving SB?  Geeeeeeeez, why can't they take their money out of the stupid space program?? I don't want to go back to my home-planet anyway:soangry:


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## SeaBreeze

Hopefully it won't affect those over 60 who are already receiving them, but never say never the way things are going.  I think the folks over 55 are in the clear, but the 55s and under have to pay attention to what they're trying to pull.


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## SeaBreeze

That Guy said:


>



Good cartoon TG!  They want to lable it entitlements and handouts, putting it in the same category as basic welfare, oh how times have changed!


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## Denise1952

SeaBreeze said:


> Hopefully it won't affect those over 60 who are already receiving them, but never say never the way things are going.  I think the folks over 55 are in the clear, but the 55s and under have to pay attention to what they're trying to pull.



I plan to draw mine at 62, at this point anyway, because I am not finding work.  I can't even find a pet-sitting job.  But even though I've worked since I was in high-school, I never got the big pay, so my SS is not much.  I have learned to survive on way less, and really enjoy not having a lot.  That may sound weird to some, but more things, more worries & responsibilities.  But I don't like hearing they are planning to cut that for any citizen that has payed into that fund  Thanks for the info SB, denise


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## Happyflowerlady

In a related news story, I just read that over 200 million Social Security numbers have been exposed to possible criminal use by identity thieves. Reuters says that the states are investigating the stolen SS information to try and tell just how much has been compromised.
It sounds like they are advising people to verify with the SS administration to make sure that their information was not part of the ones that were stolen, and some people are reporting that their SS account has been frozen, pending investigation.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/03/us-experian-databreach-idUSBREA321SL20140403


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## Jackie22

...well, somebody has to pay for the 1% tax cuts.....take it from the seniors and poor. 

They could cut the military budget 5% and get the same bottom.

Their plan is going backwards for sure.

.....from the president..

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/05/obama-gop-budget_n_5096888.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

"SNIP................ 


WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says the Republican budget proposal would shrink opportunity and make it tougher for hard-working Americans to get ahead. 

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan's budget gives massive tax cuts to the rich while cutting programs like education and research that spur job growth. The president says Republicans would also take away insurance from 7 million who enrolled through his health care law and would gut financial protections. 

Obama says his own plan grows the economy from the middle out instead of the top down.


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## That Guy

Trickle Down Economics is more like being spit on...


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## i_am_Lois

So we should take note and vote Democrat in the next election.


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## lonelynorthwind

Lois, I love your avatar photo.


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## rt3

Do not forgot that out of the top 1% of the rich at least 1/2 are all Democrats , Doomberg (professed republican with socialist leanings excuse me Bloomberg) Soros,  the owner of Oracle, could go on but lets just blame the Republicans its so much easier and takes less thinking!!!!---- they are all crooks (oops I said it)


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## rt3

reforms can only apply to future contracts, not present and past. payments are calculated on NPV, the time value of money.

current polls show most americans ( something like 40%) under the age of 40 have less than 1k savings. 

left wing media Huffington Post, CNN and NBC are legendary for incorrect quoting 


even if it were true can you believe a man who has lied about the IRS scandal, Bengazi (sp), Syria, gun control,  to even be accurate in his political agenda???


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## CPA-Kim

Social Security is not a contract and it can be reformed.  There are a number of ways this might happen and it pays us all to keep on top of the legislation regarding proposed changes.


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## That Guy

rt3 said:


> ---- they are all crooks



Certainly agree with you on that.


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## rt3

It is a contract in the sense the benefits are set, also the social security can be sued, and the petitioner can use the court system for redress. It is not a contract in the tort sense.


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## rt3

If you have the time for the wait.


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## BobF

As I remember this different way of letting people collect their SS payments, it was to be an option for the person, not a complete changeover as some keep posting.   But that was all before Obama so maybe it has now changed over for his pleasure.

Right now we have a Congress that will not allow discussions or votes on anything but what the far left Senate folks want to talk about.    So not likely much will get changed until after the next Presidential election.    I don't expect much change in this coming Congressional election, maybe I will be wrong with this expectation.
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## rkunsaw

I'm hopeful the control of the senate will change and the house will become even more conservative this election.

I'm supporting our "tea party" republicans for senate, house and governor of Arkansas. I really expect all to win.


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## BobF

rkunsaw said:


> I'm hopeful the control of the senate will change and the house will become even more conservative this election.
> 
> I'm supporting our "tea party" republicans for senate, house and governor of Arkansas. I really expect all to win.



Unfortunately I feel sorry for the real 'Tea Party' folks that actually got the term Tea Party something noticed.   In their first year or two it was gatherings of the real conservative ones, and I think they were non political in the ways of their first couple years as they were just conservatives wanting to see more of that from our government.   Some were even Democrats, there were many independents, and of course many Republicans. 

  It was not till year 3 maybe that some groups formed and called themselves to be Tea Party political groups.   I am not sure at all which groups finally became strong enough to call themselves to be representing all the Tea Party folks in the government.   So to me I will only consider those claiming to be Tea Party folks to be anything but more conservative than some other conservatives.    I don't care if they are Democrats, independents, or Republicans as long as they stand for real conservative actions and help to stop these wild and inconsiderate actions of our socialist, far left, types like Obama and his cronies. 

   Our country was at about 7 trillion debt and slowly going down till now at over 17 trillion and going up rapidly.    The US can not tolerate all this debt as in the future we will have nothing left after paying our annual debt to other countries.   Our kids and grand kid's and great grand kid's will all be wondering how they will ever get these debts paid off and live a better way of life like we did after WWII till recent years.   Look to Europe where they have lived like Obama wants the US to live.    Really no outstanding countries over there to point to.   

Nothing personal at all.   Just the way I see things.
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## papaandproud

Your statement on the 50% is wrong, you can not support this by any facts!  No offense but the facts are different.


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## papaandproud

From a political perspective can you define "conservative", if you do and apply it to the politicians that live under that umbrella you will see the term does not apply.  We the everyday citizens are out here arguing over conservative/liberal and many of our politician are simply riding the clock year after year and doing nothing but keeping us arguing.  These people get retirements way above ours, benefits way above ours and performance records are way below whats required by most of our jobs.

Anyone who thinks our Medical Insurance system does not need refining is either a coward and afraid to face hard work, too ignorant to understand the issue or gaining a profit from the industry.  we are/used to be the smartest country on earth surely we don't have to keep hiding behind this political nonsense.


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## BobF

I really like this latest comment as I have for a long time felt we should somehow eliminate these political parties from our elections.   Just somehow make our elections pretty much neutral and elect those that seem the best of the ones running.   Need also some sort of time limit on their elected years for the Congress just as we have done to the Presidents job.   Not that short though.   Maybe some sort of years divided by 3 and 2 will do fine.    That would be 12 or 18 or 24 years and out. 

Nothing wrong with people feeling conservative or liberal and vote as such, but let us get rid of these nasty, crooked, biased, cash money houses that buy our elections and force their ways on to the people who are supposed to make up our government based on the peoples wants and needs and not the political parties wants and needs.
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## papaandproud

Ok, Bob *#####I promise I will never post anything else this long########
*
I also will try and keep the tone of this as nothing personal. For the record in your next post define conservative for me please. As for the country's debt if one were not a senior citizen as ourselves they might think that debt started around 2008. I am guessing the thought is we should have fixed that within the past 6 years although in 2008 this country's ecomony was on the verge of collaspe like never since 1929. (true) Here is a good example look at TSP talk and have a look at the value of a federal employees paid in retirement account share values from say 2000-2014. Quick rough example, at the end of 2008 if you previously had $180,000 in that account it was worth at the time $90,000 dollars. Guess what it is worth today, right Bob $180,000 now if that's Socialism we need all we can get. I remember when President Bush " not Bush" because he was the leader of my country and I respect that enough no to just call him Bush. 

Here is the deal i hate (dislike) quitters and that is what we are becoming as a people. Actually the world is getting tough and things are getting tighter and more competative but we are somehow convicing ourselves that it's somebody's eles's fault and our politicians with their megamillion dollars net worth are fine to keep us arguing over that as long as they keep their high paying jobs and life styles. It's sort of like a drunk or addict they will stay that way until they take a hard look at themselves and see where the problem really is. A good example we are loosing job (no new technology) and what are we doing now, cities and counties are competing with one another by offering business no tax for 20 years, helping to pay for the property etc. We are down to competing with ourselves and it is not going to work. You may not beleive this but there are hard working fine Americans out there who really can not find a job because there are none. Politician can't invent jobs it's not like they have some saving them some where until they get into office. Frankly what kind of person says I can create jobs but if my party does not get in office I am not going to create them I will just sit on them it's BS. *****We need the original kick butt, start new stuff, invent something, get outside the box country we were, stop fooling ourselves and start think tanking to put America on top. This is where i agree with President Obama we need to make some changes and stop doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Now this part is one sided politically but what I see now is rhe R group saying no we did not get the ball so we are not doing anything. We are all aware that 90%  of the time one wins an election because they got majority of the votes, which means the people of American want to do what they have in mind, it's simple as that. We can keep letting this political nonsense go on and it is going to ruin our country. Last**one thing this administratin has done I really like is to put some of our most educated Americans in positions in the administration at what they are educated in, this is a huge thought. **I agree 110% with what another person suggested, we limit other politicians below the President time in office.***


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## BobF

Sorry, I can't respond to your post without causing you to get more livid and angry at me.   Obama is not elected but by 51% or maybe 52% of the voters.    Just enough to make the win but not enough to say he can do anything he wants without having the complete Congress making the debates and doing what is best for the country.   There are many ways to run the health care program and his is but one.   What we had was doing very well but so far what we have is not doing so well and is not yet fully implemented and parts of it are not even put together yet.   It is a mess beginning to fall apart at the expense of the taxpayers.   Over 10 trillion of debt created by this government and still climbing.

I am afraid reality is enough to scare me and a lot of others away from considering Obama to be great or good President.   He is not operating under the Constitutional guidelines at all.   And it shows in the part of the Obama care that are now operating.    In my case I am paying more and we have no real idea what coverge we will have.   Maybe more, maybe less.   Too much of what we have is under government control, not medical people like our local doctors.

Keep your opinions, as they are yours, and I will keep mine, as they are mine.   So happy this near communist government will face elections soon.   I hope they lose and lose big.    We need to get the US government back into the Constitutional ways of operating as it has for many years very successfully.

If you think going so far left is good and better than what we had before, best take a look at Europe and see all the failures, poverty and countries looking for help from outside sources, people not liking how their countries are running, trying to end some of these far left ideas for better ideas.   Best we all look around and see just how ineffective these far left ideas are working.
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## BobF

For any question of 'left and right' I post the following.    Then I will try to find something on the conservative question.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left–right_politics

*Left–right politics*

                                                              From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The *left-right* political spectrum is a system of classifying political positions, ideologies and parties. Left-wing politics and right-wing politics  are often presented as opposed, although a particular individual or  group may take a left-wing stance on one matter and a right-wing stance  on another. In France, where the terms originated, _the Left_ has been called "the party of movement" and _the Right_ "the party of order."[SUP][1][/SUP][SUP][2][/SUP][SUP][3][/SUP][SUP][4][/SUP] The intermediate stance is called centrism and a person with such a position is a *moderate*.

 There is general agreement that _the Left_ includes progressives, communists, social-liberals, greens, social-democrats, socialists, democratic-socialists, left-libertarians, secularists, feminists, autonomists, anti-imperialists, anti-capitalists, and anarchists,[SUP][5][/SUP][SUP][6][/SUP][SUP][7][/SUP][SUP][8][/SUP] and that _the Right_ includes conservatives, reactionaries, neoconservatives, traditionalists, capitalists, neoliberals, right-libertarians, social-authoritarians, monarchists, theocrats, nationalists and fascists.[SUP][9][/SUP]


....................

Now for the conservatives.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatism

*Conservatism*

*Conservatism* as a political and social philosophy promotes retaining traditional social institutions. A person who follows the philosophies of conservatism is referred to as a *traditionalist* or *conservative.* Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others, called reactionaries, oppose modernism and seek a return to "the way things were".[SUP][1][/SUP][SUP][2][/SUP] The first established use of the term in a political context originated with François-René de Chateaubriand in 1818,[SUP][3][/SUP] during the period of Bourbon restoration that sought to roll back the policies of the French Revolution. The term, historically associated with right-wing politics,  has since been used to describe a wide range of views. There is no  single set of policies that are universally regarded as conservative,  because the meaning of conservatism depends on what is considered  traditional in a given place and time. Thus conservatives from different  parts of the world—each upholding their respective traditions—may  disagree on a wide range of issues. Edmund Burke,  an 18th-century politician who opposed the French Revolution but  supported the American Revolution, is credited as one of the main  theorists of conservatism in Great Britain in the 1790s.[SUP][4][/SUP] According to Quintin Hogg, the chairman of the British Conservative Party in 1959,  "Conservatism is not so much a philosophy as an attitude, a constant  force, performing a timeless function in the development of a free  society, and corresponding to a deep and permanent requirement of human  nature itself."[SUP][5][/SUP]


........................

Conservatives are not necessarily Repubilican's as some independent's and some Democrats feel this way too.  

I hope this helps a bit.
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## marinaio

If Congress is going to do something, anything, the longer they wait the more difficult it will become for incumbents.  Every year there is a huge increase in eligible participants, seniors, voters who won't take too kindly to any benefit cuts.  The fact is that something has to change, the expected growth of eligible participants makes the current system unsustainable even with increases is taxes.


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## BobF

Concerns with the beginning of our now out of control debt are shown on this chart.

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Click on this link and see just how deeply the US is in debt.   Mostly, about 10 trillion since Obama came in as President added to about 3 trillion in Bush's last two years when the Democrats Reid and Pelosi were in charge of the Congress and spending like crazy and Bush could not end their spending as it was done wrapped around such items as military pay.

http://advisorperspectives.com/dshort/charts/policy/debt-to-gdp.html?federal-debt-to-gdp-history.gif 

Click on this link to see how the overall debt has just run away since the Democrats took over the Congress in the last two years of Bush's Presidency.

There is another similar chart that also overlays the government control of Democrats or Republicans but I did not find it yet.   If I do find it I will put in in this space too.

Here is the same time period mixed with the political changes.   Interesting to see how things go under different management.

http://advisorperspectives.com/dsho...-to-gdp.html?federal-debt-to-gdp-politics.gif

Click on the link to see the differences of debt and direction of the debt.
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## Harley

rt3 said:


> Do not forgot that out of the top 1% of the rich at least 1/2 are all Democrats , Doomberg (professed republican with socialist leanings excuse me Bloomberg) Soros,  the owner of Oracle, could go on but lets just blame the Republicans its so much easier and takes less thinking!!!!---- they are all crooks (oops I said it)




*thumbs up*


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## papaandproud

Last one Bob!  My purpose of asking you to look at the difinition of conservatism was that you would see wow this is not a decsription of R politicians.  One point back to good old days, not possible, that's whaat I mean we need to face reality the good old days are gone forever.  Ok Communist goverment, not operating under the constitution, don't know what your insurance offers and what you can get, local doctors controling my medical ""not in this life I hope".  This is the kind of lip service we get from our politicians talk without facts I have Blue Cross BS as I have for 30 years.  I know exactly what I am getting My payment went up no more than it has in the past.  So I am hoping for factua dicussion and meaningful conversation so I think we should end this one.  I agree to disagree   Take care guy!


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## BobF

Sorry papaandproud, I have been posting lots from the factual records but you don't want to accept that.   Fine then that we not push this topic any longer.   What is happening is what we have to look too but we don't have to accept this rape of the US by the current government.   The good old days are not gone forever as I see things, we just have to wait till we get a more open and willing leader to honor the Constitution directions, right or left, that will allow our Constitutional ways to take over again and allow our House and  Senate to debate and bring back the rights of the peoples wants over the demands of a very biased and incorrect President.

Obama's ratings are now down into the 30 something % of the citizens thinking he is doing the right things.   That includes all functions such as the health system, the military, how he handles local situations, how he handles the worlds situations,    He has fallen from his early on approvals of low 50's % and even up into the 60's % all the way down to his current low performance and trust levels.   I hope our next election gets us a more dedicated person to the US peoples wants and needs than this Obama person has shown us.

Did you look at the charts I posted?   Especially the one that shows our debts over the years and shows the political times of the events.   For many years across these charts the Democrats and Republicans were working on lowering the debt.    Until the late 60's where the debt started to grow again.   Then it became the efforts of the Republicans to help Clinton to hold down the debt.   Then, late in Bush's term, last two years, the Democrats decide there should be no limit on the debt and drove it from 7 trillion on up to tdays over 17 trillion and still rapidly rising.   Why the changes in the Democrat spending in the 60's to higher debt and now no limit on debt.    No change in the Democrat name but apparently a big change in the Democrat leadership.   I would guess that the Democrats changed from liberal thinkers to a more risky level of far left liberals or full blown socialist types.

Just to clear up my feelings as I don't believe we must forever live in the uncertainty and poverty of the many socialist countries of Europe here in the US.   We have the abiity and right to correct many of these mistakes that have been put on to the US people.
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