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Across the Fence:  Social Security Retirement Age 70??  |
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melody
True Blue Farmgirl
3318 Posts
Melody
The Great North Woods in the Land of Hiawatha
USA
3318 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 14 2011 : 07:17:18 AM
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Just heard on the news this morning that there will be a proposal to raise the retirement age to 70 before you can claim any SS.
Years and years ago I said to my DH "I will never reap the benefits of working since the age of 19 and paying into SS." Looks like I was right....
Why not CUT the Defense budget in half and setting aside that money to re-build roads and bridges in this country giving employment to people who are in dire need of work?
Why go after SS? Teachers, Public employees, Planned Parenthood, the EPA, PBS, Public Radio?
Something is very, very wrong with this picture!
Melody
Farmgirl #525
www.bythebayhandcraftedsoap.blogspot.com
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Apr 14 2011 : 07:58:45 AM
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Melody, I, like you, am counting on the fact that we will never see SS. I have known that for a very long time.
The issue is the fact that in our Constitution, the founding fathers never intended for the government to take care of us in our old age. We were supposed to plan for that ourselves. Even FDR, when he proposed SS during the Great Depression, in his speech to Congress, said that the measure was only to be temporary and was only to be for the poor. Somehow, we turned that into a right to expect.
According to the Constitution, the purpose of the government is to provide for the defense of the nation (the military - which should be paid for) and to ensure the general welfare of the citizens which means to make sure we all have the rights to pursue those things which will help us provide for ourselves. That includes our infrastructure of roads and bridges (which should also be paid for). It does not include SS, Medicare and all of the other expensive govt programs we have come to assume will always be there. I have come to the place where I realize that in the few years before we retire, we need to be socking away everything we can, making sure that we don't go into debt and that we are willing to live on less and in a lower lifestyle so that our children and grandchildren don't wind up destitute trying to pay for our SS. It is a reality, I now understand, that all of the money that we had taken out for SS is probably something we never saw and never will see. But it's ok. God is our provider, not the government.
My 87 yr old aunt said something interesting awhile back. She said that her generation is the only generation that got in at the bottom floor of the Amway-style pyramid scheme that is SS. They got all the benefits, but those of us who got in at the top of the pyramid will see little or no benefits, the same way that Amway or Melalucca or Mona Vie works. Those who get in at the first make a killing, but those who come in under them don't see much return. She apologized to me and said that her generation really didn't do us any favors.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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Catherine L
True Blue Farmgirl
408 Posts
Cathy
Newton
Texas
USA
408 Posts |
Posted - Apr 14 2011 : 08:13:55 AM
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Mary Beth, I agree about stocking up and staying out of debt. Just last night I told my husband instead of putting money in investments or retirement, which maybe worthless when we need them in a few years, we should buy things we need and become as self-sufficient as possible. What use is a bag of gold if there is no one to buy it from us or if there is no food to buy with it. Cathy
~Catherine~
Farmgirl 2428 |
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buffypuff
True Blue Farmgirl
1183 Posts
Claudia
Deer Park
WA
USA
1183 Posts |
Posted - Apr 14 2011 : 08:25:20 AM
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Melody and MaryBeth. I'm not sure your ages, but I see two very different opinions here. I am on SS. I worked for 454 years having SS taken out of my check and then in the 60's and the conception of Medicare, had that also taken out. Many thousands of dollars were removed with the PROMISE by the government that it would be there to help with the retirement for those who worked all their lives. During that time, the government has used my...and everyone elses money as interest to support the military, nation build in other countries, fight war...for righteousness sake..or for oil, or whatever. It was the law. The government did not ask me if they could take my money. I had no opinion. There have been many millions who "socked" away money for their rainy day or for retirement in money markets, stocks, and whatever seemed like it would make a good return. Many lost their socks, houses, collete funds...and their retirement funds within the last 10 years. Now, I am a Christian, and I do believe that God supplies our needs, but there are many Christians living out of cars, unable to pay their bills etc. God want to see justice in our country too.
As far as raising the age to 70...these laws are being made by people in government who have desk jobs...work long hours, but HAVE A JOB, will never need to fight for health care, because THEY HAVE IT FOR LIFE, and have a great RETIREMENT FUND. They too can collect their SS when they reach the required age. Now I don't know what kind of job you all hold, but for those of us who do manual labor as our profession...one can swing a hammer, tote a bale, pick up pateints and run around lifting, pulling and shoving when we are young. Believe me, when ya get to be 55-60, it is much harder to do. And when you get laid off and need to find another job...who is going to hire an older person over a younger one when they may not move as fast as a 25 year old. I am not talking about those with desk jobs etc...I'm talking about those with the greatest majority of jobs. There is an inequity here. Many fight for the rights of the unborn (as I do), but I would like to see who fight for those who are old, and have put food on the table for the youngsters, have rocked the cradle, built the cars and the bridges for others, who have wiped the brows and the behinds of those who were sick.
I hope not to have offended either of you, but it seems it is always easier to push the problem off on that of which a person is not. When the young get old, lets see how much money they have saved with poor interest rates, if they have been able to put their children through school, pay property taxes and all the rest. Let's see if their socks have held enough money to let them live in their old age...or will it be the young behind them who will be complaining again, that the oldster have too much. I will remove myself from my soap box and my perspective. God help our country because we have not respected each other...the young or the old.
Buffypuff/ Claudia ~ Farmgirl & Sister #870 ~
"It compliments God to ask great things of Him." ~ St. Theresa of Avila
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Across the Fence: Social Security Retirement Age 70?? |
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Social Security Retirement Age 70??
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