President Obama, Rene Varela's hero, continues to play political games. I should stay on Rene's case for awhile; he deserves it.
I really hit the ceiling yesterday when Obama said that social security checks to retirees and the disabled as well as paychecks to our armed forces may not go out on August 3rd unless the government borrows more and spends more. That one statement, threatening Seniors, will cost him in 2012 no matter how much money he is raising for his re-election. Right now, the armed forces and the interest on our nearly $15 trillion debt consumes a little over 50% of our revenue.
The government refers to social security as an "entitlement." Social security is paid by current workers in the form of a FICA tax and it is deposited into the Social Security Trust Fund, not the government's operating fund. Note that word "Trust." This money never should have been touched for anything other than for what it was intended. For the government to be even allowed to raid/borrow from it and not pay it back, is criminal.
What that retired worker earns in social security payouts is dependent upon his level of earnings while he was employed and how many quarters he had paid into the system. Social Security became law on August 13, 1935 to protect the elderly when they no longer could earn a living and be less of a burden on the government. Social Security is currently estimated to keep roughly 40% of all Americans age 65 or older out of poverty.
What the government should be doing is getting serious about illegal immigration and the drain on the government entitlement programs that are really entitlements such as welfare, food stamps, housing subsidies and medical to the illegals and others preying on our system. Payments to illegals for social services have cost the U.S. $397 billion dollars over the past 14 years. It is really offensive to me, a senior, to be slapped down by Obama who has closed his eyes to the illegal immigration problem in this country and the true facts of that matter.
Michele Bachmann says that there is so much waste in Washington. I believe her. The government wouldn't need to raise our debt if it really would get serious about eliminating waste and collected what is already owed and ending ridiculous wars. And it certainly would not need to use Seniors and the disabled as a pawn on a chess board in order to spend more.
Obama following European Welfare state model.
Government entitlements now 35% of wages.
Yes, there is so much waste in our country right now, waste with so many people on welfare and receiving unemployment, yet working under the table, we have so many getting food stamps and welfare and free housing, they work the system and know how to do it. And many are abusing drugs and taking the government for a free ride. I know of young women who will not marry their men, fathers of their children, just so they can receive about $600 a month for their housing from our government, yet their men do not work a bit and probably sell and use/abuse drugs. Our government should make everyone who receives any form of public assistance do some public service, volunteer work, and not get anything for free. Our public schools system is the same way, it is free, even the books, it is forced on people, but no one appreciates it anymore or values education, the kids lose their books and could care less. Our government is broken, we have so much waste and such spenders running our country and cities/states. They spend as if money grows on trees. There is no accountability from our leaders or the welfare public assistance recipients, almost every time I go to the store, the person in front of me is either paying using a food stamp card or WIC coupons. I think the good hard working paying taxpayers are fed up with the waste and paying for all. WE all need to pray that our leaders that they can do something about this, we need effective government, we need to pray for effective government, we need to prosper and work toward making this country great again.
ReplyDeleteI also believe something needs to be done about illegals. However, if the Government would close the loop holes for big business and have them pay taxes like you and I we wouldn't be in such a mess.
ReplyDeleteAnd when "Big Business" has to pass those costs of higher taxes back to you, or take their business offshore to be competitive, because you'll only buy the cheapest thing you can find, so more people lose their jobs, but we can be happy we made that "Big Business" that is no longer here, pay their fair share.
ReplyDeletePlease keep in mind, that our "leaders" can't seem to figure out to differentiate between the rich and middle class now, what criteria would differentiate between "big" business and all the other small businesses that employ 80% of the tax payers?
Publix is "big business" too and now with the new store on 2nd and Dixie they made 2nd Ave two way, but did away with all parking on that street, it has displaced hundreds of cars and our parking rights, it is a huge mess, our city leaders caved into big business to have this, then made this street two way, and took all our parking, I can no longer park on 2nd Ave anymore on the side of my house. The city has no plan in place or system to deal with this displacement, I am so tired of our ineffective government always caving into big business and a few, there are hardly any businesses on 2nd Ave North, maybe 3 or 4, it is mostly residential, now it is being turned into a busy expressway and we'll likely have more accidents. I just do not understand the logic of our city leaders, and will not vote to re-elect any of them now, why do we need two west-bound bike lanes one block from each other? One on Lucerne and now one on 2nd Ave North, they should have kept some parking for us on this street instead. This is really frustrating now, our government stinks, no logic and just not thinking about the people it really affects.
ReplyDeleteJoseph--Cara Jennings was the only commissioner who asked them to be cautious--to have a traffic study on 2nd Avenue North before they changed anything for Publix.
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