OK. Raising SS retirement age needs to become a big campaign issue starting NOW. Ask both Rs and Ds

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

Boehner open the gates. I say we rush through. He put it on the table. Come on Nancy, you've been willing to take stuff off the table before. Do it for the good guys this time.

[KharmaTrain]

1. Voluntary Yes, Mandatory No...

My late father worked until a month before he passed away at 84...at 65 he deffered his SSI and was able to collect a bigger check when he began to collect at 70. For those who can afford or want to keep working (and can do so), they should have the right to hold off a few years to build more into their SSI accounts, but it shouldn't be mandatory.

While SSI is a big issue for those over 50, it's something those younger pay little attention to or care about...many are of the opinion that SSI will not be there when they hit retirement age and the only time they'll care will be when they're starting to approach that age. I see this as one issue among a growing list that Democrats can campaign on this year. Will they? They'd be stupid not to, but who said politicians were smart.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. SSI? Please don't refer to Social Security retirement benefits as SSI. That is a separate program

for the blind and disabled.

http://www.ssa.gov/ssi /

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a Federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes):


It is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income; and

It provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

[xchrom]

4. +1

[BurtWorm]

3. Absolutely.

Of course Boehner and company aren't thinking about what the people want here. They're looking to save the government bucks it can spend on war and Bush tax cuts, which weren't paid for when the idiots in power passed them lo those many years ago.

[KharmaTrain]

5. Sweeping More Of The Mess Under The Carpet...

You are spot on...this is all about the government welching on their promise to the working class at a time when they need the help the most, and the reason is the massive defecits that have driven this government and economy into stagnation on the edge of bankruptcy.

What pisses me is this situation extremely predictable...all those defecits over the 8 years of the booosh regime along with two wars that were kept off the books. They deliberately screwed up the economy and fleeced the treasury when they saw they could push this mess off on the incoming administration (who was more than willing to own these messes)...hoping things would be so screwed up people would get frustrated with President Obama as they had with Carter in the 70s (who inherited massive inflation from Nixon/Ford...the Vietnam bill) and run to elect rushpublicans...who will then fleece the economy even further, but the coporate media and the short attention span of many will always blame this administration.

[Bitwit1234]

6. The problem here is THE GENERAL PUBLIC

does not know what is going on. If the media was doing what they are supposed to do, the INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS would report on this. Raiding social security started during the Reagan administration. Reagan's group of corporate robber barons couldn't stand all that money in a fund for the seniors and retirees. They were salivating to get their greedy hands on it, and they did. But if you will remember last night when Rachel was playing part of the interview with the Sharon "Agony" she said Harry Reid was taking the money. Like he had a personal account. Every word she said was laced with Harry Reid did this and Harry Reid did that. The interviewer wasn't so hot that he didn't catch her and say Reagan started the raiding.