QUESTION: What were the Social Secuirty benefits that were cut?

[uponit7771]

Thx in advance for constructive fact based answers.

Regards

[TheWraith]

1. There weren't any... but I'm sure few people here want to admit that. nt

[Alameda]

Actually, you are wrong. They were cut some years ago.....

exactly when I'm not sure. We used to be able to get full Social Security at 65. Now it's up to 66 for anyone born after 1942. For each year after 1937 they added 2 months. Also, although you can get it at 62, if you make over a designated amount, you have to give it back. I think it's $11,000 a year. For every $2 over that, you have to give back $1. IOW, they have been chipping away at it for a while.
I think that happened during the Clinton administration.

on edit: There has been no cost of living increase for the last two years.

[uponit7771]

18. I'm actually talking about since June of this year, I'll update the question

[kestrel91316]

69. Back in the late 70s my grandmother had to quit her P/T job in retail when she

started collecting SS because they deducted. Once she and my grandfather hit 72 then they could have income again and not have it deducted. So they did a little housesitting to supplement.

[elleng]

2. NONE

[sinkingfeeling]

3. None.

[gateley]

4. ANSWER: None. nt

[Name removed]

5. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[uponit7771]

6. Please, people...lets be honest there would be knashing of teeth like it was here if NO benefits cut

[jtown1123]

7. They will be proposed in the Special "Bipartisan" Committee. n/t

[mrdmk]

42. This is the correct answer, none were cut at this moment

President Obama put SS and medicare cuts on the table and said they were a possibility.

The real problem is unemployment and under-employment are increasing. There are going to be other cuts in government services at the Federal level that will trickle down to state, county (parish) and city levels further increasing unemployment. This same tactic was use by Herbert Hoover in the 1920's that took a World War (the death of many persons) to correct. The employment problem is not being address as a problem, the debt issue which being made out to be problem that it is not.

[jtown1123]

44. Yep.

[WinkyDink]

8. I think the truest answer is "None, but not for lack of Obama's trying."

if Rep. Conyers is credible.

[eleny]

9. Wrong question - but you knew that

[uponit7771]

12. Pray Tell, what is the "correct" question...thx in advance

[eleny]

40. How vulnerable is Social Security because of the deal that was passed by Congress?

The point isn't that it was changed today but what Congress and the President will do to it because of this deal.

[uponit7771]

65. Not a bad question....

[Liberalynn]

78. [phone]

[gateley]

10. Adding, I don't think there were any sneaky COLA adjustments, either. nt

[DJ13]

11. NONE....... yet

They chickened out and decided to have another catfood commission that will take all the heat for the cuts later this year.

Thats our brave leadership in action.

[uponit7771]

14. Isn't that a triggered committee? Regards

[DJ13]

27. Yes it is, but

The triggers actually force them to vote for cuts to social services because the alternative is to see across the board cuts everywhere else (and SS is not a budget item, so it wouldnt be touched in a trigger).

The last thing those Congresscritters want is to not vote and see the Defense budget get whacked.

[grahamhgreen]

13. I have not been able to find an itemized list, i even called reid's office. For sure, the COLA

cuts of the last two years have been a SS cut.

Anyone got a link to the bill?

[CleanGreenFuture]

15. Bookmarked. Deferred until December.

[uponit7771]

17. What does december have to do with anything? Regards

[CleanGreenFuture]

26. I'll wait to see what happens with the Super Congress.

I'm not prepared to take a position with regard to what will happen with, as the President calls it, "entitlement reform".

[Dawgs]

45. Why did you ask the question right now then?

A bill was JUST SIGNED today that INCLUDES a super committee meeting to discuss further cuts (including POTENTIAL cuts to entitlement programs). So, we won't know until December if TODAY'S vote will have an impact on SS. It may or may not.

But, acting like it's not fair to answer your question like the poster did is just plain wrong.

[Unvanguard]

16. There will probably be cuts in the Joint Committee recommendations. n/t

[gateley]

21. Not disputing that, you are likely correct, but that wasn't the question.

The predictions, stated with 100% certainty, were that SS/Med would be slashed in this bill. Didn't happen.

[uponit7771]

25. Isn't SS and Medicare cordined off from benefit cuts?

[jtown1123]

33. No. THe Super Congress can proposed cuts from anywhere they choose.

[dpbrown]

31. Well, it's a misleading question then, isn't it. SS and Medicare are the Joint Committee's target

And therefore, if SS and Medicare/Medicaid suffer cuts as a RESULT of this bill (now law), then, while the question can't be answered at present, those cuts will still be BECAUSE of this law.

[jtown1123]

32. I don't think the predictions were that they would pass, just outrage that they were proposed

in the first place...from a Democratic President of all people.

[gateley]

77. Well that, too, but plenty were convinced, and trying to

convince the rest of us that these would be whacked in this go-around.

I'm not saying it wouldn't have happened if things shook out differently, I'm just saying that, as always, we don't know until we KNOW.

[Unvanguard]

39. That's only because the bulk of the debt reduction package was postponed until December.

Not because it isn't going to happen.

[MineralMan]

19. There were none, of course. Such cuts have been predicted

for a very long time, but have not materialized. I believe they'll continue to be predicted. It's a very good divisive strategy.

[Dawgs]

53. Thanks to Boehner turning down Obama's effort to cut them. n/t

[Angry Dragon]

20. None at this point in time

however, super congress has until 11/23/2011 to make some and the vote has to take place by 12/23/2011
so nothing is final until these things happen and then if defeated automatic cuts take place
so no one knows what all is being done until the end of the year ........
kinda like buying a pig in a poke

[uponit7771]

23. I thought I heard on NPR that SS and Medicare were "cordined off" by democrats? Regards

[jtown1123]

34. No. Super Congress can propose cuts to SS and Medicare

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2011/August/02/super-committee.aspx

[KittyWampus]

47. YOU ARE WRONG. Social Security is OUT and Medicare is only in on provider side. Nice try though.

[jtown1123]

57. No, you're wrong. You're getting ridiculous.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/02/us/politics/02panel.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y

[Big Blue Marble]

22. Do you really think they will be protected in this coming malady?

Denial is a powerful thing. What you say this week is prologue, nothing more or less.
Now the stage is set for the first act coming this fall to a theater near you.

Let the pillaging being. And if you think SS is not on the playbill, you missed the point of
the whole charade.

[uponit7771]

24. I don't know, I want to access the credibility of bashers actually...to be honest

[Big Blue Marble]

43. Jabbing at other Du's doesn't seem like a wise strategy to me.

Powerful forces are massing to come after our entitlements. That evidence is all around us. They
simply do not want to pay back all the trillions conveniently taken from the SS trust fund. 20% of
the US dept is owned to that fund. What rich person or corporation wants to take responsibility
for that debt when they hold the power in Washington?

We must not let our guard down. Right now on DU, someone just posted that Liberman wants
to cut SS to pay for future war. Do you want him or his ilk on this commission? We have absolutely
no say on who will be on this commission. If they pick anti-SS and Medicare congress people
from safe districts, hold on to your hat. Everything may change. So be careful with the I told you so's
at this time. If we get through the end of the year and SS, Medicare, and Medicaid are untouched.
you will have every reason to gloat.

[Warpy]

28. The cuts will be cumulative over 10 years due to jiggering the COLA

formula. Boomers will average about a thousand bucks a year less than they would have. The other "cuts" are all aimed at reducing the massive profits the privatized scams have been sucking out of Medicare. None of this will start until 2013.

[LaydeeBug]

29. Would YOU put a gun to a senior citizens head, and then auto time the TRIGGER, and then say, "Well

nothing's wrong. The trigger hasn't been pulled.....yet"

And then pretend everything is ok?

You people are a fucking joke.

[uponit7771]

62. That gun wasn't at their heads the second conservatives took over the house? Regards

[jpak]

30. There weren't any - nor cuts Medicare or VA benefits

despite the stupidity posted here today

yup

[jtown1123]

36. Nobody said there were. They will be proposed in Super Congress

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2011/August/02/super-committee.aspx

[KittyWampus]

50. Again, your link PROVES YOU WRONG. Social Security is NOT included and Medicare is only on provider

side. Which can mean bargaining for drug prices, for instance.

[jtown1123]

55. No, the link proves me 100% right. SS, Medicare and Medicaid will be looked at in Super Committee

Lawmakers from both parties expressed scorn on Monday for a central feature of the deficit-reduction deal that creates a powerful 12-member committee of Congress to recommend major changes in entitlement programs and the tax code.

Read the rest here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/02/us/politics/02panel.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y

[jpak]

52. What part of "off the fucking table" don't you understand?

some of us can read

[jtown1123]

72. No, clearly you can't read. You are confusing the trigger with the Super Committee

[jtown1123]

73. Why don't you test your reading skills now?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/02/us/politics/02panel.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/pelosi-my-deficit-committee-members-will-oppose-all-entitlement-benefit-cuts.php

[quiller4]

35. Not a one. n/t

[Dawgs]

46. yet.. or maybe not at all.. none of us know how THIS BILL will affect SS.

:(

[KittyWampus]

51. Social Security is NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BILL.

[Dawgs]

58. The super committee created by THIS BILL can't make cuts to SS? n/t

[Dawgs]

37. We won't know until December. It's been kicked down the road is all.

:(

[quiller4]

38. Not a single benefit was cut.

[CleanGreenFuture]

41. Because they kicked that can down the road.

[KittyWampus]

54. Because it's specifically NOT IN THE BILL. Except potentially Medicare on the provider side.

[Dawgs]

56. WRONG!! The bill includes a super committee making future cuts, that...

COULD most certainly include SS. It's too early to tell.

[uponit7771]

64. My understanding was BENEFITS were off the table regardless of cost cuts. The question is about

...benefits not them increasing SS cost for rich folk etc.


REgards

[jtown1123]

75. Sorry, that's not correct:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/02/us/politics/02panel.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y

[uponit7771]

80. This doesn't say whether or not SS or medicade BENEFITS are cordined off just that there could be

...provider cuts for medicade

[B Calm]

48. Better not be any! Obama tried to cut it, but as we all know SS has nothing to do with the debt!

[Dawgs]

49. Only thanks to Boehner and the tea party not accepting Obama's deal. n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

59. That decision was delayed and deferred to the Super Congress

by the Cowards of the actual Congress. As is very much par for the compromise course of the current Congress, the 'deal' is kicked down the road and yet called done and golden.
What has happened so far is those benefits were put on the table, and the power to cut them handed to 12 people who will be selected for the answers they will give. 6 will be actual Republicans, 3 will be House Tea Republicans. And that is much more than any other attempt to cut that program has ever gotten.
Kick that can.

[dtexdem]

60. I thought the "deal" avoided cuts to the big 3 now ...

and put them on the chopping block for the new super committee instead.

[Hoyt]

61. Read Obama was going to announce cuts in State of Union, then with catfood comm, then debt ceiling.

Now it's "Super Committee" that MIGHT do it. I don't doubt there will be some changes at some point, but so far the meat cleaver has not fallen.

If the economy doesn't improve quickly, it's all a moot concern anyway -- we all are going to suffer badly even if we take every penny from the rich, politicians, etc.

[uponit7771]

63. Sounds bout right

[jtown1123]

71. And do you deny that righteous outrage and calling stopped those proposals?

I think voters causing a stink over potential cuts kept the cutters at bay and that's a good thing.

[Hoyt]

74. Don't think it made much difference, but I'm glad folks bitched enough to move it to a better forum

than the then "impending" debt ceiling debate.

But, beaching ain't going to do a lot of good in the future if the economy doesn't improve, especially employment. Further, young folks need to believe SS will be there for them, etc., or they are going to tire of shelling out to pay for us older folks (I know it's not supposed to be that way, but those that stole it are long gone).

Point is, there ought to be a discussion about making minor improvements that help everyone (even the catfood commission recommended raising the benefits for those on lower end of scale). Refusing to talk about any-/every-thing in this economy is folly.

[jtown1123]

76. haha the catfood commission benefits raising is meaningless compared the other

cuts they proposed.

[Zenlitened]

66. Liberal activists say, "You're welcome."

But there is still work to be done.

Think you might find some time to help out, when you have a moment to spare from posting fart-in-an-elevator threads on DU?

[Tx4obama]

67. There are NONE. n/t

[uponit7771]

68. Shameless bump

[DFab420]

70. ALL OF THEM! AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

THEY ARE JUST SECRETLY CUT AND EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE SAYS THEY AREN"T THEY STILL TOTALLY ARE!!! AHHHHHHHH!H!H!H!H!H!H!!!!

sigh.. just had to get that off my chest.

:rofl:

[uponit7771]

79. +1