On Oct 24, 6:07*pm, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:54:46 -0400, Jeff wrote:
Calif Bill wrote:
"jeff miller" wrote in message
t...
Calif Bill wrote:

The sad part is blah, blah, blah...

given the deep economic hole we're in, without regard to who should be
blamed, how do you propose we cut taxes and spending? *how do you propose,
as a society and country, that we treat our senior citizens and the
impoverished? i think you are wrong about obama and his ability and his
worth to our country. ... why do you think principled and experienced
republicans are endorsing obama?

jeff

When you have little money in the family account, do you spend your way out
of debt?

no, i work harder, collect accounts due, etc. *but it's not really the
same thing or even a good analogy in my opinion. *again...how do you
propose we cut taxes and spending under the existing circumstances, and
what do we do about our seniors and poor?

Which "seniors" and which "poor?" *Some of them should be left to fend
for themselves, while others should have their capital input returned
with a reasonable rate of interest and still others should receive
_minimal_ assistance without having contributed. *For example, as one
who is "affluent" in the overall scheme of things, are you prepared to
volunteer to accept your contributions to SSI back with a small rate of
return?

TC,
R



jeff

The SSI system is and always has been an entitlement/welfare system
masquerading as a retirement system. It is probably by far the
largest accounting gimmick of all time, with the social left and
right, each for its own reasons, pretending that payments represent
some sort of investment with some sort of future return, while
presidents and congresses from Nixon's time on have used the payments
to hide the true extent of their spending deficits. Anyone counting
on, or assuming that they are "owed," any sort of decent future SSI
payments upon retirement 10-15 years out is likely to be sorely
disappointed. Eventually people will catch on, maybe, forcing a
dialogue about the fundamental issue of entitlement for the elderly,
but until then we'll continue to have these surreal whatifs tossed at
us. Personally I believe that we should provide a base income to the
elderly, inversely indexed to other retirement income, but I don't
assume or expect to receive much of it, if any.