On Oct 25, 3:39*pm, rw wrote:
wrote:

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.

The SSI "crisis" could be fixed by means testing. Wealthy people don't
need it.

I doubt that the political will exists to do it.

I'm sure if you gave them the option to opt out of the program
most would. I know I'd agree not to take any SS if they agreed
to stop taking the money from my paychecks.....
.....or was that not what you meant? :-)
- Ken