AMAC’s Founder, Dan Weber
The President, the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives all have been unable to agree upon anything lately. The people are watching a High Stakes poker game being played and we all could be the losers.
With the August 2nd date of possible default looming ahead it is time to do something positive.
Ironically, Social Security, once considered the “third rail” of politics now appears to be the one area that a solution could be readily agreed upon.
AMAC, the Association of Mature Americans recently conducted a poll that overwhelming showed most older Americans would accept extending the ages for receiving benefits by gradually phasing in the earliest age to be changed to age 65, from 62 and the full benefit age to be changed to age 69 from the present 66.
Several bills have been proposed, such as Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison’s (R-TX) that would also include a modest adjustment in the index used to increase benefits due to inflation. Those changes alone would keep Social Security Solvent for the next 75 years!
In the poll, AMAC provided a choice to add in a voluntary Social Security IRA. The reason that was included was to offer people who could not continue to work longer, because of physical limitations, a means for them to be able to retire at an age between 62 and 65. Of course, any worker would be able to have a tax deductible Social Security IRA to add to their retirement. Eighty percent of respondents liked that enhancement.
The White House has earlier said they were looking at the change in age for receiving benefits.
The Senate proposal from the “Gang of Six” suggested that the Social Security Issue be handled separately in any case. It appears there is common ground on this issue.
So why not agree on this simple solution, get the solvency of Social Security taken care of and use that successful agreement as a springboard to tackle the more difficult problems of Medicare, the deficit and the National Debt? Americans are smart enough to know something has to be done about the problems facing Social Security. They know people are living a lot longer than they did 70 years ago- so they are willing to accept changes in the future.
Both political parties stand to gain by working together and presenting the people with intelligent and fiscally sound proposals.
Why not start with Social Security.
Daniel Weber is the president and founder of AMAC, the Association of Mature Americans, a non-partisan organization representing older Americans.
Are we to believe that politiciations will not continue to spend what they can get their hands on? They’ve spent all the money in Social Security, which until the Johnson Adm. was the best funded social program in history. End the program by phasing out SS and let the wage earners decide for themselves where to invest (or spend) their money.
I am 52 years old and plan to work as long as my body will allow.
When I do retire the money I will receive is my money. Earned and taxed I should receive it tax free. I also have paid property taxes all my life and have raised my children. Stop property taxes on SS recipients. In fact stop all taxes and the small amount we get from SS may allow us to live more with dignity. Maybe enjoy our grandchildren and teach them what is expected of them.
I agree that Social Security and Medicare must be reformed. I do NOT feel we should allow those in the government sector to use “fear” as a tactic when leveraging legislation. We must just call their bluff and ask each representative what sacrifices THEY are making to ensure WE ALL SHARE the sacrifice. When was the last time, ANY time they mentioned THEIR pay cuts….THEIR reduction in benefits/healthcare…..THEIR reduction in workforce? I hear that Obama is looking at reducing benefits for the military. I ask, why doesn’t he look at Washington’s benefits FIRST? They wonder in amazement why American citizens “see red” when they look at cutting OUR benefits or programs but mention NOTHING about SHARING the pain TOGETHER! Keep up the faith folks….true CHANGE will be coming!
Replace the funds the government “appropriated” (stole).
Stop payments to anyone that hasn’t paid into the system for at least ten years (including my daughter, why is she getting a check?) (We’re keeping them, if we gave them back they’d be squandered.)
This should keep SS going for quite a while, increasing FICA withholding isn’t a bad idea, if kept to a minimum.
I agree with Janie’s last sentence about Taking illegals and countries getting foreign aid off of America’s welfare roles. Our military has done a great job over sea’s. Bring them home, we have used them up. Instead put them on our borders to protect us. With the money saved doing that would leave more money to support our nations senior citizens, infrastructure, and feed our hungry citizens. Let’s take care of us for once. Very few of the countries we give money to would help us if we were in a sinking ship.
I believe it should be left at 62. Is it true the government has borrowed money over the years from Social Security to pay other bills or pet projects? If so they should pay it back to SS before entertaining changing the rules.
Nope! They have our money. They give spend it for things I don’t approve of and bankrupt the SS system. Absolutely not! I do not agree with raising the retirement age or increasing taxes. A promise should be honored! You pay it in, we begin giving it back to you at 62 if you want. That was the agreement. Take some illegals and lazy people and some of the countries that are getting foreign aid off the welfare roles instead.
Should be all Caps. Otherwise, people might think that it is an advertisement for MAC Computers.
I think you are just a little behind on this one aren’t you? August 2 has come and gone and we got our rear ends kicked.
SS orginally set up as a safety net for people who paid in and that reached retirement age at 65. That is untill our elected officals saw all that money that they could buy votes with. If SS was limited to only those who paid in and required funding for those who did not with independent funding bills for everyone to see things may likely change. If the changes made to SS had to stand on thier own, most of them would die.
SS orginally set up as a safety net for people who paid in and the few that reached retirement age at 65. That is untill our elected officals saw all that money that they could buy votes with. If SS was limited to only those who paid in and required funding for those who did not with independent funding bills for everyone to see things may likely change.
SS orginally set up as a safety net for those few that reached retirement age,65. That is untill our elected officals saw all that money that they could buy votes with. If limited SS to only those who paid in and required funding for those who did not with independent funding bills for everyone to see things may likely change.
It’s us baby boomers who are now a part of Medicare this year that are robbing the cradle.
Thank you Dan for your article and your movement.
At times we just say a pox on both their houses.
Reagan bankrupted the ‘evil empire’ now we have a Senate dominated by a party that would like to bankrupt America.
Thanks to the Tea Party movement and Amac, for insinuating some common decency and common sense into the ivory tower debates that the folks in Washington play with while the real economy takes a beating.
I am hopeful that what happened last November is just the start of a trend, where a congress, senate and president will be elected that will bring back balanced budgets, reform laws to bring jobs back to American cities.
When the jobs come back the recovery in the finances of the State (so called deficit) will melt away.
America needs another Reagan style recovery to bolster patriotism and fiscal strength of the economy.
Thanks you for your article. At times we just say a pox on both their houses. Reagan bankrupted the ‘evil empire’ now we have a Senate dominated by a party that would like to bankrupt America.
Thanks to the Tea Party movement and Amac, for insinuating some common decency and common sense into the ivory tower debates that the folks in Washington play with while the real economy takes a beating.
I am hopeful that what happened last November is just the start of a trend, where a congress, senate and president will be elected that will bring back balanced budgets, reform laws to bring jobs back to American cities.
When the jobs come back the recovery in the finances of the State (so called deficit) will melt away.
its time for another Reagan recovery.
Would like to start taking your magazine
I say tax the big perks the politicians voted for giving themselves since all that is unconstitutional anyway! The only way any of it stood is that no one ever challenged it in the courts!
If two things were done to SS withholding taxes they could solve the Social Security problem.
1- Lift the cap on withholding from current $106,800 and add .25% increase on the SS taxes withheld.
Problem solved
I don’t know why the half of you that voted for the socialist, Barok Husain Obomma are whining about, you got your change’ now go eat dirt!
Why does AMAC continue to run the radio spots that play the National Anthem while a spokesperson speaks. This desecrates our National Anthem. Here’s a question: When you are at a sporting event, and the National Anthem is played, I’ll bet every patriotic person reading this stands up, places his or her hand over the heart or salutes, faces the flag and/or the music and either sings or respectfully remains silent. Right? What is your opinion of those disrespectful people who dont stand, or continue to speak while the anthem is played? WHY DOES AMAC DESECRATE OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM BY USING IT AS A COMMON SALES JINGLE? Listen up…..You had better pull these radio spots or you will do alot of damage to your cause and water down the sacred status of our National Anthem.