Your deadline to fix Social Security is one year. Where do you start?

Question

You may NOT raise the current or future SS tax levels. Who would want that?

Answer 1

First thing I would do is stop paying monthly stipends to drug addicts and drunks. All the current system is doing is enabling them to continue their bad habits.

Food Stamps.. After a six month "warning" period I would require both parents of two parent households who receive food stamps to find employment. As it stands right now there are hundreds of thousands of households who "play the system" where only one parent will work so that they remain eligible for food stamps. It is not unheard of for a family with 4 children to receive just shy of $1,000 worth of food stamps per month.

Medicaid.. I would require a co-pay for Dr office calls and emergency room care for those receiving Medicaid. 5-10% of a co-pay is not unreasonable and is much better than those who pay their own insurance premiums are entitled to. We pay deductibles *and* 20% co-pays and higher depending on the care we receive.

We all know there are those who receive Social Security Retirement Benefits that don't need the money to live on. I would discontinue those payments. Instead I would give them a tax deduction on their federal income taxes equal to 7.5% of the amount paid in Social Security Taxes for each year they paid in to the system. If they paid into the system for 20 years then they should be allowed the deduction for 20 years. Ten years, then allow them the deduction for 10 years and so on. They paid into the system, they do deserve something back but if they can afford to live without the benefits on a monthly basis then returning a low percentage to them *one time a year* of their money should be enough.

The "fix" doesn't have to come entirely from within the social Security System...

Not directly related to Social Security, but I would discontinue the Earned Income Credit in regards to the IRS. Why should someone who pays in $500 worth of federal income taxes during a calendar year be allowed a refund of $1,000 on April 15th? Use that money toward Medicare for the elderly, preferrably to help them with their prescriptions. No person who has worked their entire life and paid into a system should have to choose between eating or medication because they can't afford both.

Another option is, the Federal Government could liquidate surplus property that is costing the tax payers billions of dollars per year to maintain. An example, the L. Mendel Rivers Federal Building in Charleston, South Carolina has been vacant since having been damaged by Hurricane Floyd in 1999. This commercially valuable piece of waterfront property in a resort area sits empty and absorbs millions of tax dollars in maintenance costs, year after year.

Another example, The General Accountability Office auditors estimated in 2003 that the Department of Defense alone is spending $3 billion to $4 billion to maintain real property that it doesn’t need.

The problem with surplus properties is not one that is being ignored. House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.) introduced legislation to establish a five-year pilot plan allowing agencies to receive a percentage of the fair market value of disposed assets and Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management Chairman Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has scheduled a hearing on federal real property, with the intent of introducing reform legislation.


I imagine the money saved could be used to shore up Social Security. I agree with you, we can't continue to just applying temporary fixes to Social Security. It needs fixed. Which party is going to do that? The Republicans, Democrats? Democrats never. For the Democrats to FIX Social Security it would mean alienating their most powerful voting base, those receiving benefits. Republicans? Well, Republicans don't want to turn away voters either.
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Well, I've probably angered enough people with this question... I think I will move on.

Answer 2

I think I would start with income levels, say a person is making a $50000 a year pension, even though they paid into S.S I don't think they need the money as bad as the person that gets a $1000 a month and I would put a cap on how much if any that people can draw depending on income. I know this would be unpopular with the rich bitches, but to me it is common sense to rob from the rich instead of the other way around.

Answer 3

I would define "Fix".

My first plan would be "starting next month no one will have SS tax withheld from their check, also no one will receive a check"

because I am compassionate here is another plan "if you are less that 40 years old today you will never receive a SS check but you will continue to pay in until everyone on it dies. If you are between 40-55 when you get SS it will be at a reduced rate. Their will never again be a pay raise for SS recipients.

did you know that next year SS checks will get a 3.3% raise and members of the military get a 2.2% raise?

Answer 4

Continue paying the current debits out of the general fund. Put all future income into a real trust fund. Government securities would be OK and pass solid laws to keep it out of the hands of the congress in the future.

Answer 5

Well First I would stop the big retirement pensions of the government officials ( Congress, President, Ect) and some of there employees then put them on SSI and make them follow follow the same guide lines we have to. Second I would stop any one from serving over 2 terms in office so they dont recieve the Million dollar paycheck every month. Third I would remove all immunity from EVERYONE reguardless of title or wealth or position in the country even Diplomats. Maybe then they would have time to serve the people instead of special interest

Answer 6

revamp pensions on all Government officials and have them pay the same as the rest of the country. Stop giving money to illegals out of this system. Give the people a choice on how to handle their own money, why would you want the government to decide what to do with my money, since they only know how to spend not earn.