Forget that we shouldn't be at war anyway. Forget all that money you've put into Social Security so you could pay for rent and food in your old age.
In an interview with reporters and editors at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review John Boehner suggested that we need to cut Social Security benefits to pay for drone missiles in Afghanistan and for rebuilding the country. Apparently he's unaware that only about 50 to 100 Al Qaeda are still in the country.
Ensuring there’s enough money to pay for the war will require reforming the country’s entitlement system, Boehner said. He said he’d favor increasing the Social Security retirement age to 70 for people who have at least 20 years until retirement, tying cost-of-living increases to the consumer price index rather than wage inflation and limiting payments to those who need them.
Why should Boehner care? He's raised more than $1.4 million from business interests this election cycle.
This video shows that Boehner had other things to say about Social Security, too. "We're all living a lot longer," says Boehner, so "eventually getting the retirement age to seventy is a step that needs to be taken." But we're not living that much longer than we were in 1983, when Congress stabilized the program financially. He also says, "We need to look at the American people and explain to them that we're broke, and that if you have substantial non-Social Security income ... why are we paying you?" Um ... because you paid in to the program? The only alternative is to apply a payroll tax to wealthier people for benefits they'll never collect, which amounts to a very un-Republican-like tax on the rich, or allowing people to opt out of the program (which really would ruin it financially).
Social Security is not broke. It's going to be healthy for many more years.
Exactly,exactly,exactly.Fully funded for 30-40 years.After that maybe 70% payments for many years. And this if NOTHING is done. As you alluded to Leslie, the models took into consideration the baby boomer retirement and productivity improvements. Good thing you're on this, I post about it frequently too.
ReplyDeleteSorry though, didn't watch the video. It might have led me to punch the monitor and I can't afford a new one right now.
That guy is chilling. What a creep. My blood pressure spiked when he talked about congress working together again and congressional leaders -- presumably not him -- who had put party ahead of the "institution." The institution? What ever happened to the country?
ReplyDeleteOso - I don't blame you. Can't help but wonder what he's doing with his hands under the table?
ReplyDeleteK - He's a hoot alright, albeit a stupid one. It's hard to believe that he keeps being re-elected.
What have we been paying into SS for all these years? Sounds like he wants a way of taking our money without raising taxes. He makes it sound like there are zillions of people out there who don't need SS to supplement their retirement and for some it is their retirement!
ReplyDeleteWow! Did Pat Robertson really say that?! What an idiot! He's mellowed some in recent years; this must have been some years ago.
ReplyDeleteThis is what it's about. The media transforms these schemes as credible as in creationism with the very people it will harm the most will still vote for slugs like this.
ReplyDeleteWhat's scary is that not just this but much of the wishes of the right could very possibly come true.
Lizzy: That's exactly what my mom used to say. The Republicans have been trying this since SS was born. They might as well stand before a firing squad and I wouldn't being able to say, "Aim, Fire."
ReplyDeletePat did say that but I don't have a date for it. I don't know that I think he's toned down very much.
OneFly: If the wishes of the right come true, it will be because we have not done our job.
Just when I don't think the republicans can say anything more stupid, along comes "The Boner" and squirts another great one. He wants to cut social security to pay for the war.
ReplyDeleteTHE FUCKING WAR!!!
Is this guy crazy??? Forget that Social Security funding and war funding are two separate things. There is no connection between the two.
The republicans are self-destructing. The "Big Stiff One" has given Democrats another campaign slogan. The stupidity of the republican leadership is mind-boggling. Why anybody supports these idiots is beyond me.
You know, I just had a thought. You hear a lot of complaints from the rightwing whackos about democrats. But it is about what they want or are trying to do. They are not complaining about the stupid things the democrats say. The republicans, on the other hand, can't open their mouths without some sort of ridiculous shit flowing out. The things they say are laughable.
It is amazing! Why would anyone vote for them. Come on whackos. Tell me why!
I actually agree with the drunken fool that we will eventually need to look at the retirement age, and I think means testing is a good thing too. Other than that, the drunken ass is being his normal stupid self.
ReplyDeleteAll we need to secure SS is to have everybody pay the same percentage. There is no reason to give the rich the benefit of cutting off contributions at a little over $100,000 per year.
ReplyDelete"We need to look at the American people and explain to them that we're broke"
ReplyDeleteI'm having a little trouble with that remark....
The United States of America - the richest country in the world - is "broke"? Because that should mean a wholesake restructure of the global economy, which isn't what's happening.
Does "broke" there mean something different from "broke" meaning having no money?
I don't see any of the billion dollar supercarriers being sold off for scrap because the country is "broke".
We had a foolish politician (in the conservative opposition) who suggested off the cuff that it wasn't impossible that Australia would default on it's sovereign debt... i.e. go "broke" (without a shred of justification I hasten to add).
His career was instantly on the line - You just can't say stuff like that unless you mean it.
Why is Boehner not crawling on hands and knees begging for forgiveness and saying he didn't mean it? He should be blasted into the ground by every commentator in the country for saying something like that.
Apart from the sheer evil of stealing the winter of people's lives of course.
The Jelly Bean President started dipping into the SSI fund was he was King. Up to that point it was untouchable. Unfortunately they still are dipping into it. (Borrowing) If we raise Qualifying for SSI until your 70 I think it would actually cost more.
ReplyDeleteWell we know people 50 years on up are having a hell of a time finding work. So they'll wind up using the new Health care system. It's been agreed that Medicare is by far the cheapest and least expensive way to go for Health Insurance. So in essence we just Robbed Peter to pay Paul.
Also not being able to find work will out people on Welfare..How's that saving money?
Any ploy The Repukes can use to get rid of anything to do with the New deal they'll try.
SS has been dipped into for decades, usually to finance wars like Vietnam.
ReplyDeleteIf we had left alone all SS contributions since its start, we would have plenty of money to pay benefits, and even increase benefits.
Means testing should be a given. Get SS back to an insurance program, not a pension program. Does Bill Gates need a SS check?
Boner (HA) is defining Republicans again (his leadership job) they could care less about the average American trying to get by through the financial mess Republicans created. The jerks.
of course interviews like this would be great for dems to use in campaign ads this summer, but will they?? THEY BETTER!! Boner is like a limp dick, nothing could be worse.... :-)
ReplyDeleteIf Social Security does run into trouble, the government needs to return the money they've been "dipping" out of it. If more money is needed to do that, Obama can simply announce that he's raising tax rates on the affluent back to the same levels they were at under that great Commie socialist, Ronald "hammer-and-sickle" Reagan.
ReplyDeleteWell, most old people get angry when anyone starts talking about playing around with SS. So angry they'll vote for someone else even.
ReplyDeleteLove all the comments but I really don't know what I can add that would be enlightening. I mean, it's a given this man is an idiot, so what else is new? I kind of get a kick out of watching him stick his foot in his mouth every time he opens it. I don't know if his brain is fried from too much tanning or too much boozing or both. But then, what's McConnell's excuse.
The solution for for social security is simple. Eliminate the income cap.
ReplyDeleteThe whole idea of retirement seems to escape Boehner. So, he wants you to work until you die. As if companies are wanting 70-year-olds on the payroll. If Republicans have their way, the COLA raise will be cut altogether. (BTW, isn't it based on the Consumer Price Index?) Let Boehner try to live off the $807 a month I live off of. !!$#@!%^@!$!!!
ReplyDeleteWhile out walking my dog, I was thinking of Boehner and kind of giggling to myself. I wonder who it was that got the tanning booth tax tacked on to the HC bill? How many Dems were in on it? How many Republicans really hadn't read the bill?
ReplyDelete