221022 13:40 – save social security
It’s voting season and the campaigning is contention as always. Really the two party system is doing us no favors. It will fundamentally always be in my mind: “them against us,” or “us against them,” however you like it. It cannot not be otherwise. A candidate must have a comparison to rally against.
Unfortunately, one of the two sides is much more destructive to civilization. In so many ways, socioeconomically, environmentally, psychologically, physically; you name it. Being conservative by nature, how would that ever relate to being selfless, free with assistance to help others, generous?
Rick Scott, he released a policy agenda for the Republicans earlier this year. And I should also mention Scott’s not just some random senator. He’s the head of the Republican Senate campaign arm and has been campaigning and giving a lot of money to the Republican Senate candidates.
So Scott’s plan, it would mean that every five years, every federal government program, including Social Security, Medicare, veterans benefits, would have to be voted on and Congress would have to agree to reauthorize it or else it would be terminated.
And so that means that every five years, Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries would be left in limbo, wondering, is Congress going to reauthorize our benefits or are they going to cut it? Are they going to privatize it or are they going to end it entirely? It’s going to be just another part of congressional wheeling and dealing, just no longer the secure earned benefits that people have paid for. So that’s Rick Scott.
Sen. Ron Johnson from Wisconsin heard Scott’s plan and he decided, “You know what, I don’t think that’s cruel enough. I think that we should require Social Security and Medicare to be authorized every year.”
The conservatives want to make changes to social security.
Some rando facts:
Did you know 70 million people received benefits from programs administered by the Social Security Administration ( SSA ) in 2021. 5.4 million people were newly awarded Social Security benefits in 2021. 55% of adult Social Security beneficiaries in 2021 were women. 55.3 was the average age of disabled-worker beneficiaries in 2021.
As Baby Boomers retire and the U.S. population ages, fewer workers are left to contribute toward the benefits of each retiree. Social Security’s retirement benefits trust fund is projected to deplete reserves in 2034, leaving it reliant on tax receipts covering 77% of scheduled benefits
Employers and employees each pay 6.2 percent of wages up to the taxable maximum of $147,000 (in 2022), while the self-employed pay 12.4 percent. In 2021, $980.06 billion (90.1 percent) of total Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance income came from payroll taxes.
And,
• Social Security and Medicare are paid for with a separate tax. Neither program adds to the national debt.
• Social Security taxes are paid on only the first $147,000 of income (increases to $160,200 in 2023). If the cap was increased or removed, Social Security could be solvent in perpetuity.
• Social Security has about a $2,500,000,000,000 surplus.
• Congress has borrowed trillions from Social Security for government spending.
Why does society let those with the most money proportionally spend the least? Because we elect government officials to make laws that are flawed against society, that’s why.
• Register to Vote
• Voter registration is closed in GA, AZ, FL and OH.
• PA registration closes on October 24, 2022.
• WI has in-person registration through November 4, 2022.
• NV has in person registration through election day.
• NH has in-person election-day-only registration.
• CO has mail-in registration through October 31, 2022 and in-person registration on election day
• NC permits in-person registration at Early Voting sites (Oct. 20-Nov. 5)• Check your Voter registration!
• Make sure you have appropriate ID.
• Know your polling site.
• Check your signature.
• Get a mail-in ballot (and after you mail it, make sure it has been received and counted – most counties allow this to be done online or by calling your election office).
• And VOTE!
Thank you for reading today's post. Have an InterStellar Day! ~PrP
