Social Security, Help!

Hi Everyone,
I don't usually start posts on this board, but I have come to something I need some help with. The owner of my Company always gets into it with me about Political issues. He is a die-hard Rep!! Ugh! Anyway he sends me emails from time to time about rep crap. He always tells me when I grow up I will be a Rep. I tell him hes crazy. Anyhow, this new email is about Social Security and what Democrats did to it. I need your help rebutting this so I can send him an email with what Re pub's have done to it. Please an help would be greatly appreciated.
Heres his email to me.





Subject: FW: interesting facts on social security








>Subject: FW: interesting facts on social security
>Date: Wed, 12 May 2004 15:47:56 +0000
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>> Just a few interesting facts!
>>
>> SOCIAL SECURITY:
>>
>> Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social Security
>>(FICA) Program. He promised:
>>
>> 1.) That participation in the Program would be completely
>>voluntary,
>>
>> 2.) That the participants would only have to pay 1% of the first
>>$1,400 of their annual incomes into the Program,
>>
>> 3.) That the money the participants elected to put into the
>>Program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each
>>year,
>>
>> 4.) That the money the participants put into the independent
>>"Trust Fund" rather than into the General operating fund, and
>>therefore, would only be used to fund the Social Security
>>Retirement Program, and no other Government program, and,
>>
>> 5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be
>>taxed as income.
>>
>> Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are now
>>receiving a Social Security check every month -- and then finding
>>that we are getting taxed on 85% of the money we paid to the
>>Federal government to "put away," you may be interested in the
>>following:
>>
>> Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the
>>independent "Trust"
>> fund and put it into the General fund so that Congress could
>>spend it?
>>
>> A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the Democratically-controlled House
>>and Senate.
>>
>> Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax deduction for
>>Social Security (FICA) withholding?
>>
>> A: The Democratic Party.
>>
>> Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social Security
>>annuities?
>>
>> A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the "tie-breaking"
>>deciding vote as President of the Senate, while he was Vice
>>President of the U.S.
>>
>> Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving annuity
>>payments to immigrants?
>>
>> A: That's right! Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party.
>>Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65, began to receive
>>SSI Social Security payments! The Democratic Party gave these
>>payments to them, even though they never paid a dime into it!
>>
>> Then, after doing all this lying and thieving and violation of
>>the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and tell
>>you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away!
>>
>> And the worst part about it is, uninformed citizens believe it!
>>
>> Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during this 2004
>>election year!
>>
>> If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be
>>planted and maybe good changes will evolve.
>>
>> How many people can YOU send this to?
>>
>> Keep this going clear up through the 2004 election!! We need to
>>be heard!
>>
>

http://slate.msn.com/id/2093707/

Plenty more if you Google "bush+social security".

http://www.snopes.com/cgi-bin/news/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000003

you may need to cut and paste the link, or do a search for Social Security

http://www.snopes.com/cgi-bin/news/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000003">Snopes Social Security exact same email debunked for the most part (except for Gore).

I don't think he did any research. Just another creep.

He asserts these things, how about some references? If he doesn't have any, then he's just repeating hearsay himself and should be ashamed of offering it as proof of his view.

Second, it's worth noting that Republicans have spent the entire time either blanketly opposing it or maneuvering to dismantle it.

Thanks Fellow DU'ers!! Talk to you later!

SS was not voluntary. Who would have voluntarily contributed to something, during the depression, never tried before?

All labor laws, that protect working people and unions, that were signed by FDR, were all opposed by the republicans.

most of the facts are true as far as I know..the best you can do is find anti-GOP ammo to send back to him, and find better arguments in support of social security.

After I sent him the Snopes.com rebuttal to his social security puke email he sent me this.
>}>

Ryan, I don't disagree with those articles but the point is it was the
Democratic's that change the law from Social Security being a Trust Fund in
the first place so that it couldn't be robbed.

I understand you are a young (but intelligent) skull full of mush which will
grow and develop more objectivity as you get older

>>>>

Its alright he's just mad I proved him wrong!
Take care people!

The probability of being disabled is 1 in 6 .

If your boss can't work, he'd remember that Social Security is DISABILITY and SURVIVOR benefits as well as for RETIREMENT!

robbed his retirement?

in my post titled Reagan and Greenspan Commission etc.

Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the
>>independent "Trust"
>> fund and put it into the General fund so that Congress could
>>spend it?
>>
>> A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the Democratically-controlled House
>>and Senate.

So? Social Security could always be used to buy government securities, at interest. That's how it's handled now, the government borrows the money. This either reduces the current tax burden, or current government borrowing from external sources - in other words, the government would still be spending the same amount of money and it would have to get it from somewhere. The interest on the borrowing increases the Social Security Trust Fund.

Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social Security
>>annuities?
>>
>> A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the "tie-breaking"
>>deciding vote as President of the Senate, while he was Vice
>>President of the U.S.

Social Security benefits are taxed for people making over a certain amount of money. I have no problem with that. If, when I'm retired, I am making sufficient money that the government taxes my Social Security, I'll be a happy camper.

Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving annuity
>>payments to immigrants?
>>
>> A: That's right! Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party.
>>Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65, began to receive
>>SSI Social Security payments! The Democratic Party gave these
>>payments to them, even though they never paid a dime into it!

Again, so? The Social Security Trust Fund is solvent well into the future. I'm not sure of the current numbers, but I believe the current projections are for there to be no payment problems from Social Security unitl about 2040 - and problems in 2040 under only the most pessimistic of economic projections - average annual growth less than in the 1930's.

Then, after doing all this lying and thieving and violation of
>>the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and tell
>>you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away!

They haven't documented any lying and/or thieving. If the original contract has changed ovcer the last 65 or so years, that's hardly surprising.

>> If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be
>>planted and maybe good changes will evolve.

I wish more people did understand the Social Security System, it's benefits and costs; and its solvency. The more people who understand that, the more people will fight the Republican attempt to destroy this government program that helps so many people who are retired after a lifetime of hard work and contributions to the country.

when the 1983 amendments were signed into law in order to address long-term financing problems. Reagan had appointed a blue ribbon panel known as the Greenspan Commission to make recommendations for changes to the system. The resulting bill signed by Reagan in 1983 introduced taxation of Social Security and the increase in the maximum retirement age to draw full benefits among other cost saving measures.

Another lie is that Jimmy Carter began allowing immigrants to draw Social Security draining the trust funds. SSI is NOT Social Security!! SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is a federal welfare program funded from general revenues, not the Social Security trust funds. SSI was created in 1972 by the Nixon Administration to federalize formerly state and local welfare assistance. Destitute legal immigrants such as political refugees have been allowed to draw SSI as well as food stamps and other welfare benefits. Legal immigrants have always been able to draw Social Security as long as they meet the same requirements as U.S. Citizens- such as being insured and paying in enough to the system.

Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law, but the Social Security Trust Funds have remained separate Trust Funds all along and are not considered part of General Revenues. The Trust Funds are 'borrowed against' in deficit calculations, but clearly still separate from General revenues.

The program was never 'totally voluntary'. However the law allowed certain State and County and City employees already in their own systems to be totally exempt if state or local government did not want to put them under the federal Social Security program such firefighters, teachers and prison workers. Over the years, many of these state and local groups were brought into the system when the respective local governments voted to put their employees under the program.

To my knowledge, the FICA taxes were never tax deductible (other than the partial deduction for self-employed individuals)


There are probably other blatant lies or misconceptions in the original post. I worked for SSA for many years. I will post more info if I think of any more corrections.

I do agree that the Social Security program is solvent and should not be 'privatized'. I was disgusted last week when Alan Greenspan suggested raising the age for maximum Social Security benefits and reducing or eliminating the cost of living increases as a way of dealing with the overall budget deficit created by the incompetent Bush Administration. That is totally unfair to American workers who have been paying into the program and deserve to get what they have been promised and to not see it all eroded by inflation and the high cost of medical premiums.