Why is social security even part of the budget?

[coyotejoe]

Why are the District of Criminals jerks referring to Social Security as an "entitlement program"? it ain't.
 Social Security is the only government program ever to actually pay its own way and it still does so. SS is the only program still solvent. It may not be so forever, it may need some adjustment in the future but as is it will remain solvent for at least 20 more years. So they can look 20 years down the road and say "we have to do something now" but they couldn't see the budget crisis coming one year ago?
 For fifty years I and my employers have paid into the SS fund. So why am I looked upon as a drain on society when I expect the government to honor its agreement and pay back just some of my own money?
  It's a well known fact that had they put the SS funds into an interest bearing account, as was originally proposed, by now my money would be sufficient to earn me 4-5 times the meager amount of my present SS benefits and that is on interest alone, never touching the principal.
 But no, they say we had to spend your money for other things and now we can't afford to maintain your pitiful allowance.
 BUT IT'S MY OWN DANG MONEY!!!

[BUGEYE]

coyote, bush made some comments about privatizing SS but the democrats crucified him.
as mcwoodduck has said, it's government theivery.
and yes you are drawing a fraction of what you should.

[Gary G]

No, it was confiscated by threat of force just like all their revenues. I do believe that SS did go into the red this year.
There never was a SS trust fund. It is spent and full of worthless IOU's. Income tax was your money too. How much of that will you get back?

[coyotejoe]

Well I see no need to "privatize",  the government just needs to honor its agreements. They're also referring to military pay, retirement and VA benefits as "entitlements". Well yes they are in the sense that anyone who served entered into an agreement with the government, and are "entitled" to what they were promised under that agreement.
 They are all concerned about paying foreign creditors so as to maintain their credit rating to borrow more money but they're perfectly willing to rip off American citizens from whom they have also borrowed money, or more accurately "from whom they have STOLEN money".
SS funds should have been treated like government bonds which mature on the person reaching retirement. Instead it has been used as a slush fund for whatever.

[coyotejoe]

No, it was confiscated by threat of force just like all their revenues. I do believe that SS did go into the red this year.
There never was a SS trust fund. It is spent and full of worthless IOU's. Income tax was your money too. How much of that will you get back?

SS did "go into the red" this year due to the unemployment rate, fewer people on a payroll means fewer payroll funds coming in. But that only means they are paying out more than they are taking in right now, that will turn around when the economy picks up again, if it ever does. SS is by no means insolvent nor does it take even one red cent from the general fund. This even though the government IS insolvent and spending at a ridiculous rate on credit.

[NWBear]

It would be interesting if we did take in less SS funds in a given year than we pay out, since most people don't realize they use the SS "Surplus" to offset the "deficit" even though it is "borrowed" money. In other words if we had a $2 Billion shortage in the years budget we could A) borrow money on the open market and add $2 Billion to the National Debt OR we could use the $2 Billion SS surplus (borrowed from SS but not put on the books as a loan) and have NO DEFICET and NO ADDITIONAL DEBT, Magic.  Of course most people and corporations would love to do this as well, too bad it is a felony for public companies not to disclose and carry long term debt on the books.  That gets back to "Entitlement", if they felt they "Owed" you anything they would put it on the books as an account/loan, due and payable ....  The SS Fund is really a bunch of IOU's NOT TIED to the DEFICET or NATIONAL DEBT.  If it was, the national debt would be a lot higher.  SS is treated as a "transfer payment" just like any other regular payout, money comes in money goes out.  Just lke welfare for the poor, farm subsidies for millionaire farmers (10% of farmers get 90% of subsidies) etc.  Of course like Veterans benefits most of us EARNED the right to SS - but to the Govt. it is still treated like a handout.

[SHOOTALL]

After all the BS , the govt. borrowed on the intrest SS made . The intrest was suppose to pay for it to run for ever. . Well the intrest has to be paid back so it is part of the budget because of this debt.

[Val]

Social Security has become an entitlement program thanks to the lunatic fringe liberals. Today if a family loses the breadwinner all his children get Social Security checks until they turn 18, even if the breadwinner never paid into the system. Social Security funds the building of low income housing much of which becomes occupied by illegal aliens. The Government  now takes money out of Social Security for general fund spending (this started under LBJ). Trillions have been stolen from the Social Security fund. The liberals have in fact turned a major portion of the Social Security system into a welfare program.

[lakota]

Exactly,,,bingo. Thank you.  The Republa-cons are pulling the wool over sheople eyes again....this is the real theft...they want the moneis for wars, and corpo interest....they want you desperate, broke, unhealthy....don't listen to them and their atlas-shrugged hype...its another con.
 
..TM7

Is that why democrats voted to put S.S. money into the general fund so "republa-cons" could use it for wars?

[mechanic]

S.S is part of the general fund, and has been since J. Carter "fixed" it a while ago.  On paper, SS is solvent, but you have to understand the money has already been spent.  There is no "trust fund" as some think.  There are only promissory notes.  It survives today on the contributions of those working to pay those who draw from it.
 
The sad thing is, there are many many on SS in one form or another who have never paid a dime in.
 
Ben

[srussell]

two problems with SS is people getting SSI that never paid a thing into the system and permanent welfare babies

[Doublebass73]

S.S is part of the general fund, and has been since J. Carter "fixed" it a while ago.  On paper, SS is solvent, but you have to understand the money has already been spent.  There is no "trust fund" as some think.  There are only promissory notes.  It survives today on the contributions of those working to pay those who draw from it.
 
The sad thing is, there are many many on SS in one form or another who have never paid a dime in.
 
Ben

Sure sounds a lot like the Ponzi scheme that Bernie Madoff went to prison for.

[coyotejoe]

Yes it is a Ponzi scheme exactly. I am so fed up with this corrupt excuse for a government that you may notice I have changed my signature line to a little rhyme I "borrowed".

[jimster]

Too long upon our backs they've trod with boots rough soled and dirty,
So saddle up and kiss your wife and grab your 30/30.

I like it...my feelings exactly.

[magooch]

There are a lot of facts that are being thrown around here that are not quite true, or just plain wrong.  I'm not saying that I know anything for sure, but if one wants to know something more official, why not check with your Congress critter, or look it up on the Internet.
 
Here I go not taking my own advice, but isn't it true that Congress and Obama have put a temporary moratorium on the collection of "payroll taxes?"  That ought to be a big help in making sure that the S.S. system stays solvent.   

[Buck-Ridge]

This year for some insane reason they aren't collecting 2% that they usually do. I upped my contribution 2% to 401K which the Liberal Dumocrats are drooling to seize too so they can make life better for illegal aliens.