Ron Paul!

[cjjtulsa]

I don't think it is by accident. Billions are spend on lobbying every year, somebody is getting his money's worth.
Santorum sounded like a neocon ready for foreign adventures, Bachman is ready to go after Iran, Perry gives illegals in state tuition but out of state to Americans from other states, Paul sounded like he doesn't care if there is a border or not, typical Libertarian, Huntsman believes in the global warming hoax. Newt could not get voted in Congress if he tried. Cain is good but needs to polish his act, a few years from now maybe.
That leaves Mitt as the only choice for now.

You've got that pretty much nailed down, except for Cain hasn't showed to be much different than the rest of the field, and Romney is a typical RINO and was on the Hannity show yesterday fawning over Social Security, droning on and on about how we need it. Uh, no - we don't. It's another .gov failure, and is used more now as an entitlement program than retirement program.

Let's face it: regardless, we're in for another four years of fail, no matter who's in the White House.

 

[RickN]

Let's face it: regardless, we're in for another four years of fail, no matter who's in the White House.

But as long as it is anyone but Obama, it will be less fail then we have now. Heck even Peewee Herman could do a better job then Obama.

 

[Nraman]

Romney is a typical RINO and was on the Hannity show yesterday fawning over Social Security, droning on and on about how we need it. Uh, no - we don't. It's another .gov failure, and is used more now as an entitlement program than retirement program.

I have been paying in to the system all my life. As I get close to retirement, not knowing what the future holds, I want the government to keep their end of the bargain. If the system doesn't work as it should, it should be fixed not eliminated. I kept my end of the bargain, I am not asking for freebies, I paid in to it, they owe it to me.
And please don't give me the "If you depend on SS" line that some on this board like to repeat. What I depend on is irrelevant, we made a deal, I kept my part, I demand that the government keeps their part of the deal.

 

[inactive]

I have been paying in to the system all my life. As I get close to retirement, not knowing what the future holds, I want the government to keep their end of the bargain. If the system doesn't work as it should, it should be fixed not eliminated. I kept my end of the bargain, I am not asking for freebies, I paid in to it, they owe it to me.
And please don't give me the "If you depend on SS" line that some on this board like to repeat. What I depend on is irrelevant, we made a deal, I kept my part, I demand that the government keeps their part of the deal.

I can buy into that, though I personally believe it should be eliminated for our population going forward. I am in my early 30s, and I don't count on any SSI when I retire, regardless of the fact I have paid in for nearly 20 years already. But for those closer to retirement, I understand the circumstances are different.

 

[cjjtulsa]

I have been paying in to the system all my life. As I get close to retirement, not knowing what the future holds, I want the government to keep their end of the bargain. If the system doesn't work as it should, it should be fixed not eliminated. I kept my end of the bargain, I am not asking for freebies, I paid in to it, they owe it to me.

As I said, it's become an entitlement program, not a retirement program - ask my wife's lazy step sisters about that. Early 40s, and drawing an SSI check every month. So is her uncle. Yeah, the government "owes it to you" - I agree, and you should get it. Me too. I've kept up my end of the bargain as well, but do you think in 20 years or so when it's my turn to consider collecting "my end of the bargain", that there'll be one red cent for me? Not a chance. It's a failure, and needs to somehow be either completely overhauled or slowly phased out.

And please don't give me the "If you depend on SS" line that some on this board like to repeat. What I depend on is irrelevant, we made a deal, I kept my part, I demand that the government keeps their part of the deal.

I agree with you here, but for how long? The problem I see is that the cost of living goes up, inflation rises, and people live longer. The majority end up having collected their "fair share" that they paid in within just a few years past retirement. Yet they demand to collect a check for as long as they live, even though they've already gotten back quadruple what they paid in. The system is fatally flawed, outside of all of the freeloaders who have found the magical teat of SSI.

 

[grizzly97]

While I can understand people close to retirement want their money, they paid in and want it back. Totally reasonable. However, noone made a "deal" with the gov. The gov forces us to pay, and currently only "guarantees" 78% back. You don't even get the same amount you've paid in! IMO, it should be on a voluntary basis. I could do a LOT better investing/saving that money on my own. I personally plan on getting zero back from social security. My retirement is MY responsability, not everyone else's!

 

[cjjtulsa]

My retirement is MY responsability, not everyone else's!

Until the government confiscates 401ks and IRAs for the greater good.

 

[grizzly97]

Until the government confiscates 401ks and IRAs for the greater good.

Very true! Lord knows they've already talked about it. Hell, might as well go back to keeping my money under my mattress, and then move to BFE when I retire and stay off the grid in the middle of the woods like a bigfoot. I'm covered in enough fur to pull it off. lol

 

[Nraman]

I can buy into that, though I personally believe it should be eliminated for our population going forward.

I think we should keep it. Many things happen in a life time and a person can end up with nothing. At that point you have two choices, let him die like a dog in the streets or take care of him. I don't see people dying in the streets, so, I think it is best that that person gets money from a program he financed.

As I said, it's become an entitlement program, not a retirement program - ask my wife's lazy step sisters about that. Early 40s, and drawing an SSI check every month. So is her uncle. Yeah, the government "owes it to you" - I agree, and you should get it. Me too. I've kept up my end of the bargain as well, but do you think in 20 years or so when it's my turn to consider collecting "my end of the bargain", that there'll be one red cent for me? Not a chance. It's a failure, and needs to somehow be either completely overhauled or slowly phased out.

I know people like that also. I know a guy that has a kid with birth defects, he can afford to pay but chooses to use free money. A complete overhaul is needed, no question about it.

I agree with you here, but for how long? The problem I see is that the cost of living goes up, inflation rises, and people live longer. The majority end up having collected their "fair share" that they paid in within just a few years past retirement. Yet they demand to collect a check for as long as they live, even though they've already gotten back quadruple what they paid in. The system is fatally flawed, outside of all of the freeloaders who have found the magical teat of SSI.

You don't just get "your fair share", you invest in an insurance type of program. If you die in the SS office while applying for SS, you get nothing if you get lucky you get a lot more than you put in.
You and I buy a brand new car with full coverage and one of us totals it out of the dealers parking lot and the other keeps it perfect for twenty years, you might see it as unfair or just how things work.

While I can understand people close to retirement want their money, they paid in and want it back. Totally reasonable. However, noone made a "deal" with the gov. The gov forces us to pay, and currently only "guarantees" 78% back. You don't even get the same amount you've paid in! IMO, it should be on a voluntary basis. I could do a LOT better investing/saving that money on my own. I personally plan on getting zero back from social security. My retirement is MY responsability, not everyone else's!

Hey, your retirement is your responsibility, you are smart and capable. Good for you. What happens if you like so many others end up with nothing, it happens for a variety of reasons some beyond their control. Should I pay you to stay alive even though you never participated? Do we let people die of starvation? I suppose it depends on a person's vision of what a society should be. Normally the words country and society indicate people united in some way.

 

[Nraman]

Very true! Lord knows they've already talked about it. Hell, might as well go back to keeping my money under my mattress, and then move to BFE when I retire and stay off the grid in the middle of the woods like a bigfoot. I'm covered in enough fur to pull it off. lol

That sounds familiar, my vision was to get a .458 Winchester magnum rifle and move to Alaska to live of the land. I am still planning to do it when I retire. The rifle may have to be a little lighter, a .223 maybe and I can't be too far from civilization any more, too much snow and cold in Alaska I don't think I can take the climate the way I did when I planned it.
I think I'll retire in Tulsa.