Social Security

[kellyexzy]

How is it possible the US government can't pay S.S. when they have had no problem taking it from my pay all these years I've benn working and they have no problem paying Obama's salary?

[alwaysinstyle]

my thoughts excactly!

[Annella]

This is a childish "ploy" by Obama to get the Republicans to play ball on his side of the court. This isn't the first time he has used this childish threat. What steams me is that if they really do halt SSI checks, it's our Nation's poor, disabled, veterans, military, and seniors that will be in chaos, not the government. Since those debating in the house are not on the same system as those who draw out of the SSI coffers, they will still be able to pay their mortgages/rent, buy food, utilities, etc.  They think nothing of threatening people's livelihood as a tool for getting their voice heard? That is cruel and unusual punishment.

It's a shame how our Nation treats our less fortunate. Anytime they want to cut anything, it's something that helps those who need it the most. Unfortunately the poor, disabled, seniors, ect., have no voice to put forth their cause as they don't have big money behind them like the oil companies or special interest groups. The Republicans do not want any new taxes, but there is no way to balance a budget with just cuts without raising "some" taxes. They have  the rich saying "no taxes", and let us keep taking our business's overseas so we don't have to contribute to anything except our bottom line. Our country is not creating many jobs and a lot of people are still out of work while these yahoos on the hill play russian roulette with our lives more and more.

People need to educate themselves on some of the silly programs that the government actually spends money on. How about money spent on research on the drunken behavior of Tiwanese prostitutes? Or the billions in aid to other countries who actually hate us? If you dig up some of the research programs that our tax dollars are funding, it would make you livid!

[jwallbank]

This is the main problem. They can pay SS/Defense/Medicare but, not much more. The President wants you to believe that he can't pay SS to make it a Republican problem. This happened almost Identically in the 90's and the Government shut down for about 5 days. All SS/Troops/Medicare payments went out. The president and only the President decides what he is going to pay. We take in 2.2 Trillion a year and we are spending 3.5T a year. Something has to come to a halt. Yes we have to cut spending but, all I ever hear is they want to raise taxes to where the Government has more income so they can spend more, we need to spend less. I retired from the Govt. last year (2010) and I saw an increase of personnel coming into the government, about 35 percent more people was added to the government payroll. This is why they can't cut, they grow government to the point to where you cant afford it.

[vmcutshall]

If they would actually cut Obama's salary plus the senators then we would have the money for SS payments. They get their raises every year even though the people are suppose to vote on their raises. I don't remember ever voting to raise the governments salaries.

[candygyrl79]

I don't think we should always attack the messenger. I would have to be paid a large salary to run a country & put up with all the "Nah-sayers". It doesn't matter Rep or Dem, they all get paid well and we pay for them all.

[Annella]

I don't think we should always attack the messenger. I would have to be paid a large salary to run a country & put up with all the "Nah-sayers". It doesn't matter Rep or Dem, they all get paid well and we pay for them all.

Are you saying that Obama is the messenger? Hardly.........he has the power to wield such a thing as shutting down the government. He has made the childish statement that he will veto any agreement that comes across his desk that he doesn't think is a fair budget plan (he means whatever he wants in the plan). Being the executive officer he can do this. He's hardly the messenger.

He has already cut the most from the poor, disabled, and elderly, and looking to cut more. Did you think that seniors on SSI get "medical" scott free? Did you know that every senior that gets a SSI check must pay a Medicare premium of Approx. $130 a month out of their SSI check (the average SSI check is $980)?  Obama has done away with their glasses and dental care with just one swoop of his pen already (Obama care is just getting started...hang onto your hat folks)!! The prescription drugs keep going up, not to mention their co-payment when they go to any doctor. Also a gift from Obama. That's over and above what they pay every month for their Medicare premium. Some elderly have to choose if they want their meds., or if they want to eat. The first thing he did while in office was to abolish their COLA for the last two years, and wants to continue to abolish it. That means their salary stays the same for years while everything else goes up (rent, food, utilities, medical care, drugs, etc.)

He has cut out completely the low income rental one time payment of up to $340 or less for those who qualify. This was help for maybe 1 months rent a year for those who were the lowest income in our Nation. Why cut such an insignificant program? He wants the HEAP program cut all together. That is help for the poor and their utilities if they cannot afford the high costs of heat in the Winter months. WIC is under the knife (food for infants and children), as well as the HUD Section 8 program as the government is looking to take this federal program and give it to a private industry. People I know have already received letters that the government want them to report to someone else where their "funding" will be "evaluated". These are people who are completely low income and maybe living on $700 a month. If they lose their Section 8 funding, the next stop is the street. People on SSI Supplemental payments have already been cut from $25 to $100 each month from their checks. That's because Obama lowered the income ceiling for low income individuals. Instead of the income ceiling being $750 a month for an individual, he lowered it to $675 a month in our state (different amounts for each state according to the Cost of Living), so those who were getting a supplemental to bring them up to $750 a month, now are having money taken from them. These are things that have been done since he took office......and it's in his power to do it.

I don't know about you, but I see a pattern here and it's not good. The cuts are already happening, and it's on the backs of the poor, disabled, and seniors. All these cuts are already being implemented to the people who can least afford them. Now Republicans want more cuts to SSI and Medicare? Just what kind of cuts are they talking about? Cutting them out all together? Why pay into SSI and Disability unless someday you may need to tap into it? Can they actually take the money we have been paying into for years and take that away from us?  If you think they can't, or they aren't thinking about it.........think again.

All the while, he takes lavish vacations and his wife on dates that cost the taxpayer a good sum of approx. $75,000 a pop or more (the dates, not the vacations). While he goes around gathering contributions for his 2012 campaign on Air Force one, etc. That is paid for by us......the taxpayers. It makes me sick that people are not educated enough about how the government is working in this recession, and just believe the rhetoric the media feeds them.

Get educated.

[Boise40]

I already been cut off from social security about 3 months ago. Now, everyone who draws from social security is gonna feel my struggles. I'm getting enough money from my part-time job to pay my bills and nothing else. My bank account is nearly empty after I pay all my bills for the month. Maybe, Obama should live my life for a month before he cut everyone off from social security. He would lose his mind before the end of the month.

[Annella]

All of us are feeling the "pinch' of this economy someway or another. However, It's particularly cruel to take from those who have the least to give and then take some more. I also feel bad for those out looking for employment and have been out of work for a year or more and their extended unemployment benefits are going to run out. These people are going to join the ranks of the poor themselves. I know people that are going to be homeless as there are no jobs and they can't apply for SSI because they are not old enough.

A lot of workers are retiring early knowing that the job market is getting smaller and smaller, so they are getting out now and taking an early retirement and collecting SSI. It's a trickle down effect for everybody. Do you mind me asking you why they took SSI away from you? Usually once you have it, it's for life, unless you were previously disabled and now you are not, and went back to work. I would not wish for anyone to be in any financial straights at all.

Thing is, if Obama cuts everyone from SSI who is receiving it, he will have nationwide chaos on his hands. This will do nothing to better the financial crises, but will bring the whole economy crashing down without recovery. Seniors put SSI dollars right back into the economy.

[Boise40]

All of us are feeling the "pinch' of this economy someway or another. However, It's particularly cruel to take from those who have the least to give and then take some more. I also feel bad for those out looking for employment and have been out of work for a year or more and their extended unemployment benefits are going to run out. These people are going to join the ranks of the poor themselves. I know people that are going to be homeless as there are no jobs and they can't apply for SSI because they are not old enough.

A lot of workers are retiring early knowing that the job market is getting smaller and smaller, so they are getting out now and taking an early retirement and collecting SSI. It's a trickle down effect for everybody. Do you mind me asking you why they took SSI away from you? Usually once you have it, it's for life, unless you were previously disabled and now you are not, and went back to work. I would not wish for anyone to be in any financial straights at all.

Thing is, if Obama cuts everyone from SSI who is receiving it, he will have nationwide chaos on his hands. This will do nothing to better the financial crises, but will bring the whole economy crashing down without recovery. Seniors put SSI dollars right back into the economy.

I went to a federal court hearing back in march or so and the judge made the decision to kick me off. I have a learning disability and a few other things and the judge seems to think I'm normal. Now, the SSI wants me to pay back over $9,000 and its impossible for me to do so. I have one older brother who never worked a day in his life and he have learning disability as well and still getting SSI. There is a few things that I can do better than my brother and spelling is one of them. I got a part-time job with some help because I was getting only $450 a month from SSI. Now, I'm living off of about $400 a month. This only part of the story and it just gives me a headache if I try to tell the whole story. Its time for me to join my puppy and get some sleep for the night

[Annella]

You don't have to tell me the whole story.

You can appeal the courts decision and reapply for disability. It will cost you nothing but time, and you can still do your part time work while you wait. If they reject you, reapply for a redetermination. If you can prove that your learning disability keeps you from getting capable full time employment (medical proof) then they will have to put you back into the initial process all over again. This in itself can overturn the decision. There are also attorneys that will take your case and won't charge you anything unless you win. If it's been less than 90 days since the court decision, you can appeal straight to the SSI without reapplying. They must reevaluate (by law) your original application. If you have other health conditions that have cropped up, make sure you have medical proof of those also. They will send you to their own doctors also for a second opinion, but they cannot lie about your condition. You have rights.

Take care and God Bless.