Don’t know about you, but I prefer Franken as an associate of SD more then Boehner (the part-time senator and full-time golfer).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIY00ys-BHU&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaYVf4J1zus&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
You and about 7% of SD voters would prefer Franken over Boehner.
The Left is in panic mode since they have to convince voters that:
A. Obama is a successful POTUS, just look at all he’s done…up to and including lower his own handicap substantially.
B. If you like what he’s done, we supported it. If you don’t, well it’s all George Bush’s fault.
You and about 7% of voters nationwide wake up every day believing that line of shit.
The “Raise the SS retirement age to 70” thing should have been done a long time ago. In reality, it should be raised to 75. If you work all your life and can’t manage to put away 10 years worth of money, you did it wrong. If you’re poor/disabled, that’s a different story.
The retirement age should remain. This bullshit that SS is going broke is getting old.
First Boehner is not a Senator, he is in the congress. 2nd he is an ass. Franken is so far superior to Boehner. Franken is working for the people in his district, I can tell you that Boehner does absolutely nothing for the people in his district. We lived there and I know from personal experience. He is worthless. Also it should be noted that Boehner was Newt’s right hand man until Newt fell from grace. Cheating on his wife and his money problems. When Newt fell so did Boehner. It took him a long time to work himself back up that hill again. And now we have the permanently tan guy who is playing golf allllll the time. He is another guy whose wife never moved to DC . Did I mention I can’t stand the man???
And moving the retirement age to 70 is disgusting. Easy for him to say living in his gated community and golfing every day.
And while talking about hypocrites here is a story in Esquire about Newt. His 2nd wife is finally speaking out. It is about time, now if only his 1st wife would talk about Newt’s affairs.
http://www.esquire.com/print-this/newt-gingrich-0910?page=all
The retirement age should remain. This bullshit that SS is going broke is getting old.
The amount of our federal budget it eats up is insane, and getting crazier every year. The retirement age needs to change. The arbitrary retirement age of 65 has been around since 1871. People live longer now, and most are perfectly capable of saving for their own retirement. SS should be a safety net to keep old people off the street, not a government pension for everyone to live on for 30 years.
But if they paid into it, they deserve it.
The “Raise the SS retirement age to 70″ thing should have been done a long time ago. In reality, it should be raised to 75. If you work all your life and can’t manage to put away 10 years worth of money, you did it wrong.
Wow. That is a mouthful. Let’s see. For you that would be about $1,000,000.00. You and I both know what the typical Sioux Falls family earns in a year. Are you suggesting they can, and should, have ten years worth of salary put away in their huether type cookie jar? Aint gonna happen. Not because they would not like too, but because it is a struggle to get thru the month as it is, let alone throwin money into a “cookie jar”. I paid into Social Security from when I was a kid in ’65 to when I retired in ’06. I just got my first SS check in the mail last month. Only 75% of what it could be cause I started drawing at age 62 instead of 66. And you’d like to see that turned to 70 and 75?
Dude, how you doin with your basement? I was in the trades way back when your neighborhood was developed. Parts of it was historically an area that could not handle a lot of water. Is it any better now?
Wow. That is a mouthful. Let’s see. For you that would be about $1,000,000.00. You and I both know what the typical Sioux Falls family earns in a year. Are you suggesting they can, and should, have ten years worth of salary put away in their huether type cookie jar?
I’ll leave you with a quote: “The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest.” – Albert Einstein
Short of yet another market crash a few years before someone retires, ten years isn’t too much. And, like I said, if someone is truly unable to do that, then SS has its place.
But even as a punk-ass kid, I don’t see 65 as very old. At that point, you still have a lot of life left to live – maybe even start a second career if you wanted.
Dude, how you doin with your basement? I was in the trades way back when your neighborhood was developed. Parts of it was historically an area that could not handle a lot of water. Is it any better now?
We had it dried out by the morning after we ripped out the carpet. We’ll have vinyl flooring in and back to normal in a week or two. We even took out a useless wall that divided the basement while we were down there swinging hammers.
You may get a kick out of this, but when i read your posts I hear it in Sam Eliot’s Cowboy voice from “The Big Lebowski”. Looks like it’s time for me to go back to takin’ ‘er easy for all you sinners.
But if they paid into it, they deserve it.
I don’t dispute that. But at some point the payouts are going to eat our budget alive. There are only a couple of ways to really fix that.
Strange dude. Cuz when I read your posts I hear it in Jeff Bridges voice and this image.
http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/1998/03/06/big-lebowski.jpg
Bet I can kick yer ass at bowlin too. I’m old, but not that old. The only thing Sam Elliot and I have in common is a grey beard. Other than that…I’m way better lookin.
And Sy. Yer a good ol boy, but when I read your posts I hear this music in the background…so naturally, I read all your posts with Petula’s voiceover.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKCnHWas3HQ
I’m sure Munson gets wet everytime he hears that song.
This is the latest song that makes munson wet. Compliments of Pam Homan and our tax dollars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az9Az6S1nus
GoD is correct – the retirement age does need to be raised. It doesn’t need to change dramatically overnight, but it does need to be phased in so the younger generations won’t be able to collect full SS at 65 like current generations do now.
The fact is, as was discussed already, people live much longer today than they did in the past. The current system is unsustainable and nobody who has studied the issue disputes that.
I don’t remember the exact figures, but when SS was started there was something like one person drawing for every 10 people contributing. Now it is more like 1 person drawing for every 3 people contributing – and the trend is getting worse each year.
Social Security was never meant to be the solution for people so they could retire, it was meant to be a safety net. Therefore several common sense changes could be made to improve the sustainability of the system.
First, as previously mentioned – raise the retirement age in tiers to at least 72 if not 75.
Next, remove the cap on SS earnings – so every dollar earned is taxed for SS as opposed to having it stop as it does now.
Then, provide a vehicle for means testing. When Bill Gates retires he does not need Social Security – nor does my grandmother. If your net worth is in excess of seven figures, it seems clear you don’t need your monthly check.
Problem solved.
Now as to saving for retirement, aside from the violins I hear when reading Poly’s post, it is very possible to save for retirement, and don’t tell me it can’t be done on a low salary either – because I’ve done it myself.
I worked in a call center years ago and even though I was being paid not too far north of minimum wage, I was still putting between 10 and 15% of my salary into my 401(k) and a Roth IRA. As my salary increased I continued to save and often I would raise my contribution levels. I have seen first hand what compound interest can do and am well on my way to being more than financially secure by the time I retire.
People can find a laundry list of excuses on why they couldn’t save for retirement, but at the end of the day you either fail to plan or you plan to fail. If you actually listen to sound financial advice and use the old suggestion to “pay yourself first” you will do just fine.
Strange dude. Cuz when I read your posts I hear it in Jeff Bridges voice and this image.
http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/1998/03/06/big-lebowski.jpg
Bet I can kick yer ass at bowlin too. I’m old, but not that old. The only thing Sam Elliot and I have in common is a grey beard. Other than that…I’m way better lookin.
I’m not nearly as handsome as Jeff bridges. I have short hair and the cleanest shave of anyone I know (a straight razor will do that for you).
We should test this bowling thing some time. Maybe the next Dacola fest should be a drunken bowl-athon.
Care to wager your government cheese?
Helga,
“now if only his 1st wife would talk about Newt’s affairs. ”
Yes, that’s exactly what the Country needs right now. If she only has video of Newt crossdressing I hear that will go along way toward balancing the Budget.
I don’t blame you for living in the past though, the swamp that is the House Leadership certainly wants you focused on the good old days of the ’90’s too.
and Poly, like anything else..you show DT some love it will send some back your way.
and Costner…following suit, I found a good vid for your post:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUjjFETMTxE
Here is the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s latest report on Individual Account Retirement amounts(August 2009) by age groups.
< 35: $6,306
35 – 44: $22,460
45 – 54: $43,797
55 – 64: $69,127
65 – 75: $56,212
Are most Americans saving like you cosm? Doesn't look like it. Why do you spose that is? Of course, for you, ALL those in this town making less than $12.00 an hour, and thats a sizeable percentage, should EASILY be socking away 10% of their earnings. Right cos? Yeah….right.
Face it Cos. You are pissed cuz some of us get social security, 401k's, and a pension plan. Means test my ass. I paid into it, I'm takin it out, and not feelin one bit guilty about it. What about my kids you say? YOU take care of yours, I'll take care of mine. It's called PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
We should test this bowling thing some time.
You got an average?
I know, I know, time for another South DaCola Fest.
Are most Americans saving like you cosm? Doesn’t look like it.
And whose fault would that be? Mine? Didn’t think so. It is well past the time people stopped expecting their government to take care of them. This country wasn’t build upon the backs of people waiting in line for a check, it was build upon people actually working.
Notice I did not say we should just kill Social Security. I merely said we need to adjust the age for retirement. If someone hits that age and still doesn’t have anything saved – I guess they need to keep working then. They should not be rewarded for their financial ineptitude.
Face it Cos. You are pissed cuz some of us get social security, 401k’s, and a pension plan.
I’m not pissed at all. If you worked for a company or the government and get a pension… good for you. If you saved in a 401(k) that is even better. If you need Social Security then you should get it, but if you are sitting on a seven figure investment account and own three homes, I don’t think our country – or the system – can afford to mail you a check every month.
I paid into it, I’m takin it out, and not feelin one bit guilty about it.
And therein lies the problem. Everyone feels they are “entitled” to a government check just because they paid in, but that isn’t a sustainable model especially when people are now living 25 or more years beyond retirement. It might have worked when people died at 70, but it doesn’t work when people start living to 80 or 90 or more. Chalk that up to an unforeseen consequence of an improved healthcare system – but the reality is the system wasn’t designed to distribute checks to everyone for decades.
So with that said your choices are either make some changes, or you will find Social Security broke. I suppose we could raise the SS tax so the system is sustainable, but I doubt many working people would appreciate SS taxes rising to 24% of their take home pay.
Oh but don’t let that concern you – you’ll be under a headstone long before the system is broke, so don’t let it bother you one bit. Just be sure to get yours and let the next few generations worry about how to fix the mess.
You got an average?
I average two beers per round.
I average two beers per round.
I know what a round is in golf. Not so sure about bowling. Is that two beers a game? Two beers a series? Two beers a night?