Social Security and the Democrats

[wishniwasfishn]

Thought some of you might find this interesting.

Your Social Security
Just in case some of you young whippersnappers (& some older ones) didn't know this.
Be sure and show it to your kids. They need a little history lesson on what's what.
And it doesn't matter whether you are Democrat of Republican. Facts are facts!!!

Our 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:

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Q: Which political party took Social Security from the
Independent 'Trust Fund' and put it in to the
General Fund so that Congress could spend it?

A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the Democratically-
controlled House and Senate.

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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?

AND MY FAVORITE:

A: That's right!
Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party.
Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65,
they began to receive Social Security payments! The
Democratic Party gave these payments to them
even though they never paid a dime into it!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Then, after violating 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!

If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of
awareness will be planted and maybe changes will
evolve. Maybe not, some Democrats are awfully
sure of what isn't so.

[apb]

Actually, not all true. Check out http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/sschanges.asp for more info on this. Stuff going around in emails is usually crap.

Andrew

[Grumpy]

APB, i agree but TRUTH OR FICTION is easier to check out and clearer to read, e.g.:

The Truth
Let's take them one at a time.

That participation in the Program would be completely voluntary-Fiction!
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Social Security (FICA) contribution is a payroll tax and, like all taxes, has never been voluntary.

That the participants would only have to pay 1 % of the first $1,400 of their annual incomes into the Program-Fiction!
SSA says the original tax rate was 1% on the employer and the employee on the first $3,000 of annual wages.

That the money the participants elected to put into the Program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year-Fiction!
The 1935 law prevented Social Security contributions from being tax deductible and they never have been.

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...-Truth!
This one gets a little complex.
According to the SSA, the way that Social Security is financed has not changed since it was enacted in 1939.
Social Security payroll taxes are deposited into The Social Security Trust Fund.
The SSA says that those funds have never been taken out and put into a "general fund."
There was an accounting change in 1968, however, that listed the Trust Fund under something called the "unified budget" along with all other federal programs.
In 1990, there was another accounting change that took the Trust Fund out from under that umbrella, but according to the SSA, it was merely a matter of accounting practices, not the function of the fund itself.

That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income-Fiction!
There was no guarantee that Social Security payments would never be taxed.
Originally, they were not taxed, but in 1983, Congress passed a law that did include Social Security payments as taxable income.

[RoadToad]

No matter which source you like, the bottom line is, FDR never made those promises, and the article is almost entirely false.

I'll second what APB said: Internet chain letters are generally a bunch of bunk. "And the worst part about it is, uninformed citizens believe it!"

[kygorski]

What if GWBs plan to privitize had gone into effect? Imagine the fun the traders could have had, and charged commisions on.It needs to be looked at, especially the SSI part. Drunks, drug addicts,and now not being able to read are payable under SSI. People who had hardly ever paid in one cent are drawing benefits. Its a scam for lawyers today, and what is the % of lawyers in congress.

[BigPoppy]

Thats a lot of information you handed out there, some is true I think, but some is not. For instance you only pay taxes on SS if you have a high income after the age of 65. Yes legal imagrants who are citizens can recieve a small SS check at 65, it is no where near the amount of a fully payed up citizen. It is voluntary you can submit a request to be dropped from the rolls of SS and in some cases even recieve a lump sum payment of funds that you paid in. Many farmers in the mid to late 80s were mad due to the fact that if they had not paid in on SS they could not draw it my own grandmother only drew $250 or so due to the fact that she had paid in less than $2000 in her life time. I agree that the system is like all others and needs fixed but to put the blame on one party is not right just as with any thing else you can make the facts sound just about any way you want to (dog gone it) sorry debate flash back. has our civil servants failed us, without a doubt in alot of ways and SS is a hard and complex animal to get a rope on, but a lot of folks would be a lot worse off with out it. As for SSI I agree way too many drunks and addicts get a free check, with little or no supervision, but unfortunately they have kids and they would not get fed with out their deadbeat parents got a check. But you have the right to free speech use it call, write, and email your government reps and tell them your gripes and worries, don't wait for the elections and start on one party or the other it both parties that have failed us in the last 8 years,I have made up my mind on who has done the least damage in the last decade, and I will vote with my heart once again. Heck I might just pick a good guy this time.

[kygorski]

I maxed out payments to SS for a great number of years, the last few years I worked I just barely made the cut off. Retired early, drawing a reduced amount, and it hasn't gone up, due to medicare benefits. Now I'm waiting for my pension plan to go broke, thanks wall street. And it wasn't only dems, the repulsicans had a heck of a lot in it to.

[Bobby Headrick]

Not as many drunks and addicts get checks now. Years ago you could get a disability check for being a drunk or addict, but that has changed, It is harder for people to get disabilty these days due to new regs set by Pres Clinton, but like all Gov programs, they can be manipulated very easy, I see it every day. WE have career food stamp recipeates, some been drawing for years, and they are as able to work as the rest of us do, but they wont as they do not have too, makes me sick. As you all can tell I really love my job now, pun here, lol, you all would die if you knew the whole truth of how OUR TAX dollars are spent, but I have to live so I cannot say a whole lot at this time. I need the check,but not the BS. The food benifit and SSI/MEDICADE system needs a complete overhaul as it is very wasteful and discrimatory and easy to manipulate. The main thing that really gets me is how people just have children just to get more free benifits, this to me is sad and child abuse.A women once asked me how to apply for SSI, as she stated that she has never worked but was disabled due to she was preg. I am 46 but probally will never see the social security money that I have paid in all these years. What a mess we have now, what a mess.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kygorski]

Dead beat parents, jailing them wont work, and these baby factories, there has to be some harsh stand on them. castration. 75%0f these multiple birth mothers are there with several different men as fathers. This is almost a criminal act. T^wo was all I could afford, plus a medical problem, also an ethical one, I didn't believe work was a dirty word.