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.