I know that commenters from Who's Your Daddy blogspot come here and read my blog. Even its blog hostess comes here and occasionally comments.
What do you folks think about this? These crowds have not been sent by George Soros or any Democrat. These are Deep Red Republicans who are angry with what Trump, Musk and other oligarchs are doing to our country:
No, not Democrats being “bused in”—just regular Nebraskans waking up to the fact that their Social Security is on the chopping block to fund tax cuts for billionaires.
— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline) March 22, 2025
Great piece by PBS. pic.twitter.com/Euknyjdl1Y
26 comments:
So looking at payments to dead people and scammers is going to ruin SS. SS is the fifth estate that no one will do away with it, clean it up and make it viable but close, no way. For a few decades we have been told that SS was unsustainable and for decades our elected elite have not done squat.
The media is doing a great job of making people panic instead of being honest about what is going on. Government waste and inefficiencies have gone on for a century or more and our politicians have no incentive to fix it because they profit from it. I don't agree with the way doge is going about it but maybe the end result will be worth it, except for the politicians because they may have less pork to spread aroung.
Excuse me, skud, but that's not so. The Democrats have wanted to change the cap on SS payments, but no pol has done so. That alone would contribute $$$$ to sustain SS:
From a year ago: 60 Days into 2024 and Millionaires are Already Done Paying into Social Security
February 2024
"Ninety-four percent of Americans contribute to Social Security all year long, but the wealthy stop paying after their first $168,600 in wage income."
Most Americans contribute to Social Security year-round, but U.S. millionaires will stop paying into the critical program on March 2—just over two months into 2024.
That's because Social Security's payroll tax doesn't apply to earned income above a certain level. For 2024, the cut-off is $168,600, and capital gains—such as stock appreciation—are not subject to the payroll levy at all. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and the world's richest man, pays nothing into Social Security because he doesn't take a salary.
Emma Curchin, domestic outreach and research assistant at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), noted Thursday that with the $168,600 payroll tax cap in place, a millionaire's effective Social Security tax rate "is less than 1%."
"This is compared to the 6.2% that any worker making less than $168,600 pays," Curchin wrote. "The burden of paying for Social Security rests on working class people in this country."
Also, while the Trumpublicans are screaming about the debt and how we have to rein in our spending, Trump is spending tax payers' millions of dollars by going golfing every weekend and flying to ball games and other unnecessary venues just for his vanity.
Why doesn't he show restraint in spending our money for his pleasure and vanity while cutting off programs for veterans? Why don't YOU mention that? Ever? I believe you complained about former President Biden going to Delaware when he was POTUS and spending tax payers' $$$$. Now that a GOP president is doing the same thing? *crickets*
So you agree that no politician is going to make necessary changes to SS. No matter how much you pay in there is a maximum you get in benefits so is that equatable. I know the position of tax the rich is the position people take but 200K a year is not rich, unless you listen to obama where 250k is rich.
All presidents spend to much for personal reasons. Bush flew to Crawford, obama went to Hawaii and MV and biden spent most of his time at at the beach. As some have stated presidents are never on vacation and they all use AF1 as their personal vehicle.
When ignorance is firmly fixed in reason's seat, as it is with Trump and the Muskovites, what we're seeing should.be expected.
Vote the red SOB's out of office and b the problem will get resolved.
Why would anyone believe ANYTHING that DOGE says. They provide absolutely no evidence, just random numbers that they "allege" are fraud or payments to dead people. It was established weeks ago that the DOGE kids did not understand the old COBOL system that is in place at SSA, which led to the mistaken outrage that 150 year olds were still getting payments from SSA. Again, that has been established that DOGE was WRONG!
As Judge Hollander stated: DOGE “essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion” and “never identified or articulated even a single reason for which the DOGE Team needs unlimited access to SSA’s entire record systems.”
Yes, Democrats have been fighting to raise or eliminate the cap for years. I will never forget talking to the General Counsel of my old association. She used to work at CIGNA for many years and made a ton of money there. She said she and her co-workers always looked forward to getting their paycheck in April, as that was when they all had surpassed the SS cap and therefore got a significant bump in their salaries for the rest of the year. They would all go out and celebrate.
I am so pissed off that this regime is FORCING me to take my social security benefits now, as I am literally up at night worrying they will shut it down for whatever false reasons.
Now let's talk about the projected shortfall that is predicted for 2032. If nothing is done, everyone will only get around 75% of their benefits. If trump goes ahead and cuts federal taxes on the highest social security payments, that bumps up the shortfall year to 2029 or 2030. People excited about not paying federal taxes on their social security benefits never seem to look too far ahead as to the consequences of that action.
Oh, and to piggyback on Shaw's post about workers paying 6.2% for SS tax. That doesn't include all the independent contractors, like myself, who have to pay the entire 12.4% SS tax.
Also, regarding DOGE, here is an excerpt from the Washington Post today about DOGE making the government more INEFFICIENT!!
"A senior aide to President Donald Trump once said the administration hoped to traumatize civil servants, an objective it has handily accomplished through arbitrary layoffs and other indignities. But government workers are not the only victims.
At the IRS, employees spend Mondays queued up at shared computers to submit their DOGE-mandated “five things I did last week” emails. Meanwhile, taxpayer customer service calls go unanswered.
At the Bureau of Land Management, federal surveyors are no longer permitted to buy replacement equipment. So, when a shovel breaks at a field site, they can’t just drive to the nearest town or hardware store. Instead, work stops as employees track down one of the few managers nationwide authorized to file an official procurement form and order new parts.
At the Food and Drug Administration, leadership canceled the agency’s subscription to LexisNexis, an online reference tool that employees need to conduct regulatory research. Some workers might not have noticed this loss yet, however, because the agency’s incompetently planned return-to-office order this week left them too busy hunting for insufficient parking and toilet paper. (Multiple bathrooms have run out of bath tissue, employees report.)
SKUD: "So you agree that no politician is going to make necessary changes to SS." Where did I ever write that? Nowhere. You're putting words that I never wrote on my blog. Why? $250,000 a year IS rich. Just ask the average American living in Mississippi, Louisiana, or West Virginia.
Also, former President Obama did not go to his home state EVERY WEEKEND. Your comparison doesn't match.
Trump is siccing the billionaire Musk on working Americans, firing them (even veterans!) from their jobs, threatening Medicaid and SS, and Trump is spending our money on golfing weekends at his palatial estates. Where's the criticism for that show of profligacy?
No one would criticize Trump's golfing once a month or so. He is very old and somewhat physically decrepit, so he needs his R&R. But every weekend???
The WH gang has their eye on privatizing the Postal Service and Social Security. Lean, efficient (ha ha) service and huge profits. Who needs government. Not skud *lean = cut staff by 50% - mail comes once a week.
Our local SS office shut down earlier in the week, cancelled the lease on their little building (across the street from Blue Shield which houses hundreds, while the little SS office had 3 people) The loyal GOP Idaho congressmen
were hit with a flurry of complaints. Place re-opened yesterday. Clearly,
skud will blame Biden - they all will. Idiotic Chaos led by a man who had never been elected to anything until he ran for president.
What a freaking clown show this admin is. Now Pres Trump is saying he never signed the order to enforce the Alien Sedition Act his admin is enforcing.
Did he, or didn't he?
He said specifically he did not. But his staff is saying he did and that when he said he did not, he was talking about the 1798 original law.
Was Trump lying, wrong or confused? Who knows. Who will ever know what happened?
The chaos continues.
Skud... you wrote "So looking at payments to dead people and scammers..."
Can you cite the sources for the "dead" people? Credible sources, not Admin BS spokes people.
Ms. Shaw, I never said or inferred obama went home every weekend. If I remember correctly he didn't own a home for most of his tenure. Wasn't his first home during and after his rein in Martha's Vineyard? Tough to go home every weekend to a home you don't have.
PL, Thank you for pointing out how inefficient the government is. Like our air traffic control system the SS admin is using generations old computers that only the old timers can understand. Maybe if they would update to newer technology they could do more with less.
How dare the government ask employees what they did for a living. I agree with you that that is not acceptable. We should continue to hire more workers who cannot justify their position instead of becoming more efficient. I too paid both sides of SS so I know what you mean and would support changes in out tax and in SS. Nice to see we are on the same page.
The red fever of ignorance, hate, and greed has completely consumed the MAGA cult of Trump the felon and his unelected co-president Musk.
So, 30+ percent of the population apparently sold their souls to the Anti Christ Trump. Or, the Devil if you prefer.
There should be no maximum amount after which SS stops taking contributions to the fund. Millionaires and Billionaires should be contributing to every last dollar earned every single year just like us "common" folk.
It’s so easy to make a blanket statement that the government is inefficient instead of looking at why systems haven’t been upgraded. Could it possibly be because Republicans keep cutting their budgets? Found this bit of info: the Social Security Administration's (SSA) core operating budget has been shrinking, even as demands on the agency have risen, due to budget limitations and cuts implemented by Congress.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Budget Cuts:
The SSA's core operating budget has shrunk by 10% since 2010, even as the number of beneficiaries has increased by 24%.
Impact on Services:
These cuts have strained the agency's ability to provide essential services, such as determining eligibility for benefits, paying benefits accurately, and responding to public inquiries.
Underfunding:
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities notes that budget limitations put in place over the past decade have already put a strain on the agency's customer service.
Staff Reduction:
Social Security Administration staff dropped by 11% between 2010 and 2024.
Now, musk is closing local offices and getting rid of even more staff. How will that help??
Oh, and who on the DOGE team is going through the tens of thousands of emails from civil servants to read what they do every week? How would they even be able to understand what some workers do without specialized knowledge or training of those jobs? As with all jobs, supervisors know what their staff is doing. Talk about a complete waste of time and taxpayers money to do this ridiculous exercise.
Possumlady
RE: "How dare the government ask employees what they did for a living?" Think about it, they will probably be asking you next, Scud.
They're upset because no one has ever told these people just how broken our Government is. Like Democrats, they're still in denial and think that "none of this Gordian Knot cutting had to happen". Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. It does.
BB, That's easy and although I am not or was never on their direct payroll I did contribute to their slush fund for over 60 years. As a business owner I worked 10-12 hours a day six days a week. Unlike Ms. Shaw's belief that 250,000 was rich with pass through income it was maybe half that of which I paid FIT for all of it not just what I ended up making.
Operating core budgets should be shrinking because with advances in technology we should need fewer people.
BTW Anon, who was in charge for six of the last 10 years so are you blaming obama and biden with your statement ? "The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities notes that budget limitations put in place over the past decade have already put a strain on the agency's customer service." They could drastically reduce their workload by revising the tax code from thousands of pages to a reasonable number, updating their technology or better yet go to a FAIR TAX system where Everyone pays their Fair Share.
I’m not blaming any president as it is Congress that passes budgets. Also,
advances in technology doesn’t automatically translate into needing fewer people. I found this little tidbit online as to why you still need a robust civil service:
1. Policy Development and Implementation:
Complex Issues:
Civil servants are crucial for developing and implementing complex policies that address societal needs, requiring expertise and judgment that technology alone cannot provide.
Policy Interpretation:
They interpret laws and regulations, ensuring they are applied fairly and effectively, which requires human understanding and context.
Adaptability:
Civil servants need to adapt policies to changing circumstances and emerging issues, which requires human flexibility and critical thinking.
2. Oversight and Accountability:
Monitoring and Enforcement:
Technology can support monitoring and enforcement, but civil servants are essential for ensuring accountability and addressing potential issues or abuses.
Ethical Considerations:
They play a vital role in ensuring that technology is used ethically and equitably, preventing bias and discrimination.
Public Trust:
Civil servants are entrusted with maintaining public trust and ensuring that government services are delivered effectively and transparently.
3. Human Interaction and Service Delivery:
Direct Service:
Many civil servants are directly involved in delivering services to the public, requiring face-to-face interaction, empathy, and communication skills.
Addressing Complex Needs:
Technology can help streamline processes, but it cannot fully address the complex needs of individuals, which often require human judgment and compassion.
Bridging the Digital Divide:
Civil servants are essential for ensuring that everyone has access to government services, regardless of their technological literacy or access.
Possumlady
skud said "advances in technology we should need fewer people."
Really? Most of what the SSA does is to meet the people face to face so exactly how are you envisioning that task being assisted with advanced technology? Also, many of those who need benefits from the SSA don't have access to 'advanced' tech let along cheap tech so I'm not seeing a service meets the need kind of moment here.
Again there is the whiff of crap as the fair tax is mentioned as a viable tax system. No, the fair tax math doesn't math. Never has, never will.
Anon most likely lived through history and knows that the GOP held the majority in Congress during the past 10 years. In fact, with the exception of a few months at the beginning of the Biden admin, it's been that way for a very long time if I'm remembering correctly. But that's not even the relevant point. Presidents don't control the purse strings, nor do they write legislation to update the agencies under the control of Congress. It's the job of Congress, something they've neglected to do for decades.
It's been noted elsewhere that it's not just Democrats showing up to townhalls. What did the GOP think would happen when DOGE took a chainsaw to their constituent's livelihood and fired everyone from what is the largest employer in many states. There is no private sector to pick up the slack. The government helped these folks with jobs so they could earn a living and for that boon both the government and those who were hired have been called the worst sorts of people. All for taking care of the people which is the freaking job of the government.
How is it that these actions aren't considered an attack by domestic terrorists again?
(As for the troll who will ignore my words to assume I'm all in for fraud and waste - are you dim? The only people who are for fraud and waste are those who profit from it. Follow the money if you want to find your bad guy.)
When money is concentrated at and in the apex of a society, ie: the wealthiest oligarchs, the inverted pyramid effect will, at sme point, resut in the effective collapse of said society into social chaos and violence.
America, under the co-presidency of Musk/Trump is pushing the USA further in that direction.
Wake up America.
Grey, Have you ever read The Fair Tax book or even information on The Fair Tax. I admit it is scary to think that there is a less complicated way for the government to get operating money and making sure everyone gets the opportunity to participate not just the 51% who pay FIT now. So far the tax the rich is not working because neither side wants to take aim at their money base and we know the IRS doesn't work because they are bogged down in their own making so lets try something that makes sense.
SS could cut a significant amount of spending with updated technology. No we couldn't rid ourselves of the field office but with a more user friendly system we could reduce the number.
Eliminating or severely shrinking the DoE is a big step in the right direction in eliminating wasteful spending. Before you say the money they hand out to states is going away, it just means someone else will send it out for education and not political ideology. Aren't you embarrassed that the money spent has no effect on student education because we are spending more to product less educated students.
Row row your boat merrily down the stream.
Merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream.
The fair tax, like the MAGA meme is a scam.
Bernie and AOC's Stop the Oligarch "tour" may very well be the last best effort at saving America and democracy.
Bernie, an honest politician, acknowledged that the democratic party is beholden to the status quo and it's wealthy donors who strive, as the republicans certainly do, to protect their own self interests.
It's unfortunate but in hindsight the party should have supported Bernie Sanders in 2016 rather than HRC.
Hopefully the party listens to the progressive caucus... because if not we'll lose 2026 and 2028.
Golly scud, if we get rid of the Federal Government we could be colonies again.
Maybe try to free ourselves from King Donald I ?
Yet you seem to support the party of the oligarch's as pointed out in the USA Today. Which party wasted over one billion dollars to lose and election an which party did the rich uber rich support in the last election. Hint, the same party that has the vast majority of oligarch's.
"SS could cut a significant amount of spending with updated technology. No we couldn't rid ourselves of the field office but with a more user friendly system we could reduce the number."
I agree! Are you going to push the president and your representatives to include that in the budget? Updating technology costs money. It seems all that DOGE is concerned with is chain sawing departments. Nothing about looking to the future to streamline anything.
Well skud, let me ask you this. Should the only contributions allowed to political candidates running for the presidency be from individuals and should they be made to a Presidental Election Fund that would be divided equally between the party's nominee?
And, should corporate donations be totally verboten?
I fully supports such an arrangement.
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