25 billion in Social Security payments each week.

[sarcasmo]

Snip< The first batch of Social Security payments – roughly $25 billion’s worth – are scheduled to be sent out on June 2. They mainly go to many of the oldest and most vulnerable of the roughly 66 million retirees, disabled workers and others in the entitlement program, those who started receiving their checks before May 1997.

Snip< Almost two-thirds of beneficiaries rely on Social Security for half of their income, and for 40% of recipients, the payments constitute at least 90% of their income, according to the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. The average benefit for retired workers is $1,827 a month in 2023.


Sorry, it's a CNN link.



https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/24/politics/social-security-debt-ceiling/index.html

[claudette]

1. Do the

moronic magats not realize that not only liberals will lose the benefit if they default?

[Rebl2]

2. No apparently

not. If individuals worked in federal government in some way like my husband did, I am thinking no pension payment either. Don’t know that for a fact. Husband worked at post office as electronic technician and his check comes from OPM-office of personnel management. I thought he got his pension from post office. Silly me. So maybe no pension payment or social security for either of us. Also our federal health insurance is taken out of pension. To say the least, I am scared. I take a lot of medications for RA, and eye issues. Supposed to get mammogram next month, but if no insurance I won’t go and same with another doctor appointment I have next month.

[Hekate]

31. You are making an awful lot of suppositions, & they scare you. Start researching. Start with SS.

[rsdsharp]

3. They're betting Democrats get the blame.

As to the pain a default will cause, they don’t give a fuck. You clowns should be rich, like we are!

[claudette]

5. True

But it's the magats who are demanding cuts in the program as a condition to raising the limit. Magats are stupid AND crazy

[Kingofalldems]

15. They think Trump will be declared president if we default.

[claudette]

18. Oh

Lord. What a scary thought

[Hugin]

4. I stopped reading at "entitlement program"...

Social Security isn't an entitlement program.

Typical CNN, these days.

[tritsofme]

6. Social Security is the definition of an entitlement program.

The term is not a pejorative one.

[TheProle]

8. +1

[Hugin]

10. Actually, Social Security is by definition a "Pension Plan". n/t

[TheProle]

13. No, it's not

From the department of labor website:

Pension plans

A pension plan is an employee benefit plan established or maintained by an employer or by an employee organization (such as a union), or both, that provides retirement income or defers income until termination of covered employment or beyond. There are a number of types of retirement plans, including the 401(k) plan and the traditional pension plan, known as a defined benefit plan.

[Hugin]

26. When they rolled the Federal Employees into Social Security to save St Ronnie's butt...

Last edited Thu May 25, 2023, 09:48 PM - Edit history (2)

It became IN FACT a Federal pension plan.

Oh, and "entitlement" in general and "entitlement programs" in particular have been right wing dog whistles since that same St Ronnie was aghast at the urban legend of the so-called Welfare Queen and rode that story into office with the help of the Iranians and Ted Koppel.

I failed to mention the whole "I'm here from the government and I'm here to help... Hyuck Hyuck" that essentially killed the civil service in the US to a chorus of Hee-Haws from the deplorable right wing that is now threatening the last vestiges of a social security net in this country.

You have your view and I have mine.

[tritsofme]

16. No, Social Security is explicitly not a pension plan.

[Chainfire]

22. In effect, it is the only "pension" that many people get, so even if it is not, by definition, it is

in fact.

Let some seniors miss a SS check, and you will see their stuff piled at the curb in front of the retirement home.

[tritsofme]

25. Obviously the benefits are critically important to seniors.

Pointing out that it is not a pension does not downplay that in any way.

[Hugin]

27. Then why do it? n/t

[tritsofme]

28. Because words have meanings.

And someone responded directly to me. Kind of like this.

[Deminpenn]

34. It's formally OASDI

Old Age, Suvivors and Disability Insurance.

[Scrivener7]

17. It is only the "definition of an entitlement program" because

republicans defined it as such.

The word is not descriptive of what it actually is. I will not get it because the government says I am entitled to it. I will get it because I paid into it for 45 years.

[tritsofme]

20. If you meet the statutory eligibility requirements, you are entitled to the benefit.

This spending is mandatory, and not subject to the annual appropriations process.

Calling Social Security an entitlement is descriptive, it’s not a dirty word.

[Scrivener7]

21. If you contribute to the program, you receive your money back, commensurate

to what you have contributed.

It is a dirty word and one we should not use because it is too easily mistaken for something that people feel entitled to but have done nothing to deserve.

[tritsofme]

23. Not necessarily.

You could die before becoming eligible for the benefits, Congress could also change the terms of eligibility or the amount of the benefit at any time.

Regardless, if you meet the eligibility requirements, you are entitled to the benefit, it is an entitlement program, if anything is.

[claudette]

39. agree

100%

[TheProle]

7. Of course it is

en·ti·tle·ment pro·gram
noun
plural noun: entitlement programs

a government program that guarantees certain benefits to a particular group or segment of the population.

Entitlement program

The kind of government program that provides individuals with personal financial benefits (or sometimes special government-provided goods or services) to which an indefinite (but usually rather large) number of potential beneficiaries have a legal right (enforceable in court, if necessary) whenever they meet eligibility conditions that are specified by the standing law that authorizes the program. The beneficiaries of entitlement programs are normally individual citizens or residents, but sometimes organizations such as business corporations, local governments, or even political parties may have similar special "entitlements" under certain programs. The most important examples of entitlement programs at the federal level in the United States would include Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, most Veterans' Administration programs, federal employee and military retirement plans, unemployment compensation, food stamps, and agricultural price support programs.

http://webhome.auburn.edu/~johnspm/gloss/entitlement_program.phtml

[Hope22]

11. Wow...

It felt like entitlement paying double social security and Medicare withholding tax my entire working career. I get really tired of these politicians who were allowed to raid the agencies bank telling people haw entitled they are. I suppose if I hadn’t had to make double payments we would have had a happy little nest egg. It’s a really tiresome message no matter how it’s defined.

[captain queeg]

36. Yep. I think SS was 6.2% of my gross pay. Can't remember what Medicare

or whatever the acronym was on my paycheck, took out. If I remember right it was the second biggest deduction. Those deductions supposedly were for specific benefits once you were no longer working. Instead, the SS trust fund is raided to pay a large part of the federal budget. On top of this misuse the wealthy only pay on their income up to a certain point yet the rich continue to want to cut the benefit. (“Entitlement”)

[Hope22]

42. Your employer matched the 6.2% dollar for dollar.

12.4 % that comes off the top and then they expect people to contribute to a retirement fund and still make ends meet! In todays world….not happening for most.

[2naSalit]

9. +1

[claudette]

19. It is an

Entitlement plan since All who pay 💰 into the plan are entitled to receive the benefits. It is NOT a “welfare” plan.

[Scrivener7]

24. Except, in most of the public's minds "entitlement plan" equals "welfare plan." For that reason, WE

should not use the term.

[claudette]

32. Why?

“They” are wrong. Everyone doesn’t have to give in to their ignorance. A fact is a fact regardless of what the “public” thinks

[Scrivener7]

35. Because in most people's minds "entitlement" equals "welfare."

The success of the republiQans has nothing to do with their programs, nothing to do with what they do for people, nothing to do with any work they actually do. It is ENTIRELY based on their messaging. On their Frank Lutz-ish wordsmith talents for conjuring thoughts and images in the minds of their constituents that have NOTHING to do with the actual politics at hand.

They all hew to the same messages in a very disciplined way, and that makes their voters think they are telling the truth. Even though they never tell the truth.

We can learn from that. At least we can learn from them that our message needs to be consistent and disciplined, and convey the message we want it to convey, not the message republiQans want it to convey.

Yes, we can turn our noses up at the ignorance of the average voter and we often do. If we craft messages they don't understand, or that republiQans can easily corrupt, we preserve our feelings of superior intelligence while shooting ourselves in the foot. And that's really not smart.

[claudette]

38. Yes, I see your point but

personally, I do NOT want to "be like them." I despise the GOP and Dems should be PROUD of our messages - not re-word them to suit gopers.

[Scrivener7]

40. It isn't to SUIT republiQans. It is to THWART republiQans.

[claudette]

41. Nothing

thwarts gopers

[captain queeg]

12. Whatever the definition of the word entitlement, it's been reworked in the public's mind

to have a negative connotation.

[Rebl2]

33. Yep

Republicans have turned it into a negative connotation, as you say. Democrats should start calling deep tax cuts to the wealthy entitlement programs.

[iemanja]

14. And most seniors vote Republican

and they will continue to do so. The Republicans will lie to them about default, and their voters will believe them. That's why it never matters one iota what Republicans actually do. It's their lies that prevail. And god knows they are nothing if not pathological liars.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

29. Well I just got mine yesterday, so I'm good for a month, last Wed. child

[Emile]

30. and how many billions does SS receive every week from

people who are going to work every day?

[Captain Stern]

37. I don't think that math is right.

Last edited Fri May 26, 2023, 11:32 AM - Edit history (1)

25 billion per week would be $312 dollars per month for every single man, woman, and child in the country.

Maybe 25 billion per month is correct.

On edit....That 25 billion per week actually could be correct if it also includes benefits paid out to nonretirees

[Aussie105]

43. I'm one of those people

whose only income is from government social security and other pension plans.

I'm grateful for that income.

Every cent of it goes out on paying bills and keeping food in the house.
Not a cent gets hoarded.

Some think that money given to people who don't work is wasted money, but in fact the money I spend keeps the local economy and businesses ticking over.

I'm a conduit of that money that keeps the local and larger economy working.

Shut that money off and local businesses won't get their bills paid and local shop workers won't get their pay.

It is that simple.