(Oops!) Social Security Administration Web Site Out of Sync With Bush Plan

[truthpusher]

March 25, 2005
-------------------------
Agency's Web Site Out of Sync With Bush Plan
-------------------------
By DAVID E. ROSENBAUM
-------------------------
WASHINGTON, March 24 - As President Bush and his allies travel the country to promote his Social Security plan, they say individual investment accounts are a no-brainer, bound to result in more money at retirement than workers could expect from Social Security.

But someone at the Social Security Administration did not get the word.

In a Q. and A. on the agency's Web site meant to explain the retirement program, there is this exchange, which has apparently been there for years:

(snip)

In the middle of the page at http://www.ssa.gov/ ., toward the top, are "Questions about." From the drop-down menu, viewers can choose "Taxes and Social Security" and go to Question 18.

Link to the complete New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/25/politics/25accounts.html?

[BrklynLiberal]

1. oops.

[truthpusher]

2. perfectly said. nt

[Betsy Ross]

3. Just too good.

How long after being mentioned on DU will it be removed?

[pfitz59]

5. I printed my copy.

Excellent catch!

[Scairp]

13. Screen capture everyone

[GrouchierThanThou]

4. Oh, that's rich

I love it. Maybe the next 4 years will be full of such stumbles.

[happyslug]

6. Question #18:

18: Why can't I invest my Social Security taxes into an IRA plan?

Question
I think I could do better if you let me invest the Social Security I pay into an Individual Retirement Plan (IRA) or some other investment plan. What do you think?

Answer
Maybe you could, but then again, maybe your investments wouldn't work out. Remember these facts:

-Your Social Security taxes pay for potential disability and survivors benefits as well as for retirement benefits;
-Social Security incorporates social goals - such as giving more protection to families and to low income workers - that are not part of private pension plans; and
-Social Security benefits are adjusted yearly for increases in the cost-of-living - a feature not present in many private plans.

Mods: This is from a US Government Web Site and as such NON-Copyright able and can be used as long as no one is charged for its use.

[lovuian]

7. and this is the truth!!!

Bush is lying!!!

[truthpusher]

8. "maybe your investment wouldn't work out"...the truth!! nt

[rocktivity]

9. I've saved it as a web archive in case it disappears.

Question:
I think I could do better if you let me invest the Social Security I pay into an Individual Retirement Plan (IRA) or some other investment plan. What do you think?

Answer:
Maybe you could, but then again, maybe your investments wouldn't work out. Remember these facts:

-Your Social Security taxes pay for potential disability and survivors benefits as well as for retirement benefits;

-Social Security incorporates social goals - such as giving more protection to families and to low income workers - that are not part of private pension plans; and

-Social Security benefits are adjusted yearly for increases in the cost-of-living - a feature not present in many private plans.

As Jon Stewart would say, "Awwwwwwwwwk-ward!"
(direct link)

:headbang:
rocknation

[UpInArms]

10. last line from the NYT article says it all:

In the agency's press office, Mark Hinkle, said, "By and large, we have an informational Web site, not a political Web site."

Informational versus political -

means that information is factual - the idea of investing in stocks is a political ploy?

[Terran]

11. LOL, that's great! "Informational"

versus Bush's lying propaganda.

[antigop]

12. Be sure to parse the wording here...

>>
The president's approach is a voluntary account financed by a portion of a person's payroll taxes, and that account would have appropriate safeguards to guard against risks in the market."
>>

He said "GUARD AGAINST risks in the market"; he didn't say the risks would be eliminated.