Thank you Obama!

[Dave]

Thank God Obama's cleaned up the waste in Government. Change you can count on!?!?

http://www.abc15.com/content/news/invest....C7wJTm4 uQ.cspx

[sarge1057]

The thing is I don't think any of them think they did anything wrong. We would be so much farther ahead if we could just keep more of our own money, and put it under our own mattress.

[spazz]

That is so F'ed up, it isn't even funny. At this rate it looks like I may be able to collect for only about ten years when I am eligible to retire.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Things like this go on all over the country. This is just one we found out about. No telling how many go unreported. I got my first check in February or March. Can't remember for sure now. I get my check the second Wednesday of each month. Does anyone know if all states pay the same amount for social security. I have heard that some states payer higher rates than other states. If anyone knows let us know.

[duke98248]

The states don't pay SS, it comes from the Feds who collect it from the working stifffs (not the ones in the Senate or Legislation)....... and then the Feds use a lot of that money to pay for other crap. Or at least they have in the past and I've not seen anything to make me believe they are not continueing to do so now.

[glwilson]

Originally Posted by AlabamaNomadRider

Things like this go on all over the country. This is just one we found out about. No telling how many go unreported. I got my first check in February or March. Can't remember for sure now. I get my check the second Wednesday of each month. Does anyone know if all states pay the same amount for social security. I have heard that some states payer higher rates than other states. If anyone knows let us know.

Social Security is a Federal program and has nothing to do with any State.

Your check is based on your earnings over your working lifetime -- that is if you worked enough to to earn enough "qualifying quarters". Also; based on your occupation -- one may not receive Social Security; nor contribute to the program. Someone working at a medical college would be a good example of that -- whereby these employees have their own retirement "plan" that is exempt from participating in the Social Security program.

Our government has done a great job at burying the Social Security program's obligation of payments deep into the Federal budget therefore not setting aside money to cover the program's obligation.

Another problem in my opinion... is that it is considered an entitlement by most Americans rather than the "social safety net" it was originally premised on. In other words... Social Security did not originate with the intention of being a retirement program -- (you were supposed to have done that yourself) -- however most Americans count on Social Security benefits; and many depend entirely on it.

Two problems with that scenario...

1st: Entitlements breed dependency on the programs; minimum standards of production effort and output; and minimum production quality results overall. In other words; entitlements have a long history of proving they do not encourage "over achievement" from society.

2nd: This country's demographics do not support its ability to continue the program in about 10 more years -- despite what politicians (or the front page of the Social Security Benefits Estimate Statement you recieve every year) want to tell you. The population within ten years will shift to where there will be the largest percentage in history at the age of entitlements; whereby as the same time a population decrease will occur in the age-range of individuals at their peak production and earnings. (A real mess when one looks at the facts of our population curve -- especially when one looks at the entitlements Washington is trying to add to the budget.)

[ken]

Thank you glwilson for explaining this to the board. I, for one, get a bit miffed at the constant complaints of people re government activities and or policies. Of course they get things wrong and of course they lie to us, but we still have one of the best governments in the world regardless of party.

Exactly what do people think government is for? It is to take care of the citizens of a country in those areas where you, as an individual, cannot do things yourself...would you like to have to arrange and pay to have the road paved in front of your house or would you rather pay property tax and share the cost with your neighbor? I just cannot understand this attitude of independence that so many people tend to exhibit in this forum. Complaints about taxes, health insurance, gun laws or the lack thereof, etc…the complaints seem endless.

Without government, no national military to protect us, no intelligence apparatus, no protection on the streets of our towns and cities, no fire departments, need I go on? Think about it…yes, your tax dollars get wasted because of bad decisions by our legislators and I truly wish there were better controls over some of those idiots in congress, but government, in general, is good. Just be glad you don’t live in Nigeria…..

[glwilson]

I do believe the government is the best "body" to take care of infrastructure and othe such items such as defense -- while at the same time; I don't think the government is the best at many other issues.

[NRiderUSA]

More "change"......
President Obama has irked close allies in Congress by declaring he has the right to ignore legislation on constitutional grounds after having criticized George W. Bush for doing the same.

Guess things are different now....NOT!!!

Obama Irks Some Democrats By Declaring He Can Ignore Legislation

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009...est=latestnews

[dhomoney]

Originally Posted by Ken

Thank you glwilson for explaining this to the board. I, for one, get a bit miffed at the constant complaints of people re government activities and or policies. Of course they get things wrong and of course they lie to us, but we still have one of the best governments in the world regardless of party.

Exactly what do people think government is for? It is to take care of the citizens of a country in those areas where you, as an individual, cannot do things yourself...would you like to have to arrange and pay to have the road paved in front of your house or would you rather pay property tax and share the cost with your neighbor? I just cannot understand this attitude of independence that so many people tend to exhibit in this forum. Complaints about taxes, health insurance, gun laws or the lack thereof, etc…the complaints seem endless.

Without government, no national military to protect us, no intelligence apparatus, no protection on the streets of our towns and cities, no fire departments, need I go on? Think about it…yes, your tax dollars get wasted because of bad decisions by our legislators and I truly wish there were better controls over some of those idiots in congress, but government, in general, is good. Just be glad you don’t live in Nigeria…..

No government, as our founding fathers taught, is a necessary evil. Government is not inherently good, it is inherently evil. Government will take from you by force. Government rarely, if ever, gives you back your freedom, they only take it away. They violate contracts and take that which you have earned at the barrel of a gun. They will take your property and give to another private entity to increase their tax base. Anything that takes personal freedom away is inherently bad Ken.

[dougster]

Originally Posted by dhomoney

No government, as our founding fathers taught, is a necessary evil. Government is not inherently good, it is inherently evil. Government will take from you by force. Government rarely, if ever, gives you back your freedom, they only take it away. They violate contracts and take that which you have earned at the barrel of a gun. They will take your property and give to another private entity to increase their tax base. Anything that takes personal freedom away is inherently bad Ken.

Dave,
I would have to disagree with onlyone thing you say here: that gov't is inherently evil. If we think about it, it is not gov't that is inherently evil (any more than a gun is inherently evil--and we have all heard THAT argument). The evil is inherent to the human soul, and when THAT is brought into gov't, the result is indeed evil. Actually, gov't and law are tasked with holding evil at bay, and reigning it in (as well as dealing decisively with evil). The real problem is when "government" (the people in charge) loses the proper checks and balances. Such a government, run by people who refuse to discipline themselves, and hold in check their own evil desires . . . THAT is a government that is inherently evil. THAT is a government that our founding fathers labeled as a government of tyranny.

[audiogooroo]

Originally Posted by dougster

Dave,
I would have to disagree with onlyone thing you say here: that gov't is inherently evil. If we think about it, it is not gov't that is inherently evil (any more than a gun is inherently evil--and we have all heard THAT argument). The evil is inherent to the human soul, and when THAT is brought into gov't, the result is indeed evil. Actually, gov't and law are tasked with holding evil at bay, and reigning it in (as well as dealing decisively with evil). The real problem is when "government" (the people in charge) loses the proper checks and balances. Such a government, run by people who refuse to discipline themselves, and hold in check their own evil desires . . . THAT is a government that is inherently evil. THAT is a government that our founding fathers labeled as a government of tyranny.

And THAT is the government we seem to have developed I'm afraid... :-/

[Yellow Jacket]

Originally Posted by NriderUSA

More "change"......
President Obama has irked close allies in Congress by declaring he has the right to ignore legislation on constitutional grounds after having criticized George W. Bush for doing the same.

Guess things are different now....NOT!!!

Obama Irks Some Democrats By Declaring He Can Ignore Legislation

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009...est=latestnews

It sounds to me that our so-called intelligent President needs to study the very Constitution that he claims as a basis to ignore Legislation.

If he were to actually read the Constitution, I believe that he would find out exactly what place the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch has in the Government.

If I remember correctly from high school, it was the job of the Legislative Branch to formulate the laws and the job of the Executive Branch to UPHOLD those laws.

[NRiderUSA]

That only applies to Presidents.... Mesiahs have exclusive make it up as you go rules.

[dougster]

It would be nice if all three branches would remember where their boundaries are!