Support expansion of SS - not cuts

[ladybird]

[h=1]As you may know, Republicans are using their new power in Congress to attack the disabled and cut our benefits by conjuring up a false crisis. If we do not act, disability benefits may be severely cut next year. Please sign the petition at the following link to let your member of Congress know how you feel about this at http://www.socialsecurityworks.org/expand-social-security/[/h][h=1]
Statement on Sen. Rand Paul’s Attack on Social Security and Americans with Disabilities[/h]
(Washington, DC) —The following is a statement from the executive director of Social Security Works in response toSenator Rand Paul (R-KY)’s attack on Social Security:
“Senator Paul and his colleagues are attempting to create a false crisis to ram through deeply unpopular Social Security benefit cuts for all Americans,” said Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works. “Contrary to Sen. Paul’s claims, America has one of the strictest disability standards in the developed world. One in five men and nearly one in six women die within five years of being approved for benefits. Sen. Paul should be ashamed of himself for attacking Americans living with disabilities, many of whom are veterans.”

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Social Security Works is the lead group in the Strengthen Social Security Campaign, a coalition comprised of more than 350 national and state organizations representing more than 50 million Americans from many of the nation’s leading aging, labor, disability, women’s, children, consumer, civil rights and equality organizations.

 

[believingjesus]

Thank you for that ladybird! I will do that now.

Sorry Ladybird - I looked on there and all I saw was a petition for expansion for retirement benefits. Is there a different one for disability? I'm not good with the computer - sorry!

 

[kgfrompa]

Thank you Ladybird I put Rand Paul Video on my Facebook to bring awareness not sure what else i can do but I sure could not work and hold a job with my lungs! Thanks for giving this information I was able to sign to support Expansion

 

[ladybird]

Hey Believingjesus

Check out http://www.socialsecurityworks.org/sanders/ which is a petition to expand SS benefits to make everyone pay SS on their full income. Right now people only pay on the first $117,000.

Also, regarding the petition at http://www.socialsecurityworks.org/expand-social-security/#sthash.cp1S0S0I.dpuf, while this is about retirement benefits, the retirement side of SS is relevant to disability because the 2 sides have borrowed from each other over the years. At the moment, Disability got short-changed the last 2 times retirement borrowed from disability. Now Republicans are refusing to allow disability to borrow from retirement, saying retirement needs all the money for itself. However, if we shored up retirement, by making people pay SS tax on their full income and not just the firs $117,000, then Republicans' argument that there is not enough money to go around would be weakened. We don't want to pit the elderly against the disabled, rather we want an equitable system where the rich pay their fair share and both groups are properly funded.

 

[believingjesus]

I agree. I did not know that people were only paying social security on the first $117,000 but that's because we have never made more than that! I don't understand why you would make people who make under $117,000 to pay into social security but not over!!!! I know we reward the rich in this country but that is ridiculous. I will sign on the petition. Thank you for clarifying that for me.

 

[ethan508]

People that make over $117k don't pay no money in SS tax, but don't pay any additional money on the dollars they earned above $117k. So if you make $117k, you and your employer (split 50-50) pay $14,508 in SS tax (12.4%). If you make $200k or $300k or $25M or $1B, you and your employer (split 50-50) pay $14,508 in SS tax. If you make less than $117k you and your employer pay 12.4% (again split 50-50). The justification behind the cap is that your SS retirement payments are based off your historical earnings with a cap at $117k. If you made very little money you get very little SS retirement. If you make a medium amount, you receive a medium amount. However if you make an obscene amount of money, you do not get an obscene SS payment, you're SS benefits are capped so you get the same retirement benefits as someone making $117k.

SS was originally set up as a pay as you go system with tax revenues supporting outlays (with excesses being saved to cover future shortages). Over the years congress has managed to botch that with borrowing and lending and not making sufficient adjustments to either the tax side or the benefits side despite significant changes in demographics and economy. Without some serious action in Congress the future of these programs doesn't look too good. The links shared above are two examples of how to fix SS: Fix 1) cut or restructure benefits or Fix 2) raise taxes.