tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17206839.post6445915473411190271..comments2023-09-09T09:26:22.175-04:00Comments on Andrew Samwick's Blog: Quiet Discussions of Social Security ReformAndrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13514024573333057559noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17206839.post-89858145984627438372007-06-23T00:08:00.000-04:002007-06-23T00:08:00.000-04:00Repeat after me - social security does not need sa...Repeat after me - social security does not need saving.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17206839.post-26679104764618094952007-07-04T18:46:00.000-04:002007-07-04T18:46:00.000-04:00I can't spend huge amounts of time on issues, ...I can't spend huge amounts of time on issues, but I was actively trying to get some basic information a few years ago, when Bush was beating the drum for privatization. I could not find out simple things about Social Security:<br><br>1) How much money now, and in the future, is spent on retirement payments, and how much on disability payments? (absolute, and percentage)<br><br>2) Who are getting those disability payments? How many of them are for people who have actually paid into the system?<br><br>3) With the proposed Guest Worker programs, which exclude Guest Workers' earnings from being paid into the U.S. Social Security Trust Fund, how many workers (both absolute numbers, and percentages) will be paying into Social Security in the future decades?<br><br>4) What is the current balance of the US Social Security Trust Fund?<br><br>We could use a simple spreadsheet, by year, of the anticipated numbers of people and dollars going in to the system, and coming out. This would include the number and dollar amounts of retirement payments, disability payments to people who had paid in, and disability payments to people who did not pay in.<br><br>You can see where I am going.<br><br>There is much more to the discussion than just the age demographics and tax rates. It is also a discussion of the kinds of situations Social Security will take care of.<br><br>Should we be giving Social Security Disability to people who've never worked? (I'm not talking about dependents' income after their parents died; I'm talking about disability checks going to parents of kids with disabilities, or immigrants who bring in their aged parents and put them on Social Security Disability.)<br><br>Should American companies be able to hire guest workers, and avoid paying into the U.S. Social Security system?<br><br>In my opinion, unless these issues are addressed in a clear and forthright manner, I will continue to assume our elected officials are trying to pull a fast one on us.Margaret Bartleynoreply@blogger.com