tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334408760351487944.post2253995805918737059..comments2023-11-12T06:43:00.060-05:00Comments on Notes on Social Security Reform: Mickey Kaus on the Obama Donut Hole and Social Security “Welfare”Andrew G. Biggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16617460431856611873noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334408760351487944.post-83319479534369182342009-02-26T23:03:00.000-05:002009-02-26T23:03:00.000-05:00The post about SSI is ridiculous. You only get it ...The post about SSI is ridiculous. You only get it if you meet very strict criteria. It is not something entire families are getting on. You should research before spouting off like a retarded chimp on acid. <BR/><BR/>In order to get SSI you must be completely, and permanently, disabled; a senior citizen; and/or blind. <BR/><BR/>Only individuals qualify, not whole families, not unless the whole family fit's the qualifications. And only the qualified individual in the household get's the supplemental income. Furthermore, other income an valuables are counted (i.e-if you have life insurance worth more than $1500...etc), and if you are married, you recieve less.<BR/><BR/>I have no idea what you are rambling off about regarding a house free and clear. The program doesn't buy houses for people.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334408760351487944.post-17941830233670591342008-06-20T16:43:00.000-04:002008-06-20T16:43:00.000-04:00Kaus answered "If you don't work you don't get Soc...Kaus answered "If you don't work you don't get Social Security".<BR/>W-H-A-T ???????????????????????<BR/>Say What ??????????????????????<BR/>If you don't work, you don't get Social Security ???????????????<BR/>Ahhhaaaahaaaaa, If you don't work, you don't get Social Security, ahhaahhhaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<BR/>Then What is SSI??????Supplemental Security Income???????????????????<BR/>It's Like, just under Social Security in the 2nd largest column of highest Social Programs in the United States, and you like don't have ever had to work a single day in your entire life.<BR/>And, that's why entire Families are becoming SSI dependent!!!!!!!!<BR/>Yes, SSI, is becomeing the fastest and largest income of Families.<BR/>It's the wave of the future, free college, can own a paid for home of ANY, ANY, ANY Value!!!!!!!!!!<BR/>SSI, is HUGE dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<BR/>It's going to grow 10 times faster than Any of the Candidates ever possibly would try and Fix the Problem. Ya, can't. There's going to be millions more newly legalized going straight to Social Security Admin., Offices and lining up by the MILLIONS!!!!!!!!<BR/>Wake up Obama, McCain, Congress, SSI is the most Popular thing since Paris Hilton, it's growing beyond the size of Any of the Other Entitlements, You'll see.<BR/>Everyone IGNORES SSI, that's why they keep getting away with getting ON SSI, they know nobody's paying attention, nobody talks about the poor SSI's.<BR/>They 'think' that you all think they are all these poor little people with nothing.<BR/>NOT!!! My neighbors own a home worth $450,000 on 25 acres!!!!<BR/>Free and Clear...They are laughing at ya.<BR/>How do you think that all those illegals in Los Angeles pay for those really expensive homes?<BR/>SSI plus under-the-table.<BR/>ALL the people in the household get a check-in-the-box.<BR/>And they stack up to half inch THICK!!!<BR/>Gad, Wake Up you stupid people, Obama or McCain does not have a CLUE about SSI and it's gluttonous piece of the Tax payer's money.<BR/>It's gonna' break the Banko.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334408760351487944.post-31512620904650435482008-06-20T12:37:00.000-04:002008-06-20T12:37:00.000-04:00I think Kaus is missing the strength of the 'welfa...I think Kaus is missing the strength of the 'welfare' argument. The risk is not that lower income workers will see Social Security as welfare, generally I think they will just take the check, the risk is that middle and upper income workers will see it as such and so undercut political support for the program.<BR/><BR/>That is why I cast a leery eye on any proposal to means test Social Security or to increase the cap without an accompaning increase in benefits (an explicit feature of LMS btw). The worry is that for this purpose and this purpose only 'rich' will be defined in a way that takes in a broad and influential swath of the middle class in an effort to foment class resentment. I have similar concerns about any proposal which proposes to offset its impacts on the working poor by giving them a payroll tax credit. The risk is that some combination of these approaches will simply convince the middle class that they could do better without traditional Social Security and so better off breaking the social compact forged by FDR rather than simply funding 'welfare' for retired workers.<BR/><BR/>In these matters the devil is in the details and I am not impressed by arguments that start out asking why we are helping pay for Bill Gates future check. You could confiscate every Social Security check from every billionaire and not only neither would they feel it neither would Social Security, the problem is not the $35,000 x a few hundred (at most billionaires). The question is where does the incidence of the means test start?Bruce Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13222670342780912788noreply@blogger.com