The Toursit said:
That's funny, you didn't complain when that worked in your favor.
The children of the 'boomers wanted for nothing. We were work-ethic driven individuals who believed in peace and family. There was more computer memory in the toys, music and PC's of the average gen-Xer's bedroom than in the entire landing module that went to the moon. (The LLM ran out of memory, forcing the crew to land manually.)
But now the few don't get to take anymore from the many. I believe I'm going to cry.
I worked, I paid in, and I played fair. The money was never yours. What I believe operates here is class envy.
But be clear, I never worked to guaranty a worry-free lifestyle for your generation. I worked to support myself and my wife.
Picture yourself going through the very thing you expect of me. Every time you make a buck, someone comes from the government and takes 30 cents.
Their explanation is, "This is for the yet unborn. They'll need it. They're entitled to it." Why? And who cares? Are they going to be born with broken arms so they can't work?
I hope I'm around when you retire, and I'd like to hear your opinion on "fairness" at that time.
What do you mean worked in my favor!?!? I got news for you bub, my father was a union construction worker to the day he died at 59. While he did what he could to help with education the vast majority of it was (and still is) being paid for by myself. My sister was the same. I haven't taken squat from the many.
Perhaps you are referring to the free ride my wife got, the one where she had to help her mom pay the rent for their dinky apartment at 16 because her non-contributing father (75 now and gobbling up gov't money for everything while having contributed next to nothing his whole life) lost the family home, inherited business and was essentially a total failure leaving a wife and two kids to fend for themselves. Noble baby boomer there for certain!
Talk about consumerism, how do you think we got to the point that most everything on American shelves is now made in China (with the manufacturing jobs gone as well)?
Before you go accusing me of taking from the many get your facts straight. Anything I did get for free came from my parents as they were able to and chose to do so. I likewise am doing so for my children. I don't owe you one damn cent and spit in your face at the expectation that I owe you something financially with regards to SS. If you are a Vet then you certainly are due something for that and I would not begrudge it but SS stolen from my check just because you are an over 65 American is a farce.
You continually avoid the point that you and your generation are benefiting from a system in a manner you were never intended to when it was established. You were the ones who elected to have fewer children so YOU could have more stuff! Then you turn around and say, "well sonny, there are fewer of you than there should be because we didn't do our part to support the system so now go get to work and support me!"
The system of SS (which you continually forget this is about, confusing it with every other gov't program out there) was specifically designed around contributions beginning at the age the average American lived to. It was specifically designed for a set ration of contributors to recipients.
Basic math tells you that if you have a population with an average lifespan above that number then consumption goes beyond the original plan. Basic math also says that if the preceding generation does not do its part with population growth to maintain the contributor to recipient ratio then again the system goes out of balance and breaks down.
It is your generation which is living longer and your generation which had less children than the one before it, don't blame me for that. I am not asking you to die earlier but how about raising the age eligible to collect SS to what it was designed to be, the average American lifespan? That should be 76-78. While we are at it the percentage expected from the contributors salary should in no way be increase because YOU decided to have fewer children and broke the system. The generation which did not provide a stable population base to support SS should have to deal with the consequences, not the generation left behind. Let your individual checks be based solely on the set percentage from the contributors without jacking up their SS taxes for your shortcomings in population planning.
None of this is new. You can easily find these arguments made back to the 1970s (probably earlier if you search hard enough). By the 70s it was clear the boomers were having fewer children than their parents, lifespans were increasing and the system was in danger. You have no problem sitting back and expecting me to pay for your failings. I on the other hand have known from my first day in the work force that the SS Tax coming out of my check would never be seen by me again.
There is NO WAY the system can continue so I have no SS contribution planned into my retirement. I, unlike you, am not arrogant and selfish enough to expect my children's generation to contribute to a broken SS system to support me.