Entitlement Programs
What are entitlement programs? Unlike corporate welfare and unlike tax breaks for the rich, these are programs that working Americans pay for. Unlike some truck drivers and taxi drivers and others whose income is unreported, most working Americans pay social security tax and fica tax each pay period. This payment is taken out of every paycheck so that when we reach that magical retirement age we will collect our social security and have our health care continue.
We have paid our dues for these programs all our working lives. And now the Republicans want to take away our money we have paid and we are supposed to be happy about it.
The real free loaders are the corporations, rich people and those who work at jobs where their income remain unreported.
I personally think those that yell the loudest are among these free loaders. They are jealous that we working Americans have contributed to our retirement. They want us to face the same uncertainty that they face because they have never contributed a dime.
I know someone all too well that insists they’re a registered Independent yet votes for douchebag cons every election, ALWAYS has “worked” jobs under the table when they bother to work at all, has the NERVE to benefit from county provided free health care, never pays for car insurance etc., and then becomes irate when I point out how much their life would really suck if not for liberals and liberal supported “entitlement” programs. Sickening.
These “free loaders”, at least on FriendBurst, are steering clear. In their defense, I did post this rather late.
That’s the part of the opinions against Social Security and Medicare that I have never understood. We PAY for them out of every paycheck we receive. This is money that the government has collected from every reporting citizen to be held, somewhat in trust, and as far as I know the government has never contributed anything to Social Security. The only problem with Social Security is that the government has “borrowed” massive amounts from the fund in order to pay for other stuff. Like tax cuts, and subsidies, and wars. Now that the time has come to pay it back, all of a sudden Social Security is bad and needs to be shut down or “privatized”. How convenient, don’t you think?
When I first became disabled I had a lot of guilt over it. I was infuriated at myself because I felt so useless. I knew it wasn’t my fault, but all the same I felt bad about it. I didn’t like having other people do things for me. I didn’t like having to ask for help with simple tasks. I especially didn’t like becoming what some folks refer to as “a lazy bum” or “a useless sponge”. That first year was a really rough time for me.
Luckily, my father explained something to me that I had never thought of. He reminded me that I had spend my whole life working hard and paying in some pretty hefty taxes. He also reminded me that he himself had done the same, as well as his father before him. Then he pointed out that out of two generations of my family (on both my father’s and my mother’s side) I was the first person to ever become disabled. So basically the working lives and taxes from myself and six of my relatives (mother, father, both grandparents on both sides) had already paid for the my situation.
I don’t feel guilty anymore. I spent the prime years of my life toiling away and throwing large portions of my earnings into these programs. A lot of that work, and the environments/chemicals I was exposed to during that work, probably lead to the condition that I have now. I’ve paid my dues both physically and financially.
They say ignorance is bliss. Well I’d expect these folks to be a lot happier. A lot of us “freeloaders” manage to stay happy even when we’ve got folks calling us names and spreading lies about our kind. It must be nice to be able to stomp around at those Tea Party rallies with those arms and legs that work so well. And here I celebrate making a sandwich without having a tremor and dropping it on the floor. They don’t know how good they’ve got it. I suspect they never will.
I agree with ya on this one.
I just turned 50 and I’m thinking that by the time I can retire, SS will be gone. I’ve paid into since I was 16…think they will me my money back? haha.
I don’t think of Medicare or SS as entitlement programs, we pay for them. We deserve to get what we paid for. The entitlement programs are Welfare and Medicaid, those are the ones that need reform.
They keep moving the goal posts so retirement age gets later and later and pensions are worth less and less. Here you have to pay your National Insurance contributions and taxes, even truck and taxi drivers, so I guess it must be the same there in the US. You say “The real free loaders are the corporations, rich people” and I agree. Apart from those there are very few freeloaders.
Hi there John…My family on my daddy’s side are mostly truckers…they, like RC above, had a payroll check! But it must depend on what you haul and if its for a company or as a independent contractor!
Far as retirement I am confidant SS will still be there!The American people will over throw GOP or any party that take it away.
Far as getting disability pay I am a firm believer on this issue…it helped my mother and one of my cousins and an uncle. I don’t know of any freeloaders but don’t want to either!
Peace…K! 😉