Vote for A Future for All of Us

One of the most dangerous, and wrong, beliefs in the United States today is most of the elderly have earned their social security benefits.

"Nothing could be further from the truth. The average elderly male now is repaid all of his social security tax payments plus interest in less than four years [of social security payments during retirement]. After that he on welfare in exactly the same sense that a welfare mother is on welfare." [From page 109, "The Future of Capitalism", by Lester C. Thurow, published by William Morrow and Company; click here to learn more about this book.]

In 1997 the Republican Congress simply dodged this unpleasant truth. Congress seriously considered limiting some social security benefits to senior citizens who make MORE THAN $100,000 A YEAR from other income sources. The Republicans know, as do their Democratic colleagues, that there is no justice in taking social security taxes from someone making $5 an hour (about 47 cents per hour in social security taxes, and the employer also pays 47 cents). So, we take money from a person who makes about $10,000 a year, if they work full time at 40 hours a week, and use it to "help" someone making $100,000.

The Republicans tolerate this obvious injustice, because they fear the Democrats will stir up senior citizens against them. Senior citizens vote, overwhelming, while the people age 18 to 35 can't be bothered---so the injustice continues. The Republicans have appointed a commission to "study" the problem, so that they can pretend that they are doing something about it.

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