Paul Ryan to retire next year

[theeedude]

Removing their income and then waiting for them to die is genocide, yes. Even if you really, really, really hate them because they have different political beliefs.

Are you for welfare and food stamps too?

 

[Brainonska511]

Good riddance. He's always been a spineless intellectual lightweight.

 

[werepossum]

Are you for welfare and food stamps too?

Yes, although neither are systems into which people have paid in good faith.

 

[Maxima1]

There's a rumor that Ryan is going to shut down the House Intelligence Committee probe right before the Christmas break.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/politics/house-intel-new-york-interviews/index.html

 

[Puffnstuff]

There's a rumor that Ryan is going to shut down the House Intelligence Committee probe right before the Christmas break.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/politics/house-intel-new-york-interviews/index.html

That wouldn't surprise me any as the Republitards have no moral or ethical compass anymore.

 

[werepossum]

But it's the Republican Party that is working to cut those benefits.

Social Security is going bankrupt, period. It's twin problems are that its benefit increases exceed cost-of-living increases, and it assumed that we'd always have more workers each generation. It's already broke, having gone from a net surplus (which was promptly turned into paper and spent creating more government programs which also grow faster than inflation) to a net deficit, meaning that more wealth has to be taken from younger workers (to pay back the bonds) than is necessary to just fund the program. Also, people now live longer and are retiring earlier.

You can reform it, or you can have it crash. Your call.

 

[theeedude]

Yes, although neither are systems into which people have paid in good faith.

Same people also voted to spend all the money they paid in and then some on tax cuts and wars.

 

[werepossum]

Same people also voted to spend all the money they paid in and then some on tax cuts and wars.

lol Yeah, that's certainly what all our tax money has been spent on.

 

[theeedude]

Social Security is going bankrupt, period. It's twin problems are that its benefit increases exceed cost-of-living increases, and it assumed that we'd always have more workers each generation. It's already broke, having gone from a net surplus (which was promptly turned into paper and spent creating more government programs which also grow faster than inflation) to a net deficit, meaning that more wealth has to be taken from younger workers (to pay back the bonds) than is necessary to just fund the program. Also, people now live longer and are retiring earlier. You can reform it, or you can have it crash. Your call.

If we have money for tax cuts, we have money to prop up social security.

 

[theeedude]

lol Yeah, that's certainly what all our tax money has been spent on.

Also, on prescription drug benefit where the government isn't allowed to negotiate drug prices. Maybe start your reforms there.

 

[Engineer]

You can reform it, or you can have it crash. Your call.

So the people who caused much of the problem, boomers - many in Congress - get to keep theirs even though many paid in far less in SS (especially those that worked before the Reagan FICA hike of the 80's) - yet the same asshats expect me and future generations to take a cut. Again, while they get no cuts in anything? Bullshit.

I'm pretty fucking tired of the generation before me saying that they won't touch theirs but are going to fuck me out of mine. It's getting goddamn old quick. Motherfuckers are going to blow a 1 TRILLION additional hole in the debt via tax cuts with 80+% going to the very top and then, before the ink is dry, rush to start cutting the debt via 'entitlement' reform. Fuck them.

Maybe we can tax cut our way out of this deficit issue, just like we do with the general budget. I mean if 1.5 Trillion in cuts generates 1.8 Trillion in revenue, why couldn't we do the same with SS taxes? /s

Want to fix this stuff, pull CONgress pensions and lifetime medical coverage and put them on SS / Medicare. You can damn be sure that they will make an attempt to fix it that didn't require cuts (GOP word for cuts is 'reform')

 

[theeedude]

Yeah, "reform" it for the people who voted for those "reformers." Cut their SS, cut their Medicare. That's fine.
But to cut it for future generations who didn't vote for this mess, no way.

 

[Maxima1]

Social Security is going bankrupt, period. It's twin problems are that its benefit increases exceed cost-of-living increases, and it assumed that we'd always have more workers each generation. It's already broke, having gone from a net surplus (which was promptly turned into paper and spent creating more government programs which also grow faster than inflation) to a net deficit, meaning that more wealth has to be taken from younger workers (to pay back the bonds) than is necessary to just fund the program. Also, people now live longer and are retiring earlier.

You can reform it, or you can have it crash. Your call.

Medicare/Medicaid are really the only ones that may have issues. I don't think SS will. It's only an issue if inflation starts arising otherwise the nation has enough output to make cuts unnecessary. I think only health care would need to be tweaked, though. If SS does, then there are definitely a lot of grossly overpaid government workers. Many have pensions that beat the **** out of SS despite having salaries competitive or better than similar private sector work.

 

[Vic]

Social Security is going bankrupt, period. It's twin problems are that its benefit increases exceed cost-of-living increases, and it assumed that we'd always have more workers each generation. It's already broke, having gone from a net surplus (which was promptly turned into paper and spent creating more government programs which also grow faster than inflation) to a net deficit, meaning that more wealth has to be taken from younger workers (to pay back the bonds) than is necessary to just fund the program. Also, people now live longer and are retiring earlier.

You can reform it, or you can have it crash. Your call.

You've been saying this here for 10 years and yet Social Security was then and still is the most financially solvent agency of the federal government. Give it up and quit being a water carrier for the establishment types, like Ryan, that just want to steal everything you've already paid into Social Security over the decades.

 

[IronWing]

The problem with SS isn't a lack of workers, it's that rising income inequality has shifted the tax base out from under SS. Apply SS taxes to capital gains and lift the cap and magically the funding issue is resolved.

 

[Puffnstuff]

SS has always been pay as you go and I figure that if the government can't pay it then we have bigger problems going on like crawling out from under the rubble that used to be our country.

 

[zinfamous]

What, did we get to the end of Atlas Shrugged and he didn't know what to do next?

which reminds me...didn't he swear on a fucking Ayn Rand novel, stacked under his pocket bible? I meant to look for this and add it to the goddamn "swear on bible" thread but I forgot to look it up. Can't remember if that was a real thing or just a really vivid joke. 😀

 

[Victorian Gray]

You've been saying this here for 10 years and yet Social Security was then and still is the most financially solvent agency of the federal government. Give it up and quit being a water carrier for the establishment types, like Ryan, that just want to steal everything you've already paid into Social Security over the decades.

Maybe it's genetic?

 

[bshole]

Social Security is going bankrupt, period. It's twin problems are that its benefit increases exceed cost-of-living increases, and it assumed that we'd always have more workers each generation. It's already broke, having gone from a net surplus (which was promptly turned into paper and spent creating more government programs which also grow faster than inflation) to a net deficit, meaning that more wealth has to be taken from younger workers (to pay back the bonds) than is necessary to just fund the program. Also, people now live longer and are retiring earlier.

You can reform it, or you can have it crash. Your call.

According to the SSA (and they should know):

As a result of changes to Social Security enacted in 1983, benefits are now expected to be payable in full on a timely basis until 2037, when the trust fund reserves are projected to become exhausted.1 At the point where the reserves are used up, continuing taxes are expected to be enough to pay 76 percent of scheduled benefits. Thus, the Congress will need to make changes to the scheduled benefits and revenue sources for the program in the future. The Social Security Board of Trustees project that changes equivalent to an immediate reduction in benefits of about 13 percent, or an immediate increase in the combined payroll tax rate from 12.4 percent to 14.4 percent, or some combination of these changes, would be sufficient to allow full payment of the scheduled benefits for the next 75 years.

https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v70n3/v70n3p111.html

I think lifting the cap would be the best idea. Minimal suffering for those with the most to provide for those with the least. In any event apparently nothing has to be done for nearly two decades.

 

[Exterous]

I do think him leaving would be a loss for the GOP and a potential loss for the country. Despite all the many areas I disagree on his policy stance when the SHTF he put aside his viewpoints and voted a couple of times to supply the economy with critical funding to prevent an even worse financial crisis. TARP barely passed the second time it was tried and Ryan took considerable political criticism from other Republicans and his voter base for how he voted and his plea for other Republicans to join him. There have also been some criticisms of Trump from him. Not a lot mind you but I'm not convinced his replacement would be willing to do even that or vote for badly needed stimulus. Instead they would probably be all for standing in the way of the fire department as the country burned down. So while I would wish we weren't in this position I think he's likely better than the alternative (Which isn't saying much)

 

[werepossum]

So the people who caused much of the problem, boomers - many in Congress - get to keep theirs even though many paid in far less in SS (especially those that worked before the Reagan FICA hike of the 80's) - yet the same asshats expect me and future generations to take a cut. Again, while they get no cuts in anything? Bullshit.

I'm pretty fucking tired of the generation before me saying that they won't touch theirs but are going to fuck me out of mine. It's getting goddamn old quick. Motherfuckers are going to blow a 1 TRILLION additional hole in the debt via tax cuts with 80+% going to the very top and then, before the ink is dry, rush to start cutting the debt via 'entitlement' reform. Fuck them.

Maybe we can tax cut our way out of this deficit issue, just like we do with the general budget. I mean if 1.5 Trillion in cuts generates 1.8 Trillion in revenue, why couldn't we do the same with SS taxes? /s

Want to fix this stuff, pull CONgress pensions and lifetime medical coverage and put them on SS / Medicare. You can damn be sure that they will make an attempt to fix it that didn't require cuts (GOP word for cuts is 'reform')

With that last, I firmly agree.

 

[dank69]

SS and Medicare most definitely need reform.

What the fuck do you care? Given the choice between a candidate that will make abortion illegal while completely destroying our economy, and literally anyone else, you would take the anti-abortion candidate.

 

[hal2kilo]

What the fuck do you care? Given the choice between a candidate that will make abortion illegal while completely destroying our economy, and literally anyone else, you would take the anti-abortion candidate.

Yep, a 1 trick pony wonder.

 

[kage69]

Good riddance to Lyin Ryan, pity it couldn't happen sooner. Can he take that turtle with him?

Time to go make that big money, live up all the thanks from the donors for the tax cuts. He knows the mid-terms aren't going to be pretty.

 

[Jhhnn]

Social Security is going bankrupt, period. It's twin problems are that its benefit increases exceed cost-of-living increases, and it assumed that we'd always have more workers each generation. It's already broke, having gone from a net surplus (which was promptly turned into paper and spent creating more government programs which also grow faster than inflation) to a net deficit, meaning that more wealth has to be taken from younger workers (to pay back the bonds) than is necessary to just fund the program. Also, people now live longer and are retiring earlier.

You can reform it, or you can have it crash. Your call.

What a load of bullshit. The SS surplus went into the general fund & helped pay for everything, including our enormous military. Meanwhile, the people at the top got tax cuts. Boomers & Gen-X'ers have built the trust to ~$2.7T & that's projected to last until 2037. It's easy enough to extend it well beyond that by bringing in more revenue from top earners & more young immigrants to pay into the system.

So instead of that we need to cut SS benefits so that we can cut rich people's taxes some more instead of using them to repay the the Trust, right? Cuz Freedumb, apparently.

I strongly encourage the GOP to make a lot of noise about "reforming" SS with benefit cuts & other fol-de-rol in 2018. See how far you can push top down class warfare. Not even Trump's delusional base will go for it.