“It’s a terrible idea. You can dress it up any way you want. It’s a benefit cut and it violates the promise that Leader Pelosi made, the president made, and almost every politician – Democrats and Republicans -- made that they would not cut Social Security benefits.”

Don't worry, miss piggy, the president will listen to his top people and he will hear the American public. He will do the best he can.

People are living longer than they used to. Therefor the benefits should come later.

I hope 0bama is up for means testing as well. There is no reason that a person earning a big pension or dividends in retirement cant take care of themselves. Yes people should be able to earn their way out of their own benefits. Maybe it will also incentivize people to be more contentious of their own retirement rather than relying on the government.

If you 0bama worshipers think that simply raising taxes is going to cover everything you have another thing coming. Right now we have almost as many people in the wagon as we have pulling it and its getting worse. It also didn't help SS when 0bama issued the payroll tax cut in his 09 American Jobs Act. The payroll tax is a good tax as it specifically funds one use and cant be looted for pet projects.

Speaker Boehner don't put your grandma or mother on the chopping board.

Speaker Boner, you can reach out and ...touch yourself...but don't touch social security and medicare. How much do these program cost? But, how much have missiles and F-22s cost?? Speaker Boner, you are UNCONSCIONABLE.

This is all complete BS designed to screw Social Security recipients. Already the formula used to calculate inflation screws them but apparently not enough.

In 2011 social security recipients got no increase while that same year congress (both party's) voted themselves a healthy raise citing inflation.

For all those on social security, bend over because here it comes again.

If you idiots were not so braindead, you'd realize people are getting paid out about 3-4 times what was originally contributed. No investment in the world pays out like that unless you are an extortionist (like the unions).

Speaker Boner, you can reach out and ...touch yourself...but don't touch social security and medicare

Piggy, are you insane? The article says the President is the one proposing to redo the formula for COLA. You really need to get help!

This is bs. One doesn't have a choice if the prices rise on necessities--food, gas, utilities, etc. You're going to pay for these things and forego the shirts. There is nothing wrong with social security that jobs with decent wages won't solve.

McCain simply wants to transfer worker-earned benefits to his beloved defense department and to oil companies. Workers have already sacrificed--let those corporations and govt entities that are making out real well sacrifice, too.

The Republicans will always want the middle class to pay for the debt of the rich...it's the Republican way! They say they want to SAVE Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid....LOL.... the programs they have fought to end since their inception!!!! Want to cut ENTITLEMENTS then cut the Subsidies for oil, Pharma and corporate farmers, raise taxes on the 1%, raise taxes on dividends, raise import taxes!!!!

Boehner will drag his feet like usual as he doesn't have the caucus to get the votes for anything... He hopes to wait till he's reelected to the "Weeper" spot before he does anything...after all..he's a good Republican (if there is such a thing) who only worries about his job, lobbyists and the upper 1%...

Scott, talk to both parties when you want to cut subsidies for the things mentioned above.

Oh yeah Scott, you sound just like the president. Let's RAISE taxes on the 1%! Let's shut down the banks! Good grief, you're just plain stupid. You can tax the so-called "rich" at 100% and it wont pay for everything the government spends. As the president likes to tout, the math doesn't work. He just seems to forget that part about his own "balanced" plan.

shy lark you are over the top. nobody is like hitler. now did they lie no. they are trying to make a deal but i say wahy? we have the power . the right dosen't. instead of going over the top on on this post, call them . email them. petition them. i already have . this is not what the people want. there will be trouble if they do this.

For my husband and myself social security is our entire income...I simply can't imagine getting by on less. A truly terrifying

thought.

I don't like it.

Looks like sleight of hand to me. The example of spaghetti and shirts is good, but if spaghetti goes up in one year, then shirts go up the following year, you're behind. Both end up going up in price, but you received only part of the income increase in both years.

Here's the logic:

$1 for shirt $1 for spaghetti. You get $2 as your SS payment. The next year the price of spaghetti goes to $2, shirt doesn't go up. They're saying you shouldn't get the whole $3 because you buy more shirts instead. So you get $2.75. Next year spaghetti stays the same ($2) and shirts go up to $2. You buy more spaghetti because the price is lower (relatively speaking), so you don't get the whole $1 increase in your payment. You get $0.75 of the net $1 increase. At the end however, your payment has only gone up to $3.50 while the price of Spaghetti and shirts is $4. You've been ripped off.

For 2013 my Social Security COLA increase was 1.7% however my Medicare premium was 3 times that percentage increase (5%) and John Boehner wants to change the COLA formula so that it is smaller.

At this rate in a few years your Social Security monthly check won't even cover your Medicare premium payment.

Nick-1103170

- either you're very rich or very stupid... either way you sound just like all the idiots who defend the wealthy, you know the so called "Job Creators" - tell me NICK, just what have we gotten for the 100's of billions in tax cuts - stumped... try NOTHING! so tax them and if they don't like it.. then they can get the hell out and move someplace else... since they love China so much... they can move there!

as for the rest of you Obama hating right wingers...get over it!!!! fortunately we will have him for another 4 years !!!!

Elliot, yes we pay the witholdings for our SS taxes out of every paycheck and it is supposed to go into the SS trust fund to support future payouts and earn interest from investments in Treasury's. Trouble is congress spends the money from the Trust fund on all measure of other projects while not repaying the trust fund. Fixing that one should be pretty easy, put the darn lock on the fund. Basically our congress has been taking advantage of people hating math. The power of compound interest earned would have made the Trust fund totally self supporting by now if the monies had not be abscounded with. In fact the fund should be making so much money that current working people should not even have to have a witholding but then I suspect those right wingers would call that some kind of socialism so they couldn't let it happen. To bad people don't understand that compound interest math thing.

Small business guy, I salute you, some one that has an understanding of basic math (do they even teach arithmetic in school these days?

How about getting that money from the welfare programs??????? It's like- lets give those people free money for nothing-all they have to do is reproduce!!!!!!!!! It sickens me the thought of how they "milk" the system.

LEAVE MEDICARE ALONE!!!!!!

SOCIAL SECURITY IS NOT ON THE TABLE. Those that make $250,000 or more NEED TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE. NO COMPROMISE. PERIOD--DOT.

@Nick-1103170#1.5: Actually, your statement and math are faulty. Few who wait until eligible for full benefits will ever receive full contributions paid into the system by them and their employers, especially with an interest accural rate that averages 2% over an average of 40 years contributions. Medicare is much more the problem. This though, can be fixed in a variety of ways, such as adding an additional 1 or 2 % to contributions. Need also to extend eligibility age to 69 years, or do away with the income contribution cap. Course, the best way to handle medicare is to replace it with Universal health care, or a single payer system for everyone. Means testing should also become a benefits standard. Greatest problem with Social Security is, and has been, the theft of the contributory funds by the Congress. That must stop.

Kingson said he worked as a "very active volunteer" for Obama's re-election and respects him, but "this is going to get an awful lot of people very upset…. It fosters a lot cynicism if we now move to cutting Social Security." He said the Obama White House "probably doesn't understand how critical this system is to regular Americans."

Several years too late. Should have said something when our "elite" elected Congressional representatives raided Social Security taxes.

So did Congress spend our Social Security taxes? Of course. They spent this money on all the various operations of the federal government, with a large chunk going to pay for Social Security benefits, Medicare and the military. Some people get worked up when they hear about the obscure projects that they deem to be worthless, but such spending represents a tiny fraction of the overall federal budget.

I D I O T S within the Congressional Halls, one and all.

Hey, how about having those 41 Obama White House Staffers, and some of their aides, in addition to the HUNDREDS of Congressional representatives and HUNDREDS of government workers PAY THEIR BACK TAXES. THAT WOULD HELP !!!!!!!

We all know that something has to be done to salvage Social Security. If this is the best they can do without even considering the fact that half the working Women in America will draw their own S.S. and the other half that have been living off the spoils of the high income Husbands will be making almost as much for never having left the home and paid for child care so they could help bring a living wage into the household. This should be an affront to the families that had to be bread winners and parents at the same time. Start the savings with everyone and I mean everyone getting only the S.S. benefit that showed on their W-2 stubs. Then lets get a little for forceful in the enforcement of bogus claims, we all know people who have been getting benefits that shouldn't be. If that can't be done then make sure whatever decision is made for the S.S. CPI is carried over to every Federal worker including all Military Pensions. We have paid into this fund our whole working lives and taxed on that money prior to it being witheld from our paychecks, if the wealthy can contribute after tax dollors and not have to pay taxes on their returns why should we then have to pay taxes on our return from our investment in Social Security

SS and Medicare are in pretty good shape and should not be on the table at all. What the debate is about is just how much more the "job creators" should pay after having failed at their job of creating jobs.

CPI makes perfect sense! Spaghetti costs soars. I quit buying spaghetti and start boiling shirts and pouring spaghetti sauce on it. YUM. NO morons! I quit buying SHIRTS so I can STILL feed me and my kid the exorbitant cost of spaghetti! NO ONE should eat LESS when food prices are skyrocketing. WHat a CROCK CPI is!!!! I STILL have to get to work, and there is NO shorter distance to work! under YOUR theory, I'll be buying less gas, and buying a shirt to stuff the tank with! Heck, light it on fire.. the car will get to work a LOT faster that way (a one-time only deal!) I shall use LESS heat in the winter. Heck, close off the kitchen, use it as the refrigerator by opening all the windows! Save THAT utility cost too! Let's see, I already cancelled cable, OH that means I'm paying LESS right? NO.. means I have to fork out MORE for food and gas... MORONS! Won't even include how the cost of medical and prescriptions are skyrocketing. I won't be buying more shirts and less frigging diabetic medicine. DANG it's interesting how some DUMB@** comes up with dorky formulas like this! YAY OBAMA.. your HUMANITY (stupidity?) is showing!

Just going over the fiscal speed bump, keeps looking better and better.

Who will cover the costs of millions of illegal immigrants when they are older and need medical care and have no social security?

Hey Pigotry....The Dept of Defense wanted to stop buying tanks. CONGRESS REFUSED to let them.

This is how messed up Congress is. They are refusing to allow the DOD to cut spending. You know, spending that could put money into SS and keep if funded?

This is what's wrong in the Obama Administration. The DOD wants to cut spending and Congress refuses. Nothing will ever get fixed on spending.

Govt should cut spending, pay back SS, and have a required amount reserved that Congress can not borrow and spend.

Bottomline....Tax payers will have to fund SS twice because your govt....the one liberals trust so much....stole it and spent it on robot squirrels, Murtha Airport, and other wasteful spending.

To the thiefing republicans, keep your hands off social security and medicare. Mr. Obama, do not give in on social security and medicare cuts, if anything give them a 5% C.O.L. raise every year. Tell the republicans that you are going to raise the social security and medicare contribution on companies to double what they now pay, with no increase to be raised on employees. For all those who earn over 250,000 a year they willl pay double also. Raise the minimum wage to 15.00 per hour efective immediatly. I am tired of the rich getting richer of the backs of their employees.

I am VERY afraid of anyone inside the beltway doing anything to SS or Medicare - WHY? First I have heard reports from the USG the average SS benefit is $1200, $1300, $1400, or $1500 now if they do not even know what the real average is how can they be expected to calculate the health of the two programs.

Simple fact- they are using WAGS (Wild Ass Guesses) to determine the fiscal cliff "corrections and not one of them can add 1+1 and come out with 2 - - More graduates of the Paul Ryan School of Economics Methinks.

Hopefully people are not foolish enough to think SS should be their only form or income when they retire.

Both parties have been raiding the fund for 30 years and it's dry. The biggest fools are the ones that think this is a right vs left thing.

Sadly the elephant in the room is that rates are at 0% so anyone retired with some savings is being taken to the cleaners. Good job Mr President and Mr Fed Chairman.

To Jerry & all the spending liberals....SS doesn't exist..!!! Your liberal spending policies spent all the money.

You want SS back? Then cut your spending so that the money will be there.

I have a hard time caring about changes to SS because it won't be there for me when I retire. Sometimes (only sometimes not all the time) it annoys me that I have to pay for my own retirement as well as someone else's.

I have two things to say.

One: Social Security system has over two trillion dollars in it in government IOUs. Is this cutting benefits about the government not wanting to pay what it owes?

Two: The Senate and the House should be on the same programs as the rest of us instead of the soft and pretty retirement and medical deals they have. Get them closer to the people that way.

Paws93

HISTORY LESSON

Actually it was not the liberal policies that spent all the money, it has been the useless wars we've had since after Eisenhower was president.

BTW: I'm over 80 and was there when the spending got out of hand and Liberal or Conservative politics had little to do with the spending. It was the military industrial complex that is responsible for being irresponsible. I wll say they have been supported largely by the Right Wing nut jobs that see enemies everywhere.

The problem with "mean testing" goes against your argument that "we paid into it". If you want to means test people and take them out of the payment plan, then allow them to use their SS payments which they ARE REQUIRED to make and put that in their own retirement funds. It is hypocrisy to claim that "we paid into it and deesrve to get it", if you are at the same time telling people who have planned for their retirement and saved money, that they must pay into the system yet never draw anything from it.

It also reinforces the argument that people draw a lot more from the system than they ever put into it, and the money that is currently paid into it by the productive of society is being used to fund those who previously worked.

The news here is that there is no magic pot of gold set aside for you like the statement you get each year tells you. The system is broke and needs revamping.

Here is a good part of the article:

Kingson said he worked as a “very active volunteer” for Obama’s re-election and respects him, but “this is going to get an awful lot of people very upset…. It fosters a lot cynicism if we now move to cutting Social Security.” He said the Obama White House “probably doesn’t understand how critical this system is to regular Americans.”

Point is, the Obama White House does not understand sh.t. I worked for SS, don't touch it!!!

And here is the other part that depicts these stinking politicians just right:

“It’s a terrible idea. You can dress it up any way you want. It’s a benefit cut and it violates the promise that Leader Pelosi made, the president made, and almost every politician – Democrats and Republicans -- made that they would not cut Social Security benefits.”

Isn't that just great. Pelosi again in the front as the motherload of lies. Piece of sh.t.

The problem is they never collected enough for SS or Medicare. If they cut the entire defense budget (about $600 Billion this year) we would still have a $500 Billion dollar shortfall. If they raise rates on $250K earners they bring in about $80 billion in new revenue. That still leaves a $420 Billion dollar hole this year alone thats with no defense budget which would add several million unemployed and cost ??? is lost tax revenue. Medicare and SS are the majority of the US budget and need to be contained. They already resemble Ponzi schemes.

Get the damn illegal aliens off all the social programs, stop anchor babies, and stop the damn immigration and refugee program until the backlog is cleared up and all American citizens who have spouses who are waiting for citizenship have been granted clearance, and if they have in-laws and other extended family in high risk areas, investigate them, clear them and bring them over before anyone else.

Otherwise, shut down the damn borders until we are financially on our feet and stop talking about cutting services to our elderly, sick, and mentally disabled, and returning vets.

What's so hard to understand about that?

Pippo - History reminder for you....Eisenhower is the one who warned America of the "industrial military complex".

Present lesson for you. 2012 The DOD wants to stop buying tanks. Congress is refusing to let them stop the spending because it might cost jobs in their districts.

So, these "nut jobs" you're talking about are in your congress today...But it's not seeing enemies everywhere, it's bringing home the govt bacon to their states financially. See, it's not whether the spending is right or not, it's the spending that buys the votes.

One more present lesson...Obama is president now. Dems control the Senate. What is he cutting from this military complex? Obama's been in office 4 years. Liberals in control. What has he done? You want to blame the "right wingers", but I don't see your "left winger" doing anything.

Hi UAW Idiot,

The fact is: they hate us.

That's what the "rich" folk say everytime one of you leeches on the left calls for more marxist tax increases. Ya'll have class envy. Better yourselves instead of trying to tear everyone else down.

There's not enough rich people to tax the heck out of to pay for all the stuff liberals want. It all sounds so good, until you realize you are deluding yourself with this nonsense that if we only taxed rich people more we could even come close to paying for all the things liberals want to do to "help" people.

With that myth dispelled, and with Boomers retiring like gang busters, there just are not enough of us in the younger generation to pay into these funds. We all knew this.

Rather than addressing this issue and rather than ensuring that our existing entitlement programs are on firm financial ground, Obama put all his capital into creating yet another entitlement program. All the revenue he raised to fund Obamacare could have been used to shore up Medicare and SS.

He chose not to do that. He choose to give more handouts, instead. There are costs for poor decision making. Retirees will bear some of those costs.

NC Yankee, you are spouting right wing talking points. The savings he excised from Medicare did shore up Medicare. Social security is not a problem and has nothing to do with the deficit. If people had jobs that paid decent wages, then more money would be going into the system. The reason the revenue is weak is because the banks threw half the country of out work so that you have a good 30 million or more people who are not working or not getting paid more than $7.30 an hour...like those good people at Romney's store Staples. Those full time workers actually qualify for Earned Income Credit.

Hi KeenNoSight,

Explain how taking $700 billion out of the Medicare program "shores" it up. The lack of intelligence in some people is incredible. It's no wonder OBama got reelected. The population as a whole is getting dumber with every generation.

The savings he excised from Medicare were taken and used to fund Obamacare. Check your facts. If savings were to be found in Medicare and he really wanted to shore up Medicare, he would have left that money with Medicare … not taken it and used it to provide more welfare via Obamacare. He put bottom feeders ahead of working people.

And what’s it matter, with your banker comments? Everyone, including Bill Clinton has said even if you taxed folks like him at 100% it still wouldn’t pay for all the ways democrats have dreamed up trying to “help” people. Who do you think the democrats are going to come after next, once they realize they can’t pay for all this stuff by taxing the few rich that there are? It seems to me, to democrats, you are rich enough to tax if you make more money than the person they want to take your money and give it to.

Furthermore, Obama raised taxes when he enacted Obamacare. But for Obamacare, those revenues would be available for other programs, like SS and Medicare. In case you haven’t noticed, tax increases are hard to come by. Do you think Republicans are just going to suddenly say, hey democrats, let’s raise taxes on everyone who isn’t a bottom feeder to pay for all the ways you want to “help” bottom feeders oh and by the way, have you had time to think of any more wonderful entitlement programs that you would like to have to “help” bottom feeders, because we could just raise taxes more, if you want? No, I think they are likely to say, you already got tax increases when you passed Obamacare and your spending programs are running this country into the ground ... we aren't going to give you anymore tax increases without REAL spending cuts in return. Now let me ask, where do you think those spending cuts are going to come from ... are they gonna come from Obamacare or SS/Medicare. We both know where they are gonna come from, but hey at least some guy making 80k a year can get Obamacare welfare...

Yeah and if old people can't afford spagetti they can always eat dog food.

That's where this all leads.

Social Security is already pretty stingy and they want to make it worse.

There is no reason to cheat seniors out of cost of living increases.

They can take the cap off of the amount people make to pay into SS and that will fix it.

Another thing that will fix SS is if they start paying people good wages again.

That's one of the major reasons the SS fund is not getting as much money as it did.

“It’s a terrible idea. You can dress it up any way you want. It’s a benefit cut and it violates the promise that Leader Pelosi made, the president made, and almost every politician – Democrats and Republicans -- made that they would not cut Social Security benefits.”

He said the purpose of the COLA is to ensure that benefits maintain their purchasing power throughout your lifetime. He said for a beneficiary who retires at age 65 and reaches age 95, he or she will have lost $18,000 in benefits compared to what he’d get under the current system.

I think the lawmakers need some skin in the game. They need to have the same rules apply towards their pensions. Set a good example for the people. Lead the way Pelosi and Obama with your own retirement packages!

Hi NC,

Democrats know the programs are a big ponzi scheme and they don't care. Their ultimate goal is for government to have total control over everyone through a dependant population.

Brain dead and morally dead far right zealots are out in force; probably greed factories or possibly they could be government "communist privileged" types, so to speak. Everyone should be on Social Security and Medicare, including the "government", then those crooks with their crook benefits and pensions would do a "competent" job of maintaining it.

Check every so-called "government employee" and their pay, pensions, medical benefits and perks. Check city, county, state and federal for all the states. In California, such employees retire at 55 or younger, at tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. The average city employee's pension in one city is $40,000 plus, or at $3,500 a month or higher. That's average; the average Social Security benefit is 1,200.00 a month or approximately $14,000 a year. The average city employee gets better medical benefits, more obviously frequent time off a year, and paid vacations, many of those employees get to save up their vacation pay, apply it to current salary and rip the taxpayer off, some are promoted and like one did, work at $175,000 a year as a librarian, and retire at about $235,000 a year, which is outrageous and criminal. A city attorney might retire at $20,000 a month. The state of California is bankrupt basically, and still guarantees the government employees under the state's "retirement" plan a fixed rate as high as 8%, backed up by the beleaguered taxpayer, investing many times in risky investments such as junk bonds and worthless security mortgages, which investments fail, and then they demand the blood of the taxpayer, even if they were negligent. This is criminal.

A few cities declared bankruptcy but these crooks in the state government try to write laws preventing that and still demanding it from the taxpayers, ya know, the "golden goose". Teachers here are paid excellent salaries for basically 6 months of work, get all kinds of time off, all holidays, even the ones private workers don't take, and now some are retiring at up to $100,000 a year, about $8,000+ a month. One crooked government type had it planned to retire at the taxpayers' expense at $1,000,000 a year, but was stopped. Many in California retire in the hundreds of thousands per year, as high as $300,000 to $400,000.

The water district just raised the water rates and voted themselves better so-called pension benefits, and lifetime medical benefits for them and their spouses, this is outrageous and criminal, but they pass it themselves or by their appointed boards; otherwise known as their lackeys. Meanwhile, everybody on Medicare has to pay premiums every month to the Medicare plan, to insurance companies and are projected to pay $200,000+ during their life for more medical expenses. In other words, Medicare costs lots of money. Compare that to the teachers' plans, and the city, county, state and federal government in exact dollar outlay.

The federal government has the same type of benefits.

We need citizens to represent out interests; the so-called "government" has raided Social Security and other government programs paid for by the taxpayer, criminal conduct, and now has the temerity to propose this bs. Throw the crooks out; this is an oligarchy, not a democracy. The very people we entrust with our money are crooks and for themselves. They take away safety, infrastructure repair, and fire protection because they pay their criminal and outrageous "benefits".

As far as taxes and the poor little rich greed thugs paying too much, the income tax rate for the so-called wealthy was up to 90% in the 50's and early 60's, certainly not 35%, nor the little tweak to 39% called for now, and they were happy to be here in the U.S. and enjoying its benefits. Nowadays, they threaten to move out of the country, the poor "darlings", and they move their corporate jobs elsewhere, where workers work in sweatshops for $2.00 a day or some such wage, and the American workers' pay goes down, not only comparatively to what the cost of living is, but many times literally to what they now get paid.. This was a prosperous country during those times and the union worker was paid a fair wage, which he or she put back into the country, not taking it oversees to tax free havens.

So the crooks in "government" manufactured fear mongering , and the crocodile tears by the faux conservatives are giant bs. The government represents us and has to cut the criminal behavior, up to now and lately a fat chance. Also, this was a decent country in other ways, no torture espoused as a policy, a War Crime; no preemptive attacks as a policy, more War Crimes, and a more equal foreign policy, not based on right-wing "Judeo-Christian" killing policies, nowhere espoused by "Jesus".

The citizens and taxpayers would be far better off picking citizens names out of a hat, instead of voting for people who spend hundreds of millions to be elected so they can serve their self interests and self dealing, along with their self delusions of their "importance".

Sounds like Greece and Spain to me!

A lot of folks who voted for Obama are now having second thoughts.....especially the elderly.

Problem with the EU is particular to the EU. A union of sovereign nations attempting to hold the value of a common currency just won't cut it. Too many structural economic disparities amongst them.

The US economic problem is not that complex, yet filled with much detail and ass backward psychology. We simply have too few, holding too much wealth, who cannot, and will not spend it, and therefore currency and wealth balance cannot be attained. Conversely, we have too many who do not possess required wealth to pay for maintaining themselves, hence the strain on government, manifest in high debt, and deficit spending. Course, 10 years of war waste, and wall street shenanigans have also contributed much bearing upon the imbalance. We now need to affect considerable higher taxes on the wealthy, not to be used necessary for debt reduction, but to incentify the wealthy to spend on those things that provide employment, which then reduces their taxes, and puts people to work gaining wealth to spend. Wealth measurement, by most, is the ability to buy goods and services, and be able to pay for them. This in turn brings more wealth to the original wealthy, and additionally, to the former non wealthy, and on the whole, allows for a wealthy and prosperous people and nation. This is our system working properly.

Hi Tom,

Not sure what world you are living in but when the SS fund doesn't have enough revenue to cover the outlays, that's called a deficit.

So Mr. Obama wants to be a Lame Duck President for the Final 2 years of his term eh? Any Senator, Any House of Representative, Whether Democrat or Republican, will be voted out of office if you vote for Mr. Obama's plan to chain CPI and Cut and Change Social Security, Disability, medicare and Medicaid!!!People on Disability and Social Security barely get enough to live on as it is. Shame on you, Mr. Obama, Shame on you for stabbing Seniors and the Disabled in the back!!!

If Mr. Obama should carry out his threat to Chain CPI thus reducing benefits for the Disabled and Seniors, then The Legacy of Mr. Obama shall be the man who broke his promise to Seniors and the Disabled and the Man who lost his majorities in congress because he broke his Promise to Seniors and the Disabled.

And thats my opinion

No, Nick. Social Security has nothing whatsoever to do with the deficit or the national debt. Period. It's nowhere near not being able to cover outlays with revenue. It's solvent, without any tinkering at all, for another 25 years or so. If we lifted the earnings cap, it would be solvent for over 75 years.

Hi EarlyOut,

Source please.

Nick, check the SSA 2011 financial statement.

Nick isn't smart enough to check the facts. He needs spoon fed his information. Another dumb Dem.

Social Security might have been solvent for many years yet, but once the feds started raiding that piggy bank, replacing them with IOU's, that solvency went with it.

Question— How many people actually think that the feds will ever pay that money back?

Tammy, Obama has started to repay "some" of GW's withdrawls. My best guess would be "before Wall St. pays back George W's 480 billion bailout money"

Hi Dean,

What has been paid back? The national debt has increased $6 TRILLION or 51% in four years under B.O.'s lack of leadership and no budgets for the past four years. Get a clue.

I'm not willing to eat our own. The fact is the Democrats are the ONLY party that does anything for the poor and the middle class. Do they all do enough,no. But the Republicans do NOTHING at all for us. As for the President,lets not fool ourselves. Unlike what the right-wing nutjobs want to believe,he has never been a man of the left.At best he is center-left. I supported him,and still do,because I respect him as a person,and a leader.And believe that he tries to do the best he can. But make no mistake,if we think he is an Elizabeth Warren Democrat,we will be disappointed.

The robbery has been going on for longer than you think.

Johnson was the first presidency to use monies from Social Security to fund programs. Clinton counted Social Security receipts in the general fund and started to raid Medicare as well.

You speak with forked tongue. Clinton was the first to NOT use Medicare money since it was created. That means that your Saint Reagan raided Medicare.

"This is the first year we've balanced the budget without using the Medicare trust fund since Medicare was created in 1965. I think we should follow Al Gore's advice and lock those trust funds away for the future," he said."

President Clinton announces another record budget surplus - September 27, 2000

miklkit - The Pres and Congress of the 90 were better than today but the budget was balanced on the back of a huge bubble that bursted. I assume you remember the stock bubble.

And Bob, what benefit has the Dems been to the poor? Not that the Reps have been but the Dems are no better.

My same thoughts, and that is also the problem with the current COLA formula. The CPI-W formula does NOT properly cover those items that MOST people on SS (and even SSI to some extent) need...food, medical care, and home heating (utilities). Most people on SS/SSI are already buying the cheapest cuts of meat/poultry, produce, etc. and still struggling to survive on their Social Security. This is especially true when you take into account that the annual increase in the Medicare Parts B/C/D premiums ALWAYS rise more than the COLA amount of the SS benefit, thus giving the senior a net loss on that benefit. Luckily I don't yet have any major medical problems, but it is still a struggle deciding what I'll eliminate when I go to the grocery, especially when the price of fuel (for both vehicle and cooking) keeps going up. I live in the USVI where our electric rate is now over 50¢/kwh and because HOVENSA refinery closed, our propane prices are also soaring. We do not have natural gas sources here and the cost of bringing in LNG and converting it back to gaseous form is quite expensive too. WAPA had looked at that possibility for generating the electricity.

That is exactly why more and more seniors are now looking to relocate to Panama and other "third-world" countries where they can survive on their SS benefits.

Yeah John-!!! Whole heart agree.

I should have three, four, more job opportunities with life sustaining wages if these dead beat rich with their welfare actually created jobs instead of trading in micro seconds on non existent money.

What do you expect from the Obama administration? They lie and use whatever hair brained argument they can think of and people believe his BS. The problem with our country today is they don't question anything. They eat up all of B.O. bull@!$%# and ask for more.

Be honest. Calculate the real rate of inflation and just tell people that they're only going to get 75% of that.

Right Nick, Obamanation's fault. Look, I'm not happy at ALL with the proposal, but WHO is he trying to woo here? the REPUBLICANS. THEY'RE the ones demanding these cuts! And Obama can pee up a rope! Give up the da** jets for the stupid Congresspeople and fork over THAT money to gov't. Give up all the free stamps for stupid unwanted literalture from your local congressman/woman. Give up the 100% coverage THEY get for health and medical. ALL of them need to go. Don't leave this at Obama's doorstep, this is JUST as much Republican fault as it is Democrat!

This is a drop in the bucket when you have $1 TRILLION + deficits every year.

For the last 9 years, don't leave that part out

Hi Dean,

There were not $1 TRILLION deficits every year until Obama got into office. You are entitled to your opinion, but not the facts. Go research the answers instead of just listening to the drivel on MSNBC.

Hi Mom in Illinois,

I am glad you aren't my representative because you're even dumber than the typical politician. Just because you see as many young people dying as old people in your newspaper does not a trend make and in no way makes it an accepted fact. Your lack of intelligence is incredible. Look at any credible source of the average living age since SS was initiated. It has raised considerably. SS was never meant for people to live off of for 30 years. When it was instituted, people rarely benefited from it because they usually died before they reached the age of eligibility.

Also, increasing the wage limit on which SS taxes are collected does nothing but create a bigger problem because you simply owe more benefits to the contributor.

Hi Mom, you do realize that most people will get more back than they paid in see below from US News Money:

Consider a single man who earns the average wage throughout his career ($43,100 in 2010 dollars), works every year from age 22 to 64, and then retires at age 65 in 2010. Over his lifetime he has paid $345,000 into the system. But he is likely to get back $72,000 more than that, or $417,000 in Social Security and Medicare payouts, according to recent Urban Institute calculations. A single women with the same work and tax history will come out even further ahead due to her longer life expectancy, likely netting $464,000 in lifetime benefits, which is $192,000 more than she paid into the system. These amounts are in constant 2010 dollars and assume a 2 percent real interest rate.

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/planning-to-retire/2011/01/06/will-you-get-back-your-social-security-taxes-in-retirement

I think over the lifetime it would be much more than 2 percent.

Nick, bunch of numbers; I have grandchildren older than you, at least mentally. I worked for my last employer just ten years. Retired in 2004, from that company I draw a pension equal to one third of my SS check each month from that company. I worked under SS for 48 years. Paid the maximum SS in many of those years. We used to call it the late fall "Raise" I now receive above average SS per month. You think I don't deserve it? You think I didn't earn SS? I was on call 24/7. You appear as an arrogant schmuck youngster, but Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa or Hanuka..which ever applies.. You seem almost like a troll, kick everyone.

couldn't have put it better Woody.

Thanks

Hi Toilet Paper,

Go wipe another ass.

sadsackguy-I just called the repug senator from MO and was told he thinks the $50 billion just taken from the military budget is more than enough at 8.33%. He still thinks the seniors should make up the difference.

A very good point. What we need to do in these Red States in 2014 is make sure seniors understand how Republicans feel. An Oklahoma Republican Senator even said he didn't feel Medicare and Social Security were essential programs in our country.

Its an ironic fact that many seniors on Medicare and Social Security vote Republican.While its the Democrats that fight tooth and nail to save these programs for them,against Republican vultures that want to destroy them. Seniors need to understand that the Republicans are not their supporters,the Democrats are. By publicizing their comments and votes we can wake these people up.

Unfortunately Uncle Bob, Obama just sold that "safeguarding" to the lowest bidder. :(

Bo, try the public records for the departments your concerned with. Anyone who believes the news networks is a FOOL

The math tells the story. The only way to get the federal government's finances onto a sustainable course is to make cuts in Medicare and Medicaid. Where would you find $1.3 trillion???

2012 Federal Budget - $3.8 trillion of spending / $1.3 trillion in additional debt

902B – Defense (24%) [Military, Veterans, Foreign Aid–44B]

846B – Health Care (22%) [Medicare and Medicaid]

820B – Pensions (22%) [Social Security]

452B – Welfare (14%) [Unemployment + other programs]

225B – Interest on Debt (6%) [will triple when interest rates rise]

200B – Other Spending (5%) [cut in half for 2013]

153B – Education (4%)

103B – Transportation (3%)

62B – Protection (2%) [FBI, Courts, Federal Prisons]

34B – General Government (1%) [White House, Congress, Gen. Services]

I only see one thing that can't be cut there and that the interest on the debt.

Agreed Ozzie. There is plenty of bloated pork in the defense department that can be cut. We can start with the F-365 Joint Strike Fighter that has already become a massive boondoggle.

Agreed J Will and second we can hit that Welfare outlay and make people a little more self reliant. What next?

Where in that budget are they hiding the corporate welfare queens. I remember a while back seeing posted that welfare for the poor was 69 billion and corporate tax break welfare was 92 billion. Before I'm going to worry about taking food out of the mouths of a poor family with kids. I'm ready to snatch it right out of GE and Exxon/Mobile's greedy paws.

I suggest cutting the costs of the administrative office, coffee, paper plates etc that the Republicans are overseeing. Then ditch the woman they put in as overseer for coffee and pencils! Save THAT much. How about state jets for those senators that have them? or Congressman/woman, fricking take the plane like the REST of us and take off your shoes too, heck a strip search every once in a while might keep you humble! Nevermind the incredible ineffectiveness and GLUT of homeland security, an office that serves NO purpose but to give TSA GREAT spending sprees and airlines GREAT plans on feeing people to death for every little peanut. How about you cut out the tax-paid residences you all get? How about you go back to living in your houses that you keep ANYWAY instead of heating that all important house in D.C. Take the TRAIN like all the other workers in D.C. No more limos. None of you stick around long enough to warrant actually having a whole house in D.C. paid for by YOUR middle class constituents and you MANAGE to get that loopholed in YOUR taxes too! Everyone aware that Senator John McCain not ONLY has his millionaire wife to support him, he ALSO gets his congressional pay AND he collects his SS every month, and HIS is over $2000. HOW'S that working? No, Obama, you screwed up with allowing (not line vetoing) the whole FORCED purchase of medical insurance, instead you should have CAPPED insurance companies. Would have been BLESSED easier to know that I can AFFORD insurance instead of watching as I get a whopping $750 a month for disablity, and the insurance is $715. SURE I can CPI it. I'll buy less costly spaghetti you jacka**es! That'll mean I can buy TONS of shirts instead! Lord knows I'll need them because I just got Medicared out of RENT, PRESCRIPTIONS and lord knows I don't need heat! Hey, so long as CONGRESS gets everything they desired. PLEASE keep whitttling away until I get nothing in the end. I worked all those years up until I became disabled. But lord knows I don't deserve the little I worked for. P.S. Even $1,200 a month does NOTHING in most states Obama. WHY on earth should anyone get a COLA that actually represents the COST OF LIVING? COLA already TAKES into account ALL the purchases of products. The HEAVY thing is that I don't get to TELL my heating company that I want LESS heat so I can buy more shirts. They keep adding up the price IN SPITE of me trying to lower the thermostat! I don't have a cell phone, I don't buy tattoos, I don't have cable television, and I don't even have a standard phone! You tell ME where I'm supposed to come up with enough money to feed me and my kid and I don't care HOW many bags of cheetos cost less than a friggin pound of pink slime. You'd think we're in a war torn nation with the front happening HERE!

You can always save money and take responsibility to get what you think you should have in retirement instead of relying on the government.

And if the teabaggers had quit staring at each others belt buckles and gone to work 4 years ago, it could be fixed

Not what the libs said when Romney was suggesting it during the campaign.

Sounds like you, Mr Marriott, must be a government employee not a regular citizen.

no, SS is NOT a spending glut from Government. It's NOT a spending issue for Congress. It's PAID for by each of us who WORKS for a living. If you think that SS is a spending problem, then you should send every congressman and woman your bank account information. Why pay INTO SS if you're not going to get what you paid BACK?!?! We're FORCED to pay it, they should HONOR their forced tax and pay us BACK that SS which was SPECIFICALLY set up so that people had something to retire on. I'd assume you save money at the bank so that you have something to fall back on.. otherwise it's the same principal.. why bother having a bank account if they're just going to rob it?

SS has to be on the table, as payroll tax holiday in past 2 years has already eaten into SS fund. if you check on ssa website, it will tell you that the fund has been paying out more than taking in since 2010, which means everyone, you and me, has not paying enough into it.

it's Obama and Congress's fault for such payroll tax holiday, and yet you don't blame them when you just want to get the same benefits from SS?

it's easy to say taxing the rich, when you all should be paying more tax into SS and IRS. taxing the rich won't raise enough money to cover spending on SS and other government programs, and it's time to end payroll tax holiday and raise everyone's tax to pay for all that.

They should get paid by the number of days they work on the floor of congress and and should not be able to receive any benifits until they are 65 or older to prevent double dipping in the system

Schwtz-Hey, here's an idea. Cut Congress' benefits, lower their salaries, and dramatically reduce their retirements benefits.

Harley-They should get paid by the number of days they work on the floor of congress and and should not be able to receive any benifits until they are 65 or older to prevent double dipping in the system.

I totally agree with these ideas. Why should they get to throw all the pain on to the citizenry,and avoid any themselves. They seem to want to act like corporate CEO's,and force the workers (us) to take the cuts,while they get golden parachutes. Its time they step-up and share our pain.

Most of Congress IS over 65 AND getting SS benefits AND congressional pay. Go figure.

Guess what, Nola, Obama didn't do it. What is more, he can't do it. Turn off SUX Noise and talk to your greedy congressman. They control the purse strings.

gdale, your still more than likely to receive more than you paid in so it needs to be fixed somehow to keep it viable for future receiptients.

It is estimated that Medicare alone represents about a $40 trillion unfunded mandate or more. There is no way to fix it without restructuring it. The numbers are too big. An official in the Clinton OMB about a year ago remarked that they were well aware back in 1995 that Medicare was not financially viable as structured. He was asked why they didn't try to do something back then since the solutions would have been less severe 17 years ago. His answer should be no surprise - "Political Suicide". Now our politicians are having to come to grips with a system that cannot be maintained without make major revisions, and yes that means just about everyone will be paying more for less. Welcome to austerity!

Welcome to austerity!

The new normal.

"This debt explosion has resulted not from big spending by the Democrats, but instead the Republican Party’s embrace, about three decades ago, of the insidious doctrine that deficits don’t matter if they result from tax cuts."

Davis Stockman --- director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Ronald Reagan