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Boehner wants to raise the retirement age to 70

There is too much age discrimination against older people when it comes to employment. If they raise the age they also should do something about age discrimination too.

Since the rich have never paid as much as their disposable income as lower income people, I don't see why they should collect that much SS.
 
Aunt Spiker said:
Can someone explain to me why we "need" to retire in general?
What's the purpose of retiring, why is it a common thing? Why do people feel that "at a certain age I should be able to survive without being employed" ???

I understand this concept not.

It seems to fly in the face of all other advice and knowledge: work hard, earn a decent wage so you can support yourself and have a good life . . .
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I personally cannot fathom ever 'retiring'. I wont always do the job I do now...and I will take sabbaticals...but I figure i will work in some capacity til I'm dead or simply cant. Ive seen far too many older folks retire and simply look for a place to do. I think retirement hastens that along.
 
LiberalAvenger said:
There is too much age discrimination against older people when it comes to employment. If they raise the age they also should do something about age discrimination too.

Since the rich have never paid as much as their disposable income as lower income people, I don't see why they should collect that much SS.
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The rich pay far more of the overall tax burden than do the middle income or unemployed. Social Security isnt meant to be a charity system...it was created to be an emergency parachute retirement system in the worst of times. Because of peoples reliance on the government it has become for many their ONLY retirement plan. But since it is money involuntarily taken from them by the fed, at the very least the rich have every right to the money they have paid in.
 
VanceMack said:
The rich pay far more of the overall tax burden than do the middle income or unemployed. Social Security isnt meant to be a charity system...it was created to be an emergency parachute retirement system in the worst of times. Because of peoples reliance on the government it has become for many their ONLY retirement plan. But since it is money involuntarily taken from them by the fed, at the very least the rich have every right to the money they have paid in.
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Exactly - no one gets *out* as much as their paycheck was equal to.
That's the complaint about SS - that it's not enough to live on - eventhough it never was meant to be sufficient to live on.
 
Aunt Spiker said:
Can someone explain to me why we "need" to retire in general?
What's the purpose of retiring, why is it a common thing? Why do people feel that "at a certain age I should be able to survive without being employed" ???

I understand this concept not.

It seems to fly in the face of all other advice and knowledge: work hard, earn a decent wage so you can support yourself and have a good life . . .
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You work so you CAN retire and have a good life. Who the **** wants to work? I want to be able to retire as soon as financially possible so I can do more of the things I *want* to do.

VanceMack said:
I personally cannot fathom ever 'retiring'. I wont always do the job I do now...and I will take sabbaticals...but I figure i will work in some capacity til I'm dead or simply cant. Ive seen far too many older folks retire and simply look for a place to do. I think retirement hastens that along.
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I can't fathom not ever retiring. If I thought I could never retire, I'd probably just shoot myself now. I'm working now simply to survive and so that I CAN retire and do all the things I want to do. Who the **** wants to work all the time? I want to go see more of the world and do fun things. Not sit in an office for the rest of my ****ing life.
 
VanceMack said:
The rich pay far more of the overall tax burden than do the middle income or unemployed. Social Security isnt meant to be a charity system...it was created to be an emergency parachute retirement system in the worst of times. Because of peoples reliance on the government it has become for many their ONLY retirement plan. But since it is money involuntarily taken from them by the fed, at the very least the rich have every right to the money they have paid in.
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What don't you understand about "disposable income? So what if they pay more taxes? They make more money. Should they pay only as much as everybody else? That would create an aristocracy. Oh never mind! We already have a crypto aristocracy.
 
Aunt Spiker said:
Can someone explain to me why we "need" to retire in general?
What's the purpose of retiring, why is it a common thing? Why do people feel that "at a certain age I should be able to survive without being employed" ???

I understand this concept not.

It seems to fly in the face of all other advice and knowledge: work hard, earn a decent wage so you can support yourself and have a good life . . .
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I never will retire. I will die with my boots on with a hammer in my hand. I love wood butchering.:2dance:
 
LiberalAvenger said:
What don't you understand about "disposable income? So what if they pay more taxes? They make more money. Should they pay only as much as everybody else? That would create an aristocracy. Oh never mind! We already have a crypto aristocracy.
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Doesn't the term "disposable income" denote that it is the earners to do with as they like? Who is the government to tell me what to do with my money not taken up by costs of living, which today is damned little thanks to our dear leader.


j-mac
 
j-mac said:
Doesn't the term "disposable income" denote that it is the earners to do with as they like? Who is the government to tell me what to do with my money not taken up by costs of living, which today is damned little thanks to our dear leader.


j-mac
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I am talking about the limit to taxes paid into SS. Since most of these taxes have gone into the general fund and given an imaginary iou, it does not seem fair. The limit should be raised.
 
LiberalAvenger said:
I am talking about the limit to taxes paid into SS. Since most of these taxes have gone into the general fund and given an imaginary iou, it does not seem fair. The limit should be raised.
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Why? so more money can be stolen? That seems smart.


j-mac
 
LiberalAvenger said:
Laws could be made to make them stop stealing it.
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Oooh I know, let's have a 'lock box' right? Give me a break. How about they give me back what I have put in, and I'll invest it......It is mine after all.


j-mac
 
I find the concept of retirement optional - as I do the need to continue SS the way it is. Make it optional as well. So if I do better at personal investment, I may take option to "retire" and say do something I'd want to do. That may be still working - but working at something I want to do, not necessarily something I have to do for the pay. One can argue that anyone can do that now - but life's circumstances may not make that a wise choice. Make it optional - extend retirement age (for benefits) to 70.

One must also realize that, generally we are living longer - that does NOT mean that extended life means we are able to work. Quality of life issues and capabilities at 60 or 65 may inhibit some people from working.
 
rivrrat said:
You work so you CAN retire and have a good life. Who the **** wants to work? I want to be able to retire as soon as financially possible so I can do more of the things I *want* to do.


I can't fathom not ever retiring. If I thought I could never retire, I'd probably just shoot myself now. I'm working now simply to survive and so that I CAN retire and do all the things I want to do. Who the **** wants to work all the time? I want to go see more of the world and do fun things. Not sit in an office for the rest of my ****ing life.
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Then why not work towards being able to do something more fun for a living?
I'd be content to be a jeweler adn a crafter for a living if I could sustain myself on it
 
Aunt Spiker said:
Can someone explain to me why we "need" to retire in general?
What's the purpose of retiring, why is it a common thing? Why do people feel that "at a certain age I should be able to survive without being employed" ???

I understand this concept not.

It seems to fly in the face of all other advice and knowledge: work hard, earn a decent wage so you can support yourself and have a good life . . .
Click to expand...


if you want to work your entire life, feel free. i've worked without a break, really, since i was 15. i will be retiring early, within 2 years, and plan to sail the caribbean. most people with jobs can't do that, and i don't WANT to do that. having a good life, to me, doesn't include working until i die.
 
j-mac said:
Starting out with a childish name call is always grounds for credibility.


j-mac
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i know, sorry. i watched a clip of his interview last night and he really did seem "altered". very,very out if it.
 
liblady said:
if you want to work your entire life, feel free. i've worked without a break, really, since i was 15. i will be retiring early, within 2 years, and plan to sail the caribbean. most people with jobs can't do that, and i don't WANT to do that. having a good life, to me, doesn't include working until i die.
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I can't say as I have that aspiration either, however with the demo's placing massive cost to everything, I might have to.


j-mac
 
Scarecrow Akhbar said:
Here's a novel idea:

Get the government out of the retirement business and then people can set their own retirement ages.

Last I checked the Constitution, the only people the Federal Government is allowed to set retirement ages for are people directly employed by the Federal Government.
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That's all well and good, but there are a crapload of people like myself who would be totally screwed if Social Security was deep sixed. I will be 60 years old in 3 weeks, and I have been paying into the system all my life. When I retire, I at least want my damn money back.
 
Aunt Spiker said:
Then why not work towards being able to do something more fun for a living?
I'd be content to be a jeweler adn a crafter for a living if I could sustain myself on it
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The fun things to do for a living don't pay **** and are physically demanding. I wouldn't be able to do them in my later years and would require savings to retire on. Retiring on those incomes would be impossible. Besides, doing said work, even if it is fun, is a JOB. It's an obligation. I want to be free of said obligations and do what I WANT to do, not what I'm obligated to do. And, there's no job that's going to pay me to sail around the world, climb everest, bungee jump off victoria falls, visit the various countries I want to visit and see the sights I want to see.

And, as I've already experienced, the most fun jobs in the world eventually turn into work and become 'not so fun'. I absolutely love running whitewater, and I did it for a living for nearly a decade. But those last couple of years were crap. I hated going to work, I hated my job, i hated that my job ruined something that I loved so much to do. The fact that I was obligated to do the job made the job not fun after a few years. I still LOVE to run whitewater, and I do it and will continue to do it every chance I get. But now I do it on MY terms. I do it for ME, not for a living. Not because I'm obligated to. And I will never do it as a job again. Not to mention, I could in no way support myself in my later years with that income.
 
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Groucho said:
Well, as long as we're on the subject, I'd also like to make social security based on need. If we want to balance the budget it makes sense. There's no reason why millionaires should be getting social security. Treat it like insurance -- you pay into it hoping that you don't get poor in your old age and if you are, you can collect. You could even make it like real insurance in that you can buy better policies.
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I disagree, if they start means testing then it will be seen as a distribution of wealth. Eventually the system will be seen as welfare and will be killed altogether. Who will decide who is rich and who is not. Will a retiree be forced to sell their property just to live? Bad idea.

Keep the age where it is now and raise the cap.

BTW, social security IS insurance and is treated that way.
 
j-mac said:
I can't say as I have that aspiration either, however with the demo's placing massive cost to everything, I might have to.


j-mac
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if i have to go back to work, i will. but i'm not going to waste my time amassing other people's idea of "enough". i can eat rice and beans and be very happy on my boat.
 
liblady said:
if i have to go back to work, i will. but i'm not going to waste my time amassing other people's idea of "enough". i can eat rice and beans and be very happy on my boat.
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Oh I hear ya! Can I visit?

We could play scrabble or something.....


j-mac
 
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