"O.P.M. - They Call It A FEDERAL BENEFIT PAYMENT/ENTITLEMENT!" (3184 hits)
“O.P.M. – “They Call It Federal Benefit Payment/Entitlement” By Gregory V. Boulware As Inspired by: ‘Shirley’s Email Message’
/* Well here we go again... Seniors as well as Juniors, the following information will burn your bristles and smoke your chimneys!
I've received an email that I've decided to share with you, unmolested. I usually edit and add to portions of messages before allowing them to morph into a story of sorts. This message is of the utmost pertinence and draws the ire of millions of Americans, never mind the color of skin - the working class and poor seem to be the target of the rich and secure once again. When was the last time someone asked you for your opinion on the federal budget or how to spend tax payer money...your tax payer money?
Subject: Social Security "Pay attention to your next Social Security income, whether you get a check or an electronic deposit....note what it is now called (see below). . .
"SOCIAL SECURITY NOW CALLED 'FEDERAL BENEFIT PAYMENT' /ENTITLEMENT! Have you noticed, your Social Security check is now referred to as a "Federal Benefit Payment"?
I'll be part of the one percent to forward this.
I am forwarding it because it touches a nerve in me, and I hope it will in you. Please keep passing it on until everyone in our country has read it. The government is now referring to our Social Security checks as a "Federal Benefit Payment."
This isn't a benefit - its earned income! Not only did we all contribute to Social Security but our employers did too. It totaled 15% of our income before taxes. If you averaged $30K per year over your working life, that's close to $180,000 invested in Social Security.
If you calculate the future value of your monthly investment in social security ($375/month, including both your and your employer's contributions) at a meager 1% interest rate compounded monthly, after 40 years of working you'd have more than $1.3+ million dollars saved! This is your personal investment . Upon retirement, if you took out only 3% per year, you'd receive $39,318 per year, or $3,277 per month .
That's almost three times more than today's average Social Security benefit of $1,230 per month, according to the Social Security Administration ( Google it - it's a fact).
And your retirement fund would last more than 33 years (until you're 98 if you retire at age 65)!
I can only imagine how much better most average-income people could live in retirement if our government had just invested our money in low-risk interest-earning accounts.
Instead, the folks in Washington pulled off a bigger Ponzi scheme than Bernie Madoff ever did.
They took our money and used it elsewhere. They "forgot" that it was OUR money they were taking.
They didn't have a referendum to ask us if we wanted to lend the money to them. And they didn't pay interest on the debt they assumed.
And recently, they've told us that the money won't support us for very much longer.
But is it our fault they misused our investments? And now, to add insult to injury, they're calling it a "benefit," as if we never worked to earn every penny of it.
Just because they "borrowed" the money, doesn't mean that our investments were a charity!
Let's take a stand.
We have earned our right to Social Security and Medicare . Demand that our legislators bring some sense into our government - Find a way to keep Social Security and Medicare going, for the sake of that 92% of our population who need it."
Then call it what it is: "Our Earned Retirement Income."
In This Reporter's Opinion: I call it OPM as did other members of local, state, and federally trusted individuals. One such individual just got out of jail the other day. He went to a halfway house before going home to his multi-million dollar mansion.
OTHER PEOPLES MONEY! I'll be damned...and they are continuing to make asses of us all - as we have allowed them to. I'm sure that I will never see one day of solidarity amongst our American brotherhood/sisterhood. If we participate in just one day of solidarity from coast to coast, we would be able to drive home the point to politicians everywhere...Dammit - YOU ALL WORK FOR US, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!
One day of everyone not buying a damned thing...not gas, not milk, not bread. One day of no work, school, shopping, going to the cleaners or McDonalds. Can you imagine what would happen? Dr. King's participation in the southern bus boycott proved to be highly successful...wouldn't you think "We The People" could not prove to be just as successful? If all the Black folk in this country would do it they'd stand up and say "Huh, what's going on? What the hell are they up to? Now suppose if the masses, all the people, African, Spanish, Asian, Caucasian, Polish, Italian, Russian, etc. I mean All of The People Who are considered working class and poor bonded together for a cause that would benefit us one and all...the government would certainly be holding its ass with both hands in order to keep it intact. They would no longer have the power to push us around, bamboozle us, or tell us what to do as it pertains to the law. There will be a new law, or at least the upgrading of the original one. The point is the law is supposed to provide and protect all of us..not just the chosen few, The 1%. We are the 99%. We pay for and support the government, in fact we are the government - are we not?
If this drastic and profound action would work for one day what do you think would happen if it lasted one week - 7 days?
/* Social Security And Medicaid Cuts To Raise Debt Limit – “Our seniors have paid!”
Republicans are willing to throw the full faith and credit of the United States government out the window -- just to spite President Obama. And they certainly have no problem dismantling Medicare (just ask Paul Ryan). As long as millionaires and billionaires keep their tax breaks, Republicans like Boehner could care less.
It’s up to us to call out House Republicans for putting millionaire tax breaks before seniors’ health care benefits.
Gregory,
Boehner Demands Medicare, Social Security And Medicaid Cuts To Raise Debt Limit
Boehner just went ballistic.
Speaking this week on the looming debt ceiling, Boehner vowed to put up a “whale of a fight” against President Obama. He’s actually threatening President Obama with this appalling choice: either agree to dismantle Medicare and Social Security -- OR risk the full faith and credit of the United States.
President Obama won’t play Boehner’s games, and neither will we.
Gregory,
I wanted to make sure you saw my email, because something is happening in the House that we can't afford to ignore: Republicans are trying to rip Medicare apart and use its pieces to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.
Our seniors have paid into Medicare for their whole working lives, and we've promised them it would be there when they needed it. Now House Republicans want to whisk it all away. It's unconscionable.
But it could happen – if we let the Republicans get away with it. Carolyn is busy fighting on this issue, but she can't do it alone. That's why we need your voice right now – join Carolyn and tell Republicans that dismantling Medicare is unacceptable.
Click here to join Carolyn in telling House Republicans to stop trying to dismantle Medicare in order to give tax breaks to millionaires.
Thank you,
Peggy May Friends of Carolyn McCarthy
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Peggy May Date: Thu, Aug. 15, 2013 Subject: sound familiar?
Friend,
Fall is fast approaching, and we're right back up against a government shutdown if we can’t solve our budget crisis. What do House Republicans want to cut? Health care benefits for Americans over 50, of course. And what are they refusing to consider? Raising taxes on millionaires and billionaires by even a penny…
Does any of this sound familiar?
It’s outrageous that House Republicans are using this deadline as an excuse to rip the safety net out from underneath our nation’s seniors. Carolyn and her colleagues are standing strong against the Republicans’ radical agenda, but they can’t do it without our help. Join them now and tell the Republicans to stop trying to dismantle Medicare.
Join Carolyn and her colleagues in telling House Republicans to eliminate millionaire tax breaks instead of taking health care away from seniors who need it.
There are much better ways to solve this crisis. While Republicans have been busy building a budget on the backs of our nation’s seniors, President Obama has already managed to reduce this year’s deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars – and he’s done it without stealing health benefits from Americans who have spent their whole lives paying into the system.
Medicare is one of the most important commitments we make. We need to make sure it stays there, for today’s seniors and for future generations.
It’s up to us to stop the GOP from ending Medicare as we know it. Click here to add your voice.
We’ll all be in our seniors’ place one day. I hope we have fighters like Carolyn on our side when that day comes.
Thanks for standing with us,
Peggy May Friends of Carolyn McCarthy
Republicans are trying to rip Medicare apart and use its pieces to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. It's unconscionable – but it just might happen if we don't do something about it.
Our seniors have paid into Medicare for their whole working lives, and we've promised them it would be there when they needed it. We can't let Republicans take it all away.
Sign your name to the right to stand with Carolyn in telling House Republicans to stop trying to dismantle Medicare in order to give tax breaks to millionaires.
What do you think Dr. King or Malcolm would say regarding these heinous acts? For those of us who aren’t seniors, as of yet, you’d better know who’s controlling your money…your investments. And who’s spending it!
Don’t think on it too hard…your time is up sooner than you think.
