Friday, October 18, 2013

Social Security

By Jessica Jesko

            Social security is the U.S. government program that pays benefits to workers after retirement, to spouses and children of deceased workers, and to workers who become disabled before they retire. According to statists, the program in 2003 had 47 million recipients, 32.6 million were retired workers and their dependent family members, 6.8 million were survivors of deceased workers, and 7.6 million were disabled former workers and their dependent family members. In 2004, someone with average monthly earnings of $624 received a benefit that replaced 90 percent of earnings. Someone whose average monthly earnings were $3,760 received a benefit that replaced 42 percent of earnings, while someone with monthly earnings at the then-taxable maximum of $7,325 received a benefit that replaced only 28 percent of earnings.
            I personally think social security is great to provide for people. It’s awesome that it just started as a retirement program and expanded into helping others, providing survivor benefits for the retiree’s spouse of children. Now that the baby boomers are retiring, they should know that they are retiring with dignity. People should be able to know that if someone in the family becomes disabled, social security is there to protect them. It’s important for us to strengthen social security for future generations and provide the right care people need. Seniors should be rewarded after retirement with special benefits and especially if they die right away or within the next 10 years.
There are two types of benefits. Retirement benefits are for retired workers and benefits to the spouses and children of deceased workers. Benefits are provided for disabled workers and their dependents on the same basis as retirement benefits are determined. I think about if we didn’t have social security, I would have to help support my parents, grandparents, or other family members. Since many people are dependant, or are depending on income from Social Security I think we need to be very careful about this. With that in mind I would say that anyone who is within 25 years of 50 years of age will get their benefits. They’ve paid enough in and are close enough to retirement that they deserve security. It also seems to be that this should be something both sides can agree on. Democrats are rarely opposed to raising taxes on upper incomes so they should support it. Many Republicans support a flat tax or some other version of tax equality. Since the tax would be equal on all income levels it seems something they should be able to support. So to me the common sense thing is to solve the problem now, or to at least begin the process of solving it, so we won’t face a bigger problem in the future. If I look at it in my shoes, I think it would be a shame to not have extra help after retirement. I wouldn’t want to rely on my family to help support me, they have enough to worry about in their own lives. I believe this is the one of the best programs yet for our economy and it should continue to grow.


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2 comments:

  1. I agree with you Jessica on how Social Security is a good thing in our economy but doesn't it seem like people can use this a free rider kind of deal? Say for example someone works hard and ends up working to the age of 65 but really wasn't that high up on the ladder so end's up only getting so much a month because of it. While you have someone that end's up working through a family business or something of that sort and makes A LOT of money really easily because of the connections. Retires early and ends up getting more benefits than that other worker who worked so hard. I would think the government should come up with a more fair way to the whole Social Security thing.

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  2. I agree that we should help people out if the have problems not being able to work,but I don't think everyone on the list is disabled and think that people should have to get a background check and an interview with someone to receive the money that people are taxed for. If you looking the past there was hardly any people that were getting help from the government and now their are thousands of people getting help and wasting tax payers money because they don't want to put time and effort into working for a living. They are free loading, and it should be stopped. This is why I believe that people should have to be interviewed before getting funds from the government.

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