Maine families face elder boom, worker shortage in preview of nation’s future

To repeat: Who exactly do you mean test for this "noble" program? The senior? Their kids? Their nieces and nephews? Their cousin? Who gets mean tested for retiree income? Heck, what even is a means test here? Income? Wealth?

You really should look into your need to insult. It isn't very Christian.

 

Absolutely an issue that needs to be addressed and our government does fail at its means tested programs in my opinion. Not saying the idea behind them is bad. But they are poorly implemented with a lack of accountability.

To have continuous use of safety net programs. If one is able bodied they should be required to provide community service to maintain continuous use. For example. After a year straight of food stamps. You can still get them. But you must then perform community service to maintain them. Also they need to be much more like WIC and no sodas and sugary products. Convenience stores should not be accepting them. Over time they should work with the major grocers to provide a weeks worth of food with no choice minus allergy/condition based options.

To use Medicaid for the birth of a child. Both the father and mother should have to perform 100 hours of community service if able bodied by the first birthday of the Child in order to receive the child tax credit. If you do not like that then ask your family to help pay for the birth of your child.

There are ways to help people and build them up without creating a dependence!

 

That is even more rediculous. I'm sure SS also pays out a lot more than it did at inception.

The problem outlined in the OP is that people cant take care of their aging parents, even if they wanted to. Having a mandatory saving and retirement program for workers is one of the few smart things the govermemt has done. You are a pawn of the rich elite who want to eliminate all forms of taxes.

 

Sounds like your situation is the concept I speak of. What a concept! Right?!?!

And you are spot on that many Americans cannot afford to drop out of the workforce. They have had quite a bit of money redistributed to older generations. And that is why fixing the mess will take decades.

 

Wow, somebody suddenly became a fan of government controlling behavior. How authoritarian.

Food stamps are primarily the working poor. You know better what they should buy than they do apparently.

You know what we need more of? Parents spending less time with their children.

So should the retirees in need have to provide community service too?

 

The New Deal did nothing of the sort. I know so many hold true and dear to their heart the "middle" class and are not concerned about others. My opinion based on that is the only "class" that so many (especially bleeding hearts) seem to care about. But taking from a younger generation to give to another at the younger generations expense is going to cripple the future.

Technology and Capitalism are what created the "class" of your choice.

 

If your feelings got hurt. I apologize.

 

It is not a mandatory saving and retirement program. If it was it would be much more noble than it is. But hey 6.2% verse 1% on a max taxable that is over three times inflation and the program still can't give those who paid in what it promised shows you it was not a mandatory savings program. If only!!!

What nonsense about eliminating all forms of taxes. Never indicated anything of the such. Continue on being played like a fiddle by daddy government.

 

Yes. If you want your neighbor to provide food for you. The options should be limited. To help control costs and provide healthy alternatives.

Consequences for decisions. If you cannot afford to pay for the birth of your child then you need to learn. So having accountability that can be taken care of before the birth of the child if one chooses seems sensible.

 

Amazing how authoritarian you get when dealing with the working poor.

Yes, pregnant women should be going out and performing community service wile pregnant or ignoring their newborns to do it. Because there is no consequence for being poor.

 

Such a BS move. Making your apology about the reaction of others, rather than your own actions. If you want to insult people, take some level of responsibility for doing it.

 

About the closest thing on the east coast that feels like the west coast.

 

Now you are just making things up ... When has SS not paid what it said it would?

Aside from that, you are ignoring with your 1% claim that for the first few decades it paid out to small percentage of retirees since most people didnt qualify. As more people came on board, it had to be adjusted. I believe wild eyed liberal Ronald Reagan was the last to raise the contribution rate, FWIW. But cons still continue to sign the praises of Ronny " big daddy government" Reagan, for some reason

 

I actually do not think I insulted you at all. Based on analyzing your responses I think your mind is quite strongly controlled by the government. Not sure why that is an insult. And this response actually adds to that thought. But it was an honest gesture if you were being sincere. But I have a hard time believing and harder time now that there was anything sincere about your initial remarks. Though I offered an apology if there was. It certainly appears you were just trying to pull a typical gotcha.

Carry on. If your feelings were hurt. I apologize. But I honestly don't think they were at this point.

 

HW was the last to raise the rate. And yes Reagan did raise it. I wish he had been able to fix it properly. But the program was fully entrenched and he gave a little to get a little for sure.

And you just defined why the program is abject disaster and why my peers/my kids peers/their kids peers will be paying for it (really every younger generation was paying for it though we are just now making the turn where people will get about what they paid for). "When has SS not paid what it said it would?" (I have never once said the government has not paid what it said it would pay/I have said that people have not contributed enough to be paid what the government has promised!) And you wonder how the government is able to control minds like yours? Because it tells you that you paid into the system so you get this. They don't tell you that they are paying all the people before you that they promised more than they paid in for. But carry on. I am sure you will enjoy a few extra vacations with your SS payments while some live paycheck to paycheck. That is more important than actually reforming the programing into something noble that looks to help those truly in need.

Yes I know. People like getting more than they paid for! You can thank the government for that promise. Unfortunately the younger generations get screwed in the process. Have an extra Pina Colada at their expense instead of pushing for the kind of reform we need.

 

Yeah, you are smart enough to understand why that accusation is insulting. If I told you that your mind was controlled by Fox News and Rush Limbaugh and implied you lacked the capability of free thought, you would be insulted. This is disingenuous.

Still a BS move. Take personal responsibility for your actions. I am sorry that you were offended is a complete BS move to avoid responsibility. The issue is that you aren't really sorry for lobbing personal insults. Be better.

 

Isn’t it funny that this is the same guy Who denies that the elderly would be vilified by right wingers if SS was turned into the “noble” welfare program he wants it to be? Meanwhile, people who support keeping it an earned benifits program get insults... for some reason, I don’t think he’s telling the truth here, and he would be first guy going off on “greedy seniors who mismanaged their money, didn’t save a dime, and now want a tax payer handout!” If he ever got his way.

 

Utter folderol.

Technology and capitalism don't exist in a vacuum any more than social programs do.

 

Real apologies aren't contingent on whether the other person's feelings were hurt. They exist because you didn't live up to your own standards. That is the disconnect here. That was taught to me as a child. I guess you missed that lesson.

Another insult. I suggest looking inside yourself as to why you can't communicate on a political forum without insulting others.

 

It is a redistribution program. If it were an earned benefits program then every two weeks our employees would have money going to their account. Instead it is just a promise that of course will be adjusted so we can pay those before them.

I don't like private accounts but it would be better than what we have. I think it should be flat means tested and a true safety net so we can push policy that gets people to look to family first and government last.

But what we currently have is a disaster that has created massive entitlement. Look no farther than your position.