[nfb-talk] blind and wanting to improve things, not get labeled

ckrugman at sbcglobal.net ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
Sat Apr 24 17:24:07 UTC 2010


Actually, there is already a means test for SSI as there are limits on 
assetts that a reipient can have when they apply and may not go over to 
continue their benefits. This means test has always been there for SSI 
benefits.
Chuck
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John G. Heim" <jheim at math.wisc.edu>
To: "qubit" <lauraeaves at yahoo.com>; "NFB Talk Mailing List" 
<nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, April 23, 2010 2:29 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] blind and wanting to improve things, not get labeled


> Dude, I haven't proposed spending an infinate amount of money. In fact, I 
> haven't proposed *any* spending increases.  Actually, I proposed some 
> decreases. I said eventually, we will have to raise the retirement age and 
> institute a means test for SSI. I believe I said that twice, in fact. 
> Apparently, you haven't been paying attention.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "qubit" <lauraeaves at yahoo.com>
> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, April 23, 2010 1:06 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] blind and wanting to improve things, not get 
> labeled
>
>
>> ssi may not be in as much trouble as medicare, but medicare is broken. 
>> And
>> again, the government is rich, but not infinitely so. Isn't there any 
>> limit
>> in your mind John?  Borrowing from every country around the world to make
>> people think they have money doesn't make the government rich.
>> Now I do go left on the following: I think ssi and ssdi should be 
>> federal,
>> and I think that Bush's plan to privatize social security was 
>> horrifically
>> flawed.  I fought it quite vocally at the time. If the stock market isn't
>> safe, why do you want to take and flush our program money in it?
>> --le
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "John G. Heim" <jheim at math.wisc.edu>
>> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Friday, April 23, 2010 9:41 AM
>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] blind and wanting to improve things, not get 
>> labeled
>>
>>
>> Well, you must have been asking the wrong people then because the answer 
>> is
>> quite simple. Its because the government has the money.
>>
>> A program like SSI could never succeed on a voluntary basis. The numbers
>> just don't work out. Heck, as you are probably aware, the numbers are 
>> kind
>> of questionable even with the contributions being mandatory. SSI is going 
>> to
>> have a problem in a few years because there will be too many recipients 
>> per
>> contributor. That problem would be much, much worse if SSI contributions
>> weren't mandatory.
>>
>> Personally, I'm not too worried about the SSI trust fund running out of
>> money. Some changes will have to be made but they're not really 
>> particularly
>> tough choices. The only reason we don't do them today is that senior
>> citizens have too much political clout in the USA. But eventually, we'll
>> have to face reality and raise the age of eligibility and put a means 
>> test
>> on SSI.
>>
>> Anyway, if you're looking for an answer to the question of why SSI has to 
>> be
>> a government program, there it is. Its because only the government can 
>> pass
>> a law requiring people to contribute.
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "RyanO" <ryano218 at comcast.net>
>> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 11:43 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] blind and wanting to improve things, not get 
>> labeled
>>
>>
>>> Chuck, I don't know you of course, but based on your comments, I'm 
>>> tempted
>>> to think that you don't receive social security or Medicare benefits. I
>>> and many of my friends can relate horror story after horror story
>>> involving the bureaucracy and ineptness of various government programs.
>>> I've asked many liberals in amicable debates why they believe that the
>>> government is better able to provide assistance than the private sector. 
>>> I
>>> ask on a historical, efficiency and motivational basis. At the end of 
>>> the
>>> arguments, though many platitudes come across, I've never received a 
>>> solid
>>> answer.
>>>
>>>
>>> RyanO
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
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