Young Americans For Social Security Reform

Staright From The Bush's Mouth, State Of The Union Description of Social Security

2005-02-03T11:35:00.000-05:00

In what was arguably, the best speech of his political career, Geroge Bush, gave a riveting, tear-inducing, emotional State of the Union address that will make history. Coming off the heels of a sucess of the Iraq elections, the President, exuded confidence, honor, fearlessness and integrity. A State of the Union address that included an Iraqi woman and a mother of a slain Marine, embrace. The Iraqi woman obviously filled with emotion. The Marine was killed when we took Fallujah and she was grateful to that woman for producing a person of such rare courage and fortitude, willing to sacrifice his life for her and her people to enjoy freedom.

Well that's what we do is'nt it.

It reminds me of an account I heard of D-day. An Auschwitz prisoner was explaining that he had never seen a Black person before that day. Said that the first time he saw one was when a Black man was standing over him, offering his hand and telling him, everything was fine and he was safe. The Americans were there and therefore things were gone change. The opressed would cease to grovel in opression, once the Americans show {ed} up, would cease to know a life that is filled with dark days and dark nights fettered with various injustices, violent treatment {like concentration camps and rape rooms} can you imagine standing in the face of one who has the capability, the terrible will to do the unthinkable to you? Those kind of things don't get to continue when Americans come into the equation. As the great, great Senator from{ D}Georgia, Zell Miller said at the RNC, we are "liberators, not occupiers!"

Damn, I love this country!

The relevent language, as to how it pertains to AAYW{ american association for Younger workers,} was the clear and precise decription of Social Security Reform. Clear language, directed to us. Young Americans. READ IT! READ IT! READ IT!

And it Goes a little something like this........

One of America's most important institutions — a symbol of the trust between generations — is also in need of wise and effective reform. Social Security was a great moral success of the 20th Century, and we must honor its great purposes in this new century. The system, however, on its current path, is headed toward bankruptcy. And so we must join together to strengthen and save Social Security.
Today, more than 45 million Americans receive Social Security benefits, and millions more are nearing retirement — and for them the system is sound and fiscally strong. I have a message for every American who is 55 or older:

Do not let anyone mislead you. For you, the Social Security system will not change in any way.
For younger workers, the Social Security system has serious problems that will grow worse with time. Social Security was created decades ago, for a very different era. In those days people didn't live as long, benefits were much lower than they are today, and a half century ago, about 16 workers paid into the system for each person drawing benefits. Our society has changed in ways the founders of Social Security could not have foreseen. In today's world, people are living longer and therefore drawing benefits longer — and those benefits are scheduled to rise dramatically over the next few decades. And instead of 16 workers paying in for every beneficiary, right now it's only about three workers — and over the next few decades, that number will fall to just two workers per beneficiary. With each passing year, fewer workers are paying ever-higher benefits to an ever-larger number of retirees.

So here is the result: Thirteen years from now, in 2018, Social Security will be paying out more than it takes in. And every year afterward will bring a new shortfall, bigger than the year before. For example, in the year 2027, the government will somehow have to come up with an extra 200 billion dollars to keep the system afloat — and by 2033, the annual shortfall would be more than 300 billion dollars. By the year 2042, the entire system would be exhausted and bankrupt. If steps are not taken to avert that outcome, the only solutions would be dramatically higher taxes, massive new borrowing, or sudden and severe cuts in Social Security benefits or other government programs.

I recognize that 2018 and 2042 may seem like a long way off. But those dates are not so distant, as any parent will tell you. If you have a five-year-old, you're already concerned about how you'll pay for college tuition 13 years down the road. If you've got children in their 20s, as some of us do, the idea of Social Security collapsing before they retire does not seem like a small matter. And it should not be a small matter to the United States Congress.

You and I share a responsibility. We must pass reforms that solve the financial problems of Social Security once and for all.

Fixing Social Security permanently will require an open, candid review of the options. Some have suggested limiting benefits for wealthy retirees. Former Congressman Tim Penny has raised the possibility of indexing benefits to prices rather than wages. During the 1990s, my predecessor, President Clinton, spoke of increasing the retirement age. Former Senator John Breaux suggested discouraging early collection of Social Security benefits. The late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan recommended changing the way benefits are calculated.
All these ideas are on the table. I know that none of these reforms would be easy. But we have to move ahead with courage and honesty, because our children's retirement security is more important than partisan politics. I will work with members of Congress to find the most effective combination of reforms. I will listen to anyone who has a good idea to offer. We must, however, be guided by some basic principles. We must make Social Security permanently sound, not leave that task for another day. We must not jeopardize our economic strength by increasing payroll taxes. We must ensure that lower income Americans get the help they need to have dignity and peace of mind in their retirement. We must guarantee there is no change for those now retired or nearing retirement. And we must take care that any changes in the system are gradual, so younger workers have years to prepare and plan for their future.

As we fix Social Security, we also have the responsibility to make the system a better deal for younger workers. And the best way to reach that goal is through voluntary personal retirement accounts. Here is how the idea works. Right now, a set portion of the money you earn is taken out of your paycheck to pay for the Social Security benefits of today's retirees. If you are a younger worker, I believe you should be able to set aside part of that money in your own retirement account, so you can build a nest egg for your own future.
Here is why personal accounts are a better deal. Your money will grow, over time, at a greater rate than anything the current system can deliver - and your account will provide money for retirement over and above the check you will receive from Social Security. In addition, you'll be able to pass along the money that accumulates in your personal account, if you wish, to your children or grandchildren. And best of all, the money in the account is yours, and the government can never take it away.

The goal here is greater security in retirement, so we will set careful guidelines for personal accounts. We will make sure the money can only go into a conservative mix of bonds and stock funds. We will make sure that your earnings are not eaten up by hidden Wall Street fees. We will make sure there are good options to protect your investments from sudden market swings on the eve of your retirement. We will make sure a personal account can't be emptied out all at once, but rather paid out over time, as an addition to traditional Social Security benefits. And we will make sure this plan is fiscally responsible, by starting personal accounts gradually, and raising the yearly limits on contributions over time, eventually permitting all workers to set aside four percentage points of their payroll taxes in their accounts.

Personal retirement accounts should be familiar to federal employees, because you already have something similar, called the Thrift Savings Plan, which lets workers deposit a portion of their paychecks into any of five different broadly based investment funds. It is time to extend the same security, and choice, and ownership to young Americans.

HELL-OOOOO!!!!!!! Who has a problem with this? And why is he or she a Politician? I ain't wanna say no names but...umm..........BOXER, KERRY, KENNEDY, PELOSI, REID.....

note: the double negative was purposeful and not because I did'nt know better. As an "African American" I feel compelled to make that clear. Affirmative Action has'nt made its way to my door and I'm Black and a Girl. I should point out that this fight for 'Affirmative Action' is usually only applicable to minorites who lack independant thought altogether. None of those great champions for 'Affirmative Action' find it very "affirmative" when minorites, who think like me, actually get positions. This became obscenely clear in their recent resistance to confirm the 1st {more than qualified} Black Woman to be appointed to the post of Secretary of State. I know the Byrd-Man is heated! Just pissed! That's Byrd as in Robert Byrd, as in former member of the KKK, current member of US Senate and opposer to Dr. Condoleeza Rice.

PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE! Come On! Wake up and smell the $7.58 Venti-sized, White-Chocolate Mocha!

WE {younger americans} MUST FIGHT FOR SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM!!!!!!!

Social Security; A Form of Socialism {And Why This Should Scare the You Know What Out of Us!}

2005-01-28T14:47:00.000-05:00

Okay, last night, during my persistent, crowded, lanes of ceasless thoughts, it occurred to me that another element that bears examining in our quest for Social Security reform is to take a more deliberate view and think more deeply about the concept of Socialism. The dangers it bears and the danger of the people who subscribe to it. We also need to put it into its essential context in order to recognize that it is being practiced in our government and Social Security {FICA} is a form of it.

It’s hard to wrap your mind around this as they work hard to make you feel like you can't. I know, I know, the concepts I'm attempting to convey, the subjects for which I venture, fall just short of understanding how to harness Gravitational Waves, but it begs your imminent attention.

The ideology of the one who is rooted in Socialist theories, typically, has shown itself to be an ideologue that does not respect the parameters of individual freedom. That is they feel like the government should play an intimate, uninvolved, tyrannical role in the lives of its people. Their idea of self-government is that we should all render ourselves and every essential, aspects of our lives to the government. We should be frightened by this. This in itself presents a threat to the state. Socialist-thinkers usually have no problem usurping the God-given right we have to Freedom. They believe whole-heartedly, that trampling a person’s personal Liberties and freedoms is perfectly acceptable in the pursuit of establishing a desired, state whose folk are indebted and subject and dependant on its government without any say on any major issues of their lives. And this is done without any contribution whatsoever to the decision-making process regarding those issues.

Despite the examples History has illustrated and conveyed to them & us {Socialist ideology does not render a successful state}some, continue to employ and cater to the fundamentals of Socialism and their erroneous belief that somehow their political ideas aren’t about some misplaced loyalty to themselves and their quest for power
Rather, they choose to distortedly believe them to be borne out of a concern for the people.

Social Security, in its current existence, is, Socialism. I mean how else do you categorize a government seizing {by force}, a percentage of money that its citizens earns for the express purpose of ensuring that individual’s financial Security, and if a individual refuse, it is considered by said state, to be an offense punishable by imprisonment. That’s why it’s by force. While they don’t technically, forcefully take it {b/c we essentially stand by & allow them to do it} I still think it’s acceptable to consider it a forceful move because, if we refuse they will punish us and they will take your money forcefully. They remove your power over your money and screw you, if you try to take it back or invest 4% of it!

Here are some highlights of the implemented Socialist practices in play….Here come the warm & fuzzies…….

A.} they get to freely spend the money they take for social security and spend it on other stuff. Again, this decision-making process does not include the input or yay or nay from the owners of the money, the folks that actually worked for it!

B.} after it becomes OBVIOUS that the practice itself is not only unethical and illegal but to top off that list of attributes; so rampant, has their spending been {on other stuff,} we are now faced with a HUGE problem.

C.}Despite the OBVIOUS, fact that millions of Americans who look forward to and pay Social Security will not see even an ink mark proving the existence of that money and they sure as hell won’t see or spend any of it and neither will their families! They insist on the lie they repeatedly, chant, that there is no Social Security crisis. AND THEY ARE FIGHTING TO STOP PEOPLE FROM KEEPING AND INVESTING 4 PERCENT OUT OF THE AMOUNT THE GOVERNMENT ALREADY TAKES FROM US. That percentage is 14.5 % and the proposal is to allow us to keep only 4%. You would think that there was a call to abolish the practice entirely {although there should be one that proposes exactly that} or maybe even to allow us to keep half or even a third but they are this pissed off over a lowly 4%?!

Why, for crying out loud, are they running around bemoaning and squealing at the thought of such reform! They act like a group of Iraqi Arab Socialist Ba-ath Party {Sadaam’s party} being forced to listen to Jay Z’s 99 problems {I chose that song because that’s Hip Hop and Rock -n-Roll, they would really hate that } or maybe having their golden Uzis replaced with just the regular black uzis. In other words their bemoaning, squealing and throwing temper tantrums in aversion for what they identify as a glimmering hope of people controlling their own lives and that scares the do-do outta em! Threatens their hopes, dreams and vision for America being Socialist Society.

D.} finally, before us, we have, simply, a Government that openly break the laws that, they, themselves, legislate. How’s that for peace of mind. A government that is above the law.

If not for that reason alone, we should fight for Reform and familiarize ourselves with those who fight against us! If, after that you still take Socialists lightly, allow me to point out for you some of the more popular Socialists of our time.

Let’s start with

I. National Socialist German Worker Party more commonly know as NAZIS- you know, Hitler, Rommel, the Gastapo-n-dem. Auschwitz; an illustration of Socialism. By the way, they got the idea about concentration camps from these guys

II. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republic- you know the party that produced such trailblazers as Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Lenin {his friends used to call him Vlady.} Here’s a more to the point view of a socialist, "Freedom is a bourgeois prejudice. We repudiate all morality which proceeds from supernatural ideas or ideas which are outside the class conception. In our opinion, morality is entirely subordinate to the interests of the class war. “Vladimir Ilylich Lenin.

Or, as Stalin summed; "To put it briefly: the dictatorship of the proletariat is the domination by the proletariat over the bourgeoisie, untrammeled by the law and based on violence and enjoying the sympathy and support of the toiling and exploited masses." Joseph Stalin speech, April 24, 1924

III. Benito Mussolini, part of the Socialist party in Italy and of course, bedfellow of A. Hitler. Mussolini weighs in with, "The masses have little time to think. And how incredible is the willingness of modern man to believe."

It goes on and on and on but I’ll stop there.

Let's fight for Social Security Reform! And look, let's just be leary of the term "social" whenever we hear it! Bad, bad word!

"I'm Against Social Security Reform. Here's Why."

2005-01-28T01:08:00.000-05:00

Other than this particular reader being an obvious Socialist, he went on to give his reason as to why Social Security Reform is uncivilzed. Its important that we understand the idiology of the wayward left. So that's why I'm posting this. And yes, I had a few intermitten retorts, the colored {oh goodness, I said the word "colored" hope there are no cops from the PC precinct reading, phew, don't wanna violate the plight of Black people upp there I go again, I meant "African-American instead of black. I meant to say, the MAROON} words are my commentary....and here we gooo..

the reader writes;

"The very thing that separates us from the apes is civilization. {Wow, ya just never know when you are going to run across those insignificant moments that reveal themselves as harborers of enlightenment, Thank you reader. To think here I was thinking mans' and apes' divisiveness was rooted in intellingence and God or for you atheists out there, higher deliberate powers or intelligence or whatever you guys want to call it, [most of us call it God, but whatever]or something silly like that. And apes seem pretty civilized to me. I guess I have erred again, man, I'm sure glad I read your email, he goes on with} How civilized is it of us to let the weakest among us starve to death.{ I guess welfare and the gazillion other implemented Social programs fail to serve this purpose, he goes on with} When FDR proposed the New Deal he and others, recognized that it would be better for our civiliztion, for our society, to give up a small amount individually for an incredibly large collective good.{of course we could just rip this one sentence apart, but seeing as to how you don't have the rest of your natural life to read my gabbing, I'll retort with three words; Annual Appropriations Bill I just have to include this bit as well, clearly he is unaware that the New Deal was implemented during the Depression and that at its inception, the average life span was far lower than what it is now}

Prior to the implementation of the New Deal there was no safety net for women, children and the disabled. They were forced to rely on the charity of others, which historically has been hit or miss, especially for those in the minority. Social Security was never intended for those who could take care of themselves. The thing that sets us apart is that we don't allow Natural Selection to run rampant. Most humans find unnecessary suffering deplorable, and will want to ameliorate the situation. Social Security has done that.It appears that it has done more. Now the rich, who should be grateful to the oppressed for allowing them to perpetuate a system of inequality, have something to complain about." Alright, he's done now. And it is more than obvious that he need a refresher course in American History.

I let him go on with the Social Security part {without interruption} because that's really what's pertinent. But there it is folks. An overt display of the contributing elements that fester, brew and eventually, congeal to form the monster that is the Liberal Left. So Liberal and so left in fact, that their modis operatus is motivated by one [or both] of two things, their hatred of Dubya and their love of Government. Dangerous combination, that is.

We gotta watch em'. If we don't, they'll run this country and everything it stands for into a fast grave and I don't know about yall, but I don't want to leave that kind of legacy to those who will have to live and function in this country years down the road and call me crazy but I think it is a good idea to preserve the tenets that America was built on and the entities that make her great.

Their {our kids and the zillions of grands that will bear our features, our names thrive off of our blood & look {back} to us for direction} welfare has to be of imminent concern to us.They will look to us and the way we lived our lives, as the blueprint for how they should live theirs. Our welfare was certainly of prioritive concern to those who left us this priceless, legacy, that is, America. They did'nt live to enjoy {a lot}of the fruits of their labors but onward they marched, literally and figuratively. Looking ahead, wanting the people of this country to be free to live, freely. And we do, well.....sorta.....we do have that imminent domain situation that keeps rearing its ugly head and of course this deal with FICA and then there's ..well..okay..okay..I'm rambling...

Seriously, what if they {America's Framers} had had the lackluster, uninvolved attitude that reigns supreme in this day? Where would we be now?

Here's What We're Working On...

2005-01-27T11:37:00.000-05:00

We're doing the research and working on several articles that should be posted by the end of the week. Here's a tentative list.

"How's This For Restitution".....an article that explains how Black Males receive the brunt of Social Security. Here's a reason that should even make the most militant Black person, see what Dubya is about, where he's coming from and what he's trying to do, it should especially appeal to the "40 acres and a mule" militants.

"Privatization Works, as Illustrated by Chile & Galveston"......an article that explains, in detail privatization, based on its proven sucess in Chile and Galveston {who both had tantamountable systems that we currntly have}

"AARP's Open Attack On Younger Americans".............an article describing the dispicable acts of the AARP to stop us from investing our {younger Americans} own money for our own retirement.

Liberal Position: Anti-Freedom

2005-01-24T23:03:00.000-05:00

WhaSup Boys and Girl!

Here's something I came across at the National website for the Democrats. I wanted you to see how the Democrats are fighting to keep us from keeping and investing 4% of our own money.

Why on earth don't the great souls that make up the thinking, younger, Americans have our own damn petition? How about we get a petition to demand that Government and Govenrment officials keep their greedy, unctuous hands off of our money. Most of them are rich as hell anyway {and that's not just the Republicans!}

The main people who are always espousing such noble, rhetoric that suggests concern for the "poor" or the "average" American, are usually rich {i.e.Kerry, Boxer, and that drunken sop Ted Kennedy, by the way, these are the same brainiacs that opposed the confirmation of the great Condoleeza Rice} themselves. And their the first ones to oppose the "poor" or the "average" American keeping and investing their own, hard-earned money, into their own private account {i.e.SS Reform.} It's only a lousy 4%. Their still robbing us blind, and their upset that Bush wants to allow younger workers to invest (4%), privately, their own money! Instead they openly oppose a system that will allow such a Liberty.

A Liberty that had no justifiable reason to have been taken in the first place. Wait a minute, is there ever a justifiable reason to take someone's Liberty, a God-given right?

This is outrageous! Why are'nt we organized and fighting? Sorry, I'm gonna apply a little Anger Management now to pull myself together;

Num Yum Shu Lum Yum....Num Yum Shu Lum Yum......Inhale..Exhale....repeat... ....Alright..

Are we gonna lay down and take this?

What say you?

Are there any revolutionists out there? Is there anyone courageous enough to step up and fight for it? Or does there exist no longer, those brave few whose thinking subscribes itself to that of the Paynes, Hamiltons and Lincolns of our kind! Are there any out there? If so, you have found a home. We welcome you.

Alright here's their little deal-deal to allow the Government to keep robbing its citizens! The petitionthe Democrats have to stop Social Security reform.

Take Action to Protect Social Security
Stop Republicans from Tying Social Security Benefits to Race and Gender
The administration's point man on Social Security in the House, Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA), recently suggested in an interview that Republicans may try tying Social Security benefits to the race or gender of the recipients.
Sign our petition today and tell President Bush to disavow Chairman Thomas' suggestion that we put on the table the reprehensible idea of linking the size of someone's benefits to that person's race or gender.
Sign the Petition
Dear President Bush,
Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA), your point man in the House on Social Security issues, recently suggested tying Social Security benefits to the race or gender of the recipients.
I demand that you disavow this disastrous idea. There is no acceptable reason to link the amount of a Social Security benefit check to the race or gender of the person receiving it.
Tell Chairman Thomas and your other Republican allies that you will refuse to sign any bill tying Social Security benefits to race or gender.

Can you believe this &^*$! It's enough to make ya cuss, the lying, manipulative, distorting, pretentious,,,,oh.... did I type that out loud?

The All-American Black Girl

2005-01-18T13:53:00.000-05:00

All-American Black Girl Check out the other post with the same title. Man, you gotta check it out! Can you tell I love that term {all-american black girl?}

Do U Really Want 2 Keep These People In Charge of Your Money?

2005-01-18T13:48:00.000-05:00

Okay, Boys and Girls, Here's why you definetly don't want these guys to stay in control of your money. After reading this, you'll have the good sense to want them as far away from your money as possible after you discover how they spend, {OUR MONEY!} This is one of those "just so you KNOW" type columns.

Congress released the annual Fiscal Report Omnibus “Appropriations” Bill, advising us {the American People} of how they collectively decided to spend the money they took from us in taxes, their yearly budget. The decisions are motivated by what they consider to serve the “nation’s best interests”. This year {fiscal} the bill totaled 388 billion the Senate passed the bill on November 20, 65-30 the House later passed it with a 344-51 vote. Obviously, there is a great deal of information but, if I may, I’d like to touch on a few of the specific entities and causes considered by Congress as necessary for “the benefit of the nation.

Well we can start with the $100,000 they allocated for Punxsutawney Philadelphia. The hundred grand is for a “weather museum.” Why, you ask, would they spend that much on a “weather museum?” Well, there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this, you see Punxsutawney Philadelphi, is the home of the hokey Groundhog Day star, Punxsutawney Phil. Did you know Groundhog day is America's second favorite holiday? I bet you're breathing a sigh of relief now, I bet knowing that, completely disparges your initial reaction, when you thought they had wasted your money! I'm sure you feel much better now!For details on this “national” treasure, Puxsutawney Phil, you can visit {www.PunxsutawneyPhil.com}and/or if you want to stay abreast of the exciting happenings of “America’s second favorite holiday” check out {www.groundhogday.org} Politicians, you gotta love em’! We should definitely put these geniuses back in office, wouldn’t you say? Especially the ones who think it's a good idea to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on the study of the olive fruitfly. We're all sighing with releif over that one!

Oh! It gets better, how bout the $25,000 they “appropriated” for the study of Mariachi Music for Las Vegas Schools! Can you believe this! Hey, I’m just releasing a sigh of relief that Congress had the fortitude and wisdom to acknowledge the doom and peril our nation will surely face if we don’t get on top of this Mariachi Situation. Phew, we really dodged a bullet there! I'll bet you are all breathing yet another sigh of relief because, again, I bet you thought they had wasted your money!

How about the $20,000,000 {yes, I meant to put that many zeros, $20 million dollars} for the Presidio Trust to transform an old army base into a national park. Presidio Trust is a “trust” set up by the government for the “preservation” community to dispense, {at their own unchecked discretion} our hard earned money on various environmental issues. Well sure! Certainly, the HUNDREDS {http://www.nps.gov} of national parks we already have in this country are insufficient. The park is to be built in Terminatorland (California}, a state that already boasts 9 national parks.I'll let you figure out how “transforming” an army base into a national park would hardly fall under the natural category. You will definetly sleep better now, I'll bet, knowing that we are going to get on top of this "lack of enough National Parks" issue, you were probably really worried about it!

Then there’s the $400,000 for the Charity Cultural Services Center to initiate a {get ready for this}: “Skills for Life Program for Asian Immigrants.” What exactly are “skills for life’? And I am I the only one who doesn’t remember us being involved in the decision-making process any Asian Immigrants underwent when they decided to come to this country? That said, how does the responsibility fall on the American people to equip Asian [or any] Immigrants with the “skills” they will need for “life” in this country.

Our politicians are in the nasty habit of preying on the ignominy of the very people who put them into positions of power{the fatuous masses}. They rely on our reliance in them. This erroneously placed trust they enjoy, provides them the luxury of never being called to account for their open, self- propagation. The following is an example of what I mean:

Nancy Pelosi {the dollbaby she is} D-CA, House minority leader, said, “This omnibus spending bill is unwieldy, not reflective of the aspirations and needs of the American people.”

She’s right about that, although I’m not sure if the $591,000 she got for the International Women’s Museum is very reflective of the “aspirations and needs of the American people,” either. Pelosi continued her disturbing display of intellectual idiocy stating, “the Bush administration is systematically dismantling protections for our national parks and forests” {remember the $20 MILLION for the Presidio Trust} Even if you don't like the guy {G.W.}, I think we could all agree that this woman is a delusional, disaster, who wastes our money on "protecting" parks and forests instead of protecting the people in this country.

How is it, that this woman is a Senator!? Note: Pelosi, actually is reflective of the rampant, self-serving, idiology of our current politicians. Most of them squander the money they steal from us. Look for yourself and see which party the idiots tend to belong to.

Yes, it’s the unadulterated, cold, hard, truth of how politicians abuse the power, We, The People, give to them {with our votes} by wasting 388 billion dollars that belong to us, the American people. The same people who continue to put them in power.This and all information on this page can be found at: www.heritage.org/Research/Government, At, http://www.visi.com/you can find and stay abreast of issues that come before Congress and you can also see who “represents” you in Congress. You will be interested to know what decisions were made by your “representative” on your behalf in your local community. Fascinating stuff!

Tiffany Nekia Anthony Here...

2005-01-18T10:15:00.000-05:00

The All-American Black Girl
TNA Lover of Dubya, Ronald Regan, Tupac Shakur, Lao Tzu, Pericles, Beyonce, Winston Churchill, Jessica Simpson, and all things fashion and girly {that does not include "girly men."} I've a worrisome fascination with the Federalist Papers & all things concerning our Founding Fathers {the courageous, fearless men that they were}and I can't get enough of those Greeks and Romans. Oh and did I mention I am completely transfixed & enamored with Condoleeza Rice!

Despite my attraction to intellectual recreations, I've a frightening capacity for subjects that lack any substance whatsoever. I do read US magazine, I do love MTV, I love hip-hop {and classical}, I love to watch fashion shows, I love to have a good time and am completely relatable as a young person. Oh and damn do I love those Bush girls! I'm really quite the well-rounded young lady, makes me perfect for this job, don't ya think. That was not a boast, just an observation. There is a difference, I am a student of the EIB Network, that's where I learned the difference {my fellow classmates will understand what this means.}

My favorite books range from Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince", Plato's, "Phaedo" St Augustine's, "Confessions" to Pat Conroy's "Beach Music" and Wally Lamb's, 'She's Come Undone" and I will reluctantly, admit to a shameful reverance for,,,well,,,trash, your Jackie Collins variety, nothing too intense. So that's me.....

www.TiffanyAnthony.blogspot.com

Social Security Reform.....

2005-01-16T02:17:00.000-05:00

We, the American people, have, before us, and put upon us, a most dishonorable crime. I say crime because if a private citizen were to to do it they would go to jail. The crime I'm talking about is Social Security. It is,in its essence, unethical. A state where the government seizes funds out of ALL of its citizens earnings.

I say dishonor for the obvious reasons and the not so obvious. I say not so obvious because as it turns out, they've {politicans] been spending the money they stole from their constiuents {you & me}and said they were/are 'holding' it for us until we reached the {"retirement"} age.

Upon reaching that age they told/tell us they would re-distribute our money back to us divisely for the existing life of our remaining funds. Oh and they also lie and tell us that our employers "match" the "contribution" {6.2%} that we see subtracted from our checks under the B.S. term, FICA.

Well, I guess "technically" it's not a lie, you see, your employer does match your "contribution" but he matches it with YOUR MONEY!!!!! Your employer takes that $6.2% out of your check before you see a drop of ink on your check much less a penny of the money that, the government & your employer STOLE from you! In all fairness your employer has to do this becuase he'll go to jail if he doesn't. So now, we find ourselves in a crisis. The Social Security account is fast depleting.

It's 2005 now, we're roughly, 35 years away from Social Security depletion. So in 35 years, it'll all be gone, but in 35 years there will be millions of people dependant on Social Security and there will be millions more that will look forward to depending on it. They will depend on it because they have been seeing where they have been involuntarily paying it for their whole working lives. But guess what? It'll be gone. It should be there, but its not, sorry, they spent it ALL!

What to do, what to do? Well ole' G.W. has a pretty GREAT IDEA THAT WE MUST SUPPORT! Privatize accounts for younger workers. It's still unfair as hell because it's only 4% but its a start! And it's a helluva lot better than allowing politicians to continue to plunder our hard-earned funds for their own political use and political projects, whcih they prioritze by how many votes they can get out of it, kinda like political insurance. So here's the deal with the reform proposal...

Bush is proposing to allow "younger" workers the ability to open private accounts and pay themselves the money that currently goes directly to government under the pretense of Social Security. Upon seizure of said funds, they {the government}grant themselves pre-eminent power over our money. Simply, this means that everybody thinks the money is somehow coming back to them when they reach "retirement" age, we tend to think that the money is being kept somewhere, waiting to be reclaimed by {us} its owner, we think it's kinda like a savings account. Of course you assume, also, that any remaining monies in your Social Security account will go to those persons you desire to leave that money to, you know, your family!

What happens to your money when you die is not up to you!

Don't beleive me? Fine, read for yourself.

Your Social Security benefits are an average percentage of the money you made over most of your working lifetime. There are five major categories your Social Security is used for; retirement, disability, family benefits, survivors, Medicare. With that said there are conditions and "certain" contingencies that have to be met in order for the government to actually pay the money out. The following is a brief description of those contingencies. www.irs.gov/faqs/faq-kw212.html

The bold words are my interruptive commentary, giving you a better idea of what I mean. Injustice, reigns strong and long in our current system, this is just a taste...

Retirement
Benefits are payable at full retirement age -an age we get together and decided on, (with reduced benefits available as early as age 62 ) for anyone with enough Social Security credits - what does "enough Social Security credits" mean? You telling me that people who pay the Social Security tax aren't automatically guaranteed to receive Social Security Benefits?-. The full retirement age is 65 for persons born before 1938. The age gradually rises until it reaches 67 for persons born in 1960 or later. Can you believe this @#*&?

Disability
Benefits can be paid to people at any age who have enough Social Security credits -there we go again, with "enough Social Security credits"- and who have a severe physical or mental impairment that is expected to prevent them from doing "substantial" work for a year or more or who have a condition that is expected to result in death. Generally, earnings of $800 or more per month are considered substantial. "800 or more per month," how many people fall {will fall} into that category?

Family Benefits
If you are eligible for retirement or disability benefits, -you meet the requirements decided and set by us- other members of your family might receive benefits too -my point here is obvious, notice they used the word MIGHT even though you pay Social Security taxes, your family's security remains precarious, as it is not up to you which persons of your family MAY or may not receive benefits from your money. These include: your spouse if he or she is at least 62 years old - again the government decides how old your spouse has to be to receive your benefits- or under 62 but caring for a child under age 16; and your children if they are unmarried and under age 18, under 19 but still in school or 18 or older but disabled.-hope your kids fall into one of these categories if you are expecting the government to fork over your money to them-

Survivors
When you die, certain members or your family may be eligible for benefits if you earned enough Social Security credits while you were working -of course there is no guarantee that your survivors will actually receive benefits from the money that you earned, but if they do turn out to be eligible, there are only "certain" family members who the government decided your money should go to-. here's where they'll tell you which members of your family are entitled to your money,- The family members include: a widow(er) age 60 or older, 50 or older if disabled or any age if caring for a child under age 16; your children if they are unmarried and under age 18, under 19 but still in school or 18 or older but disabled; and your parents if you were their primary means of support - I hope those persons you want to leave your money to, fall into one of these categories-. A special one-time payment of $255 may be made to your spouse or minor children when you die -gee, thanks, you guys-.

Another little tidbit you may want to know regarding the age of retirement; the government can decide without reason or provocation to delay the retirement age. This is an idea that has been thrown around as a resolution to a foreseen economic crunch caused by Social Security. And make no mistake, their hope, is that, in delaying the retirement age you will die before you reach that age. Thereby, unburdenoning the government, of it's debt to you. If after reading this sentence you are one who is thinking, "wont the money go to my family," please read the preceding passages again! It is imperative that we understand and control government's role in our lives and limit it, not the other way around.

Bush's proposal is for people to own the account that their money will go into and decide for themselves what they want to do with their own money, decide for themselves, how old they should be before they start spending their own money, decide for themselves, which family members they want to leave their money to and certainly decide for themselves how old a family member has to be to receive benefits and so forth. Any opposition to this reform is an open attempt to denagrate the idea of freedom and individuality. Check out the opposers of this reform and then see which party they belong to, you might notice a trend.

We, as a free thinking society, should have the foresight to identify instances when our liberties are being dishonored and our intelligence insulted and we should fight and support anything that will further a free society for our children and grandchildren to enjoy and preserve the ideas of personal Liberties, of which we all have a right.

"Give Me Liberty, Or Give Me Death"

Alright Here's The Deal.....

2005-01-15T01:02:00.000-05:00

We, Younger Americans, those of us who are 35 yrs of age or younger {an age not set in stone, chosen for argument's sake,} are fit to be tied,upon learning of the inequitable, unethical practices our Government {commonly} uses to steal our money.

They tell us that they take the money and set it aside for us until we reach "retirement" age {an age that they pick}@ which time they will disperse our own money back to us.

As it turns out, they have been taking the money they've been taking from us, under the auspice of "Social Security" and they are and have been spending the money on other things. Because of this, it is now in a state, fast-approaching depletion. By the time we reach "retirement" age, there won't be any money left.

There is a proposal for reform that we find to be a far better system than the existing one, we have also found that the proposed proposal is an existing system that works in other countries and even in a city right here in our country. Any persons or entities who oppose the proposed Social Security reform is suspect pure and simple. How could anyone, especially a politician, a civic servant, would support such a thing. Who would have a problem with people putting money into their own personal account, that they control as opposed to continue to give it to the government. Why would anyone {i.e.citizens of America} trust the government with their money, when they {the politicians} have spent all of our money that they were supposed to be "holding" for us.

We refuse to stand for this state of what can be considered nothing other than open hostility against us. Our government is literally seizing our property {our money} without our consent. We should be pissed! This and other governmental practices are incongruent with the framework of the Constitution, limited and representative government. What the hell is limited or representative about the Social Security situation? We will, therefore, act, in the legacy left by our Founding Fathers, and stand against those practices of Government that are unjust and unethical as it relates to Social Security. There is a great quote from this guy whose last name is Volkomer {can't remember who the he is, sorry} but I wrote down the quote and it goes, as such.;

"Politics has been defined as the art of governing humanity by deceiving it. It has also been seen as the conduct of public affairs for private advantage." Ain't that the truth.

Policy decisions should be rooted in a genuine concern for the people cultivated and borne out of a sincere desire to serve. Anything or anyone who falls short of this, should not have a place in our government.

Alright, boys and girls it's time to channel some of that anger into something that will effect you, your country, the kids you plan to have the person you plan to marry, the life you plan to live. Time to pay the piper, we can't just sit around playing with the ring tones on our cell phones while somebody else takes care of things! Time to make our contribution to history, time for us to step up, throw caution to the wind and take our God-given freedom.

Please yall, we have to wake up and smell the the $8 dollar, Venti-sized, Starbucks Vanilla Latte.

They {our Founding Fathers} have laid the foundation, we have all enjoyed it [freedom} without giving it a second thought, time to fight for it.