Put politicians on Social Security

Top Wop · Post by **Top Wop** » Mon Mar 08, 2004 10:04 pm

Its a cut and paste from an e-mail, but I think this is legitimate and worth a read. What do you think?

GET A BILL STARTED TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOC. SEC.

2004 Election Issue!!

This must be an issue in "2004". Please! Keep it going.

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SOCIAL SECURITY:

(This is worth reading. It is short and to the point.)

Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years.

Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it.

You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their own

benefit plan.

In more recent years, no congress person has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan.

For all practical purposes their plan works like this:

When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die.

Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments.

For example, former Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275,000.00 during the last years of their lives.

This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries.

Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives.

Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. NADA....ZILCH....

This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds;

"OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK"!

From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into, -every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer)- we can expect to get an average of $1,000 per month after retirement.

Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator Bill Bradley's benefits!

Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made.

That change would be to jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us ... then sit back and watch how fast they would fix it.

If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve.

How many people can YOU send this to?

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Mon Mar 08, 2004 10:09 pm

Surely you jest?

You can't possibly be naive enough to imagine this has a snowball's chance in hell? Nothing and no one can change this. Never. You see, to change it you'd have to be a part of Congress - and by that time, you'd be quite happy with the arrangement.

Also, even if you managed to get elected and then wanted to change the law - do you think your fellow Congressmen would vote for it? Would the President sign it?

No.

What you have here, is the same as occurs in every country. The politicians vote themselves special priveleges (In New Zealand it is disguised as "The Higher Salaries Commission" who grant massive pay increases every year based on "Free Market forces and competitive rates in Private Industry". You know: Bullsh!t)

So, there's no point in even complaining about it.

My recommendation: Run for Congress.

Mr. Perfect · Post by **Mr. Perfect** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 1:37 pm

What Mobi said.

Topher · Post by **Topher** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 1:44 pm

I really frickin' hate vigilante spam like this...

I'm going to change the world with email!
Send this out to EVERYONE YOU KNOW! Hint: Do it quick!!
This person, who you've never heard about, is the most rightous and correct person ever. YOU SHOULD LISTEN TOO

Kyouryuu · Post by **Kyouryuu** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 8:21 pm

It's a well known fact that the US government provides extensive declared benefits packages to its retirees. Pension plans like these are largely the reason the Oregon government is in the financial toilet (alas, they'd rather slash prison and school funding than address the real problem).

Nearly all companies in the US have switched away from this system, because the liabilities are a tremendous drain on net income. Alas, like typical goverment, "it's someone else's money" and thus the government endows itself with unrealistic and expensive luxuries.

See also Congress' yearly pay increase that is written into law, has been going strong for the past several years, and which can only be stopped if the Senators vote against it (can you say, "conflict of interest?").

Senators make more than $200,000 year. Pretty good for A: People who hardly work, and B: People who largely are already rich.

roid · Post by **roid** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 11:24 pm

They are guarding all the doors, they are holding all the keys, and that means that sooner or later, someone is going to have to fight them.

Top Wop · Post by **Top Wop** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 2:51 pm

Whats wrong with a grass roots effort to get this knowledge passed along?

Avder · Post by **Avder** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 4:05 pm

Theres nothing wrong with getting the knowlege spread.

Whats wrong is that theres no realistic way of getting either house to cut its own benifits or pay. What would essentially have to be done in every state is a grass-roots petition movement to get something on a state-level ballot at election time that calls for that state to call for a constitutional convention and to require it to attempt to ammend the constitution in some way as to give the power to fix congresses pay and benifits to the people themselves through some national refferendum process.

Holy sh!t thats a long run-on sentance.

Anyway, perhaps some attempt could be made at the state legislature level to raise awareness that the federal congress gets these benifits that end up being drained from THEIR pockets, and maybe they'd get eager to make the required ammendment. Who knows.

For once I agree with mobi tho: Not a snowballs chance in hell.

Will Robinson · Post by **Will Robinson** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 4:31 pm

Funny though, I think the last time the constitution was ammended it was to give themselves a raise in pay. No problem getting that done was there?

I'm all for spreading this around in any context you can regardless of the outcome. People need to open their eyes and learn the details.
It's like all the idiots who say: "I don't pay taxes, I get a refund every year!"
Morons!!

The contrast between the congressional retirement package and the average citizens social security funds, the funds that those same well provided for congressmen both squander AND demagogue is intense! And the average citizen doesn't even know about it, even worse when told about it they are apathetic and just bend over and accept it in the...

It should be required reading, in fact we ought to replace the pledge of allegience with a list of all the hypocritical elitist crap they get away with!

God I'd just love to beat the ★■◆● out of all of them!

SSX-Thunderbird · Post by **SSX-Thunderbird** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 4:48 pm

Will Robinson wrote:Funny though, I think the last time the constitution was ammended it was to give themselves a raise in pay. No problem getting that done was there?

That amendment was originally proposed as part of the Bill of Rights amendment set. It took over 200 years to get it passed (it had no expiry date). And it's not what you seem to think it is. It's actually a LIMIT on pay raises.

Will Robinson · Post by **Will Robinson** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 4:59 pm

Is this the one? It looks like it was the only change made that year...

**************
Amendment XXVII
(1992)
No law varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives shall take effect until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.
**************

I'm not sure what the hell is so important about it but it sure looks like it was the only change in 1992 and many preceding it couldn't have even been concieved 200 years ago ie; XXI or XXII...

From here

EDIT moments later: DUh, I get it now, sorry. It may have been the last one added but they aren't chronological...duh
figured that out here...very interesting stuff

Still, if they wanted to they could practice what the preach.

Avder · Post by **Avder** » Sat Mar 13, 2004 12:07 am

What that ammendment means is that congress cannot vote itself a raise and have it take effect immediately. They can vote the next congress a pay raise. I suppose what that ammendment was intended for was so that if some congressmen gave themselves a raise, that they could be voted out of office for being greedy.

Will Robinson · Post by **Will Robinson** » Sat Mar 13, 2004 2:00 am

"What it commands was already statutorily prescribed, and, at most, it may have implications for automatic cost-of-living increases in pay for Members of Congress"- from here

So although it was written many years ago it only became a part of the constitution in 1992, BUT...as it says above the provisions of the amendment were made law long before it actually became an amendment, so...it follows that the congress could pass a law without amending the constitution that requires they give up their sweet, elitist retirement package and use the same social security system they have looted and left us with!
The same system we are stuck using AND paying for while they pay for nothing and get guaranteed salary for life that we ALSO pay for!!!

They really suck hard and long, every damn one of them!!