Ok here's my LTTE .....

[madmom]

copy and paste this time since link didn't work.





In a recent letter (dated Aug.21) a reader stated that democrats have harmed social security and are destroying America. He also says our future depends on us "not being brainwashed, to search for facts and vote accordingly, we must seperate facts from lies." Well okay let's do just that.

Lie #1:Social security was to be:
a. voluntary

Fact: Persons working in jobs covered by social security are subject to FICA payroll taxes, like all taxes this has never been voluntary.

b.deductible

Fact: There was never any provision to make social security taxes deductible. In fact the 1935 law expressly forbids this. Section 803 Title VIII

c. non-taxable

Fact: Originally social security taxes were not taxable income,though this was not a provision in the law or anything Roosevelt could have promised.It was the result of rulings issued by the Treasury Dept. in the early years of the program.

Lie # 2 Clinton impossed heavey taxes on social security.

Fact: The taxation of social security began in 1984 following passage of amendments in 1983. President Reagan (a
republican) signed these into law in April 1983.

Lie # 3 President Johnson abolished the trust fund.

Fact : The social security trust fund was created in 1939 as part of amendments enacted that year. The trust fund has always worked the same way. The social security trust fund has never
been put into a general fund.

Lie # 4 President Carter gave social security to immigrants if they are 65,even though they never paid in.

Fact: Neither immigrants nor anyone else is able to collect social security without paying into the payroll tax system.
SSI however is a federal welfare program and no conditions, from
immigrants or citizens is required. The SSI program was inniated and signed into law by President Nixon (a republican) on Oct. 30 1972.

These facts can all be verified at www.ssa.gov/history. This is the social security administration's own website. Where did Mr. Mastin get his "facts", Rush Limbaugh or some Fox puppet correspondent? He like most right wing radicals like to spew lies and hatred without backing them up. So I also say, don't be brainwashed, search for facts,seperate facts from lies and vote accordingly.





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[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Excellent!

Hope it gets published!

[Ilsa]

2. Excellent! It sounds like the RW letter was written based on

an erroneous email. Your letter and the one you responded to should probably be included in the debunking forum for future reference so the next writer doesn't have to start completely over.

Nice job! :thumbsup: :toast:

[Webster Green]

3. I hate to be a spelling/grammar nazi, but......

There are many spelling and grammar errors in this letter. I usually avoid jumping in to a thread to correct spelling and grammar errors, but this is a letter to the editor, and should be corrected.

I ran the thing through MS Word spell and grammar check, with this result: (You're welcome!) ;-)



In a recent letter (dated Aug.21) a reader stated that democrats have harmed social security and are destroying America. He also says our future depends on us "not being brainwashed, to search for facts and vote accordingly, we must separate facts from lies." Well okay let's do just that.

Lie #1: Social security was to be:
a. voluntary

Fact: Persons working in jobs covered by social security are subject to FICA payroll taxes, like all taxes this has never been voluntary.

b. deductible

Fact: There was never any provision to make social security taxes deductible. In fact the 1935 law expressly forbids this. Section 803 Title VIII

c. non-taxable

Fact: Originally social security taxes were not taxable income, though this was not a provision in the law or anything Roosevelt could have promised. It was the result of rulings issued by the Treasury Dept. in the early years of the program.

Lie # 2 Clinton imposed heavy taxes on social security.

Fact: The taxation of social security began in 1984 following passage of amendments in 1983. President Reagan (a
republican) signed these into law in April 1983.

Lie # 3 President Johnson abolished the trust fund.

Fact: The social security trust fund was created in 1939 as part of amendments enacted that year. The trust fund has always worked the same way. The social security trust fund has never
been put into a general fund.

Lie # 4 President Carter gave social security to immigrants if they are 65,even though they never paid in.

Fact: Neither immigrants nor anyone else is able to collect social security without paying into the payroll tax system.
SSI however is a federal welfare program and no conditions, from
immigrants or citizens are required. The SSI program was innovated and signed into law by President Nixon (a republican) on Oct. 30 1972.

These facts can all be verified at www.ssa.gov/history. This is the social security administration's own website. Where did Mr. Mastin get his "facts", Rush Limbaugh or some Fox puppet correspondent? He like most right wing radicals likes to spew lies and hatred without backing them up. So I also say, don't be brainwashed, search for facts, separate facts from lies and vote accordingly.

[madmom]

4. I ran this thru spell check before I sent it.....

this was just the copy I had saved in my docs. because the link to the paper was not working.

[Webster Green]

5. Cool!...I didn't want to jump on you, but wanted to help.

Good letter. Hope they print it.