If the government destroys Social Security, it will ruin the economy.

[Paper Roses]

Just my opinion folks, but for those Seniors like me, it will be the end. I have no other income. Every penny of my check goes for a bill or RE taxes. I now eat very little, go nowhere, do nothing.
Imagine if that check--which we all paid for--was eliminated. Zero income. Millions of Seniors like me with no income. Their house is the only thing they have. Put it on the market with the millions of other Seniors who are in the same boat and watch the value of everyone's real estate drop like a stone. Supply and demand. Prices will drop. What we thought we could get for our property is "pie in the sky".

The housing market will turn topsy-turvy. With so many properties for sale, the length of time to sell our property will be long. In the meantime, no $$. Food? Medicine? Gas? Things like taxes and utilities?. Where is it supposed to come from. Not from the sale of your house.

I have lived in my house since 1969. I am now thinking about selling it. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect this to happen.

My husband died, I was laid off and am out of benefits. Too old to be employable it seems. What good, also, would it be to raise the retirement age. The jobs are not there for Seniors. Add a few medical problems to the job search picture and it is even more bleak.

What say you, am I way off base?

[Vincardog]

1. You are not off base. What you miss is the DLC and GOP want you to do is hurry up and die.

[sarge43]

2. No, you made a home run. n/t

[Andy823]

3. Yes, it would be devastating

Which is a good reason NOT to let republicans get back in control! There is a lot of BS going around trying to make it look like democrats would get rid of SS. I don't buy into that, nor for a moment. Now if republicans can get control of congress, stop Obama from doing anything for another two years, and con the voters into voting for another republican into office and they keep control of congress, then yes, we need to be very worried!

Republicans and their teabagger buddies WILL do everything in their power to get rid of SS and medicare, they have said so and we need to get that message out for everyone to hear because if we let them take back the power, the we lose this country!

[peace13]

4. Don't worry, they aren't talking about people who are getting benefits now.

They are talking about the people who are pouring 12% of their income into SS now and won't see a dime of return. Pick something else to worry about.

[Peregrine Took]

6. I worry, too. Plus I don't believe anything I hear from the government in

terms of protected groups.

They told us in Illinois that they could never go after current benefits but now I hear that there is a loophole where they may be able to do so - regardless of what our state constitution says.

It all depends on their motivation.

[FrancisTreptoe]

12. Agreed.

The real issue at hand is for young americans like me who pay into the system and most likely won't see much in return when it is our turn to retire.

[SheilaT]

5. I don't know exactly how the numbers break down,

but it's my casual observation that for the vast majority of social security recipients, the SS is a very large part of their income. Not to mention those, like you, for whom it is the only income.

Personally, I dither about whether or not SS should be means tested. But more and more I figure, no it shouldn't be. Those who in retirement have a substantial enough income that the SS is only a small part of it are such a small minority that trying to kick them off it would be stupid. I doubt very much money overall would be saved, and worse yet, that sort of thing would be used to convince far too many others that no one should get SS.

I am 62 years old myself, which means I'm old enough to recall when the elderly rarely had any pension or much money saved for retirement. Many of them lived with whatever family member could take them in. They often lived in dire poverty. Do we really want to go back to that?

I didn't think so.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RKP5637]

8. You're exactly on base. I'm in about the same situation and it's been worrying me too. n/t

[golfguru]

9. If you are already retired, no changes are in cards

Democrats and repubs have all said that. Politicians are not
stupid. They know they will be thrown out of office if they
did that.

However since SS can not survive at present rate, reforms are
necessary which include raising retirement age, partial private option
choice for younger persons under 50, etc.

[barb162]

10. Some Republicans haven't said that.

They think of it as an entitlement and conveniently forget wage earners have paid into it. They want to get rid of SS. Last I heard SS is solvent through 2030 or 2040.

[Philly219]

11. I don't think

they will cut SS from those who already have it. I have heard rumbles about them cutting SS disability. But, they've been trying to do it since FDR signed the original bill.

I'm also a senior who depends on SS along with some investments (which dramatically decreased after the 2008 debacle). So, I also depend on that monthly check. I've got my fingers crossed that they don't cut medicare payments to providers which is on the table now.