September 23, 2004
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Bush wants to privatize Social Security (incidentally, an agency about which he stated: “The Social Security Administration is NOT a Federal Agency” when stepping off a plane during his first campaign! I’m guessing with his proposal that he’s trying to make his false statement then into TRUTH now!). Here’s what a non-scientific poll on MSNBC currently says about what PEOPLE want in regard to privatizing Social Security:
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Live Vote
Where do you stand on privatizing Social Security? * 23152 responses
None at all.
60%/dotRed.gif)
Up to a fourth of my Social Security withholdings should be under my control.
8%
Up to half my Social Security withholdings should be under my control.
15%
Social Security should go completely private.
17%
Guess what I chose! The Social Security changes implimented recently have already swung large amounts of YOUR Social Security monies into privatization. It’s taking control away from those on Social Security/Medicare. To receive $5250 worth of prescription medication, it costs the patient about $4175, including their prescription benefit premium. Hardly a savings to those of very limited incomes! This is because when someone gets to a certain dollar figure in Medicare covered prescriptions, Medicare STOPS PAYING, until they go over the figure I mentioned above. Each year after the first, the Medicare-paid cutoff is lowered & reinstated paying raised! Again… What help is this really? I don’t know anyone relying solely on Social Security who can afford over $4k for meds, on top of the deductible for the doctors/hospitals & co-pay. Do you? Something has to not get paid & most of the time, this is FOOD!
Also… the way they worded the poll is misleading, saying “under MY control.” That would hardly be the case! It WOULDN’T be under the individual’s control. It would be like an HMO, in which you’re forced to go to one of few selected providers. Ask anyone who’s stuck with an HMO through work how they feel about their health care. I’d bet most are less than satisfied! I know my sister’s thoroughly disgusted with her family’s, under the Texas Blue Cross – Blue Shield as a state employee (her husband)!
Comments (2)
sounds like something the rich would think of doing to us middle and going to lower income … it’s too bad that many of the ‘help’ and ‘aid’ we could get from the state and federal is actually for the lower than low income which cuts us out. have a good thursday!!!
Haven’t you noticed, Colleen, that the ones who pay the most income tax are the middle-income families? The rich have tax shelters, so pay almost the least. It’s part of the ‘Trickle-down” theory, in which it is believed that if the corporations & rich few get to pay lower taxes, they’ll spend more money, which would make its way down to the lower income people. HAH! They just get more greedy!