A Great Depression “Solution”

by Justin M. Ruhge

Social Security became law in 1934 and it’s been fiddled with ever since. Some people call it the most expensive Ponzi scheme ever; others believe it is a godsend. Many fear it won’t be around or available for them. So, in a spirit of neighborliness, let’s help President Trump make changes that will make the system last for our children.

The Democrats will never do it.

History Lesson on Your Social Security Card

Social Security Cards – up until the 1980s – expressly stated that the number and card were not to be used for identification purposes. Since nearly everyone in the United States now
has a number, it became convenient to use it anyway. By the late 1980s however, the message NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION, was removed.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social Security (FICA) Program. Here were the promises he and his administration made to the American public upon his signing it into law:

1. Participation in the Program would be completely voluntary. It is no longer voluntary.

2. Participants would only be required to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual income into the program. That requirement has morphed into 7.65% on the first $90,000 of a taxpayer’s income.

3. The money participants have elected to put into the program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year. That money you “voluntarily” contribute every year is no longer tax-deductible.

4. Money participants put into Social Security would go into an “Independent Trust Fund,” rather than into the General Operating Fund, and therefore would be protected and would only be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program and no other. Under President Lyndon Johnson and a 2/3 majority Democrat Senate, the funds in the Social Security Program were moved to the General Fund (mainly to pay for the Vietnam War and the newly introduced “Great Society” programs of the 1960s.

5. The annuity payments to retirees would never be taxed as income. President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore, up to 85% of your Social Security can (and is) taxed.

The Old Bait and Switch

Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are now receiving a Social Security check every month and have discovered that we are being taxed on 85% of the money we paid the federal government to “put away” for us, you should be constantly reminded of the following:

1. The political party took Social Security from the Independent 'Trust Fund' and put it into the General fund so that Congress could spend it was the Democrat Party.

2. The political party that eliminated the income tax deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding and then began taxing Social Security payments was the Democrat Party. The Republican Party resisted, Vice President Al Gore, serving as President of the Senate cast the tie-breaking vote.

3. The political party that began offering annuity payments to immigrants who’d never even contributed to the “independent trust fund.” People who’d turned 65 years old and had moved to the U.S. had begun to receive Social Security funds – courtesy of President Jimmy Carter and the Democrat Party – who’d never contributed a dime to it.

So, after violating the original FICA contract many times over many years, the Democrats warn you that Republicans want to take your Social Security away. And the worst part about it is an uninformed citizenry believes it!

So, why should we trust any government program, such as Medicare, Medicaid, or Obamacare?

What’s that old saying about fooling me once?...

Justin M Ruhge was born in 1934 and lives in Lompoc, California.

Speaking of birthdays… today is our Editor and Chief’s Birthday! Reach out to Jim Buckley at Jim@SBCurrent.com and share some love!

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