The American Dream is Far From Dead

[Francesca]

Originally Posted by UFO Pilot

I worked all my life and paid into SS and Medicare. What "entitlements" are you talking about? I don't belong to AARP and never will.

The ones that the dwindling pool of taxpayers picks up the tab for after the comparative pittance you've paid in is exhausted.

Unless you intend to turn the "entitlements" down at that point!

Francesca

[UFO Pilot]

I would gladly have taken the money paid into SS by me and my employer and invested it myself. I know quite a few who paid in and collected less than 5 years or never collected a dime. Their contributions aren't even paid to the survivors, my IRA monies will at least go to my heirs. It is not my fault that the government used the money for other things than paying benefits.

[dieselclacker]

Originally Posted by Francesca

The ones that the dwindling pool of taxpayers picks up the tab for after the comparative pittance you've paid in is exhausted.

Unless you intend to turn the "entitlements" down at that point!

Francesca

Don't worry, your congressman will make sure your "entitlement" is there when it comes your time to receive it. If you don't believe so, just ask him.

Dieselclacker

[Francesca]

Originally Posted by UFO Pilot

I would gladly have taken the money paid into SS by me and my employer and invested it myself. I know quite a few who paid in and collected less than 5 years or never collected a dime. Their contributions aren't even paid to the survivors, my IRA monies will at least go to my heirs. It is not my fault that the government used the money for other things than paying benefits.

So, if "The Government" (us) offered to cut you a check right now for whatever's left of what you paid in, would you take it and not accept or expect a penny more?


Francesca

[UFO Pilot]

IF they could (and would) give me an honest accounting including a reasonable rate of return for all the years they had my money? YES I would take the check and invest it for myself.

[Francesca]

O.K.!

Now we're gettin' somewhere...

We'll pay you whatever the interest rate in a savings account was at the time we "took" your money.
Plus we'll adjust the base amount for inflation!
In return, you promise not to bother us if you need open heart surgery, or your IRA goes south or whatever.

Agreed?

Francesca

[UFO Pilot]

I'll take the average stock market return for the last 50 years and be on my own.

[Francesca]

No can do, Bub!

This was a rock solid investment with a government guaranteed return.
Stock markets involve risk, and We protected you from that.
We're talking savings bank interest.

There will be an appeals process, though...
Perhaps if you can show proof that you goldarned did invest every penny you could, the rate of return you actually wangled on your own might garner you a few more bucks.
Of course, the process could take years....

Francesca

[UFO Pilot]

I invested my money in the stock market, not bank savings accounts. Why should I accept bank interest if I want to take the risks with my money? Let's just agree to disagree.

[B Bob]

The difference between a CEO and an athlete getting big bucks is simple. The athlete is selling something they own. A CEO is a hired hand who many times runs a company supposedly run for the shareholders benefit. I have and as far as I know, no thinking person objects to the owner of a company making what they make as long as it is legal. The problem is taking money from the shareholders because they can. I own plenty of stock in public companies and can tell you the shareholders have little to nothing to say about how the company is run. CEOs getting huge pay (I consider anything more than twice what the President makes huge pay. If it was good enough for the best baseball player of all time it is good enough for any current CEO in the USA.) and or unwarranted stock options should be let go.

Oh, IMHO the amount of money paid to athletes and actors is absurd too. But as athletes and actors are selling their property to the highest bidder so be it.

[mick]

If you are a stockholder and you dont like the return you are getting, SIMPLY SELL YOUR STOCK and go elsewhere. Whats so hard about that ?

Ill take the money I paid into SS and the money I matched my employees ANYDAY , ANYTIME, and a measley 4% interest on it all .

Send me the check.

Since I am a disabled vet, and I get VA care WHICH I DARNED WELL EARNED, then I want all my medicare money back to.

Send me the check.

Or dont you think I should get VA care?

[blackf3504dr]

Originally Posted by hondo122

May I ask what cultures, you are referring to? Is it the American culture, perhaps the European culture, help me out on this please. wow the 122nd post on this thread, my lucky number maybe I should by a lotto ticket!!!!!!!

Let me try to answer that... There is a segment of our population that is the main recipient of government assistance and involved in criminal activity and they also comprise the majority of our prison population.
It is not an ethnic thing, it is a culture thing.... Have you listened to any of the (so called) music now days ? It's not an American, European, African or Asian culture, it's street culture and it's dragging down a generation who is suppose to be our future.

[wildtoad]

Who cares what the ceo of say Reynolds American makes? They pay me a nice 5.5% dividend and I have a 78% profit in their stock. They provide thousands of direct jobs and thousands more for suppliers, distributors, and retail outlets. The same can be said for most other major corporations and I suggest that most ceo's earn their pay. Yes there are bad ceo's and they eventually get rooted out. I for one don't want to set caps on what a private sector person can earn.

To answer my opening question. Media outlets looking for a story, politicians looking to demonize them for political gain, and folks who are envious are the primary people complaining about what ceo's make.

It seems to be OK that those that simply entertain by running around the bases make millions but somehow it's wrong that those that provides jobs, goods and services shouldn't.

[hondo122]

Originally Posted by blackf3504dr

Let me try to answer that... There is a segment of our population that is the main recipient of government assistance and involved in criminal activity and they also comprise the majority of our prison population.
It is not an ethnic thing, it is a culture thing.... Have you listened to any of the (so called) music now days ? It's not an American, European, African or Asian culture, it's street culture and it's dragging down a generation who is suppose to be our future.

Maybe what you read is biased by the media, the young are getting a bad rap. Many are willing to work hard at any job that will support them, the ones that look down on hard labor are the children of the privileged, they think the world owes them a certain standard of life they are pampered by their parents, without a trust fund many would starve in the streets.