Other Devvy Articles:
Vote Fraud: What They Aren't Telling You
Forced Mental Health Screening for Your Children
IS
THE SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM EFFORT OVER?
PART 1
By: Devvy
May 22, 2005
NewsWithViews.com
For almost two months, Mr. Bush crisscrossed the country telling the American people all about how broke the social security system is, "we must save it for future generations" and how committed he is to reform. Is there an echo in here?
Perhaps another one of my famous trips down memory lane is in order because "how quickly people forget." Social Security "reform" has been going on for decades. It's a joke and so is Congress.
"Our basic objective-toward which all others lead-is to improve the welfare of the American people. In addition to economic prosperity, this means that we need social security in the fullest sense of the term; the people must be protected from the fear of want during old age, sickness, and unemployment." Harry Truman, State of the Union Address, 1946
"In this Nation the ideals of freedom and equality can be given specific meaning in terms of health, education, social security, and housing. Over the past 12 years we have erected a sound framework of social security legislation. Many millions of our citizens are now protected against the loss of income which can come with unemployment, old age, or the death of wage earners. Yet our system has gaps and inconsistencies; it is only half finished. We should now extend unemployment compensation, old age benefits, and survivors' benefits to millions who are not now protected. We should also raise the level of benefits. The greatest gap in our social security structure is the lack of adequate provision for the Nation's health. We are rightly proud of the high standards of medical care we know how to provide in the United States. The fact is, however, that most of our people cannot afford to pay for the care they need." Harry Truman, State of the Union Address, 1948
"I shall shortly send you specific recommendations for establishing such an appropriate commission, together with a reorganization plan defining new administrative status for all Federal activities in health, education, and social security." Dwight Eisenhower, State of the Union Address, 1953
"Our basic social security program, the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance system, to which individuals contribute during their productive years and receive benefits based on previous earnings, is designed to shield them from destitution. Last year I recommended extension of the social insurance system to include more than 10,000,000 additional persons. I ask that this extension soon be accomplished. This and other major improvements in the insurance system will bring substantial benefit increases and broaden the membership of the insurance system, thus diminishing the need for Federal grants-in-aid for such purposes. A new formula will therefore be proposed, permitting progressive reduction in such grants as the need for them declines." Eisenhower, State of the Union Address, 1954
Please notice these words above: extension of the social insurance system to include more than 10,000,000 additional persons. If SS was mandatory, there would be no need to extend SS to anyone. However, since it is a voluntary program, old Ike was talking about making this taxing scheme available to more people because the realized even back then the numbers would not add up and the program would eventually bankrupt itself. That's the reason for "extending" this taxing scheme to more people.
"Social security has been extended to ten million more Americans and unemployment insurance to four million more." Eisenhower, State of the Union Address, 1956
"But in matters of health, no piece of unfinished business is more important or more urgent than the enactment under the social security system of health insurance for the aged....Social security has long helped to meet the hardships of retirement, death, and disability. I now urge that its coverage be extended without further delay to provide health insurance for the elderly." JFK, State of the Union Address, 1962
"We must provide hospital insurance for our older citizens financed by every worker and his employer under Social Security, contributing no more than $1 a month during the employee's working career to protect him in his old age in a dignified manner without cost to the Treasury, against the devastating hardship of prolonged or repeated illness." LBJ, State of the Union Address, 1964
"Let a just nation throw open to them the city of promise: --to the elderly, by providing hospital care under social security and by raising benefit payments to those struggling to maintain the dignity of their later years; LBJ, State of the Union Address, 1965
"We should raise social security payments by an overall average of 20 percent. That will add $4 billion 100 million to social security payments in the first year. I will recommend that each of the 23 million Americans now receiving payments get an increase of at least 15 percent. I will ask that you raise the minimum payments by 59 percent--from $44 to $70 a month, and to guarantee a minimum benefit of $100 a month for those with a total of 25 years of coverage. We must raise the limits that retired workers can earn without losing social security income." LBJ, State of the Union Address, 1967
"Now let me speak about social security. Our Federal social security system for people who have worked and contributed to it for all their lives is a vital part of our economic system. Its value is no longer debatable. In my budget for fiscal year 1977, I am recommending that the full cost-of-living increases in the social security benefits be paid during the coming year. But I am concerned about the integrity of our Social Security Trust Fund that enables people--those retired and those still working who will retire--to count on this source of retirement income. Younger workers watch their deductions rise and wonder if they will be adequately protected in the future. We must meet this challenge head on. Simple arithmetic warns all of us that the Social Security Trust Fund is headed for trouble. Unless we act soon to make sure the fund takes in as much as it pays out, there will be no security for old or for young. I must, therefore, recommend a three-tenths of 1 percent increase in both employer and employee social security taxes effective January 1, 1977. This will cost each covered employee less than 1 extra dollar a week and will ensure the integrity of the trust fund." Ford, State of the Union Address, 1976
� 2005 Devvy Kidd - All Rights Reserved
Devvy Kidd authored the booklets, Why A Bankrupt America and Blind Loyalty, which sold close to 2,000,000 copies. Devvy appears on radio shows all over the country, ran for Congress and is a highly sought after public speaker. Get a free copy of Why A Bankrupt America from El Dorado Gold. Devvy is a contributing writer for www.NewsWithViews.com.
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E-mail is: devvyk@earthlink.net
Perhaps another one of my famous trips down memory lane is in order because "how quickly people forget." Social Security "reform" has been going on for decades. It's a joke and so is Congress.
