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Posted 1:00 AM Eastern
by
Jim Kouri
January 8, 2007
© 2007 NewsWithViews.com
While the nation's capital and the news media celebrated the appointment of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as America's first female Speaker of the House of Representatives, no mention was made of one of her priorities in the new Democrat-controlled congress: Social Security checks for illegal aliens who live in the US or in Mexico.
The federal government attempted to keep the scheme under wraps, but a grassroots organization forced the Social Security Administration to release the document titled,� The US-Mexico Social Security Totalization Agreement. The Retired Enlisted Association or TREA forced government disclosure through lawsuits they filed through their Senior Citizens League.
Their legal action, which took over three years of fighting to resolve, was based on the Freedom of Information Act. Thanks to TREA, Americans now have an opportunity to read material that was being kept in the shadows by President Bush as well as Republican and Democrat members of both houses of the US Congress, and the news media.
According to TREA, the Totalization Agreement will allow millions of illegal Mexican workers to collect billions of Social Security dollars, whether they are living in the US or living in Mexico.
TREA points to a gaping loophole in the Social Security law that could result in millions of today's Mexican workers to eventually collect billions of dollars worth of Social Security benefits for earnings under fraudulent or "non-work authorized" Social Security numbers, putting huge new pressures on a Social Security Trust Fund that is nearing bankruptcy.
The plan is expected to be coupled with the Senate-sponsored guest-worker program. If an illegal worker working in the United States obtains a legitimate Social Security number through guest worker immigration legislation, that illegal worker could eventually apply for Social Security benefits once he or she has met certain requirements.
The part of the agreement that is sure to disturb Americans is that workers may be able to claim credits for work performed while illegally living and working in the US. The Social Security bureaucracy has what's known as an "earnings suspense file," which tracks wages paid to workers by employers that cannot be posted to the workers' records because there is no match for a name and Social Security number.
Once an immigrant gains access to a work authorized Social Security number � whether a legal citizen or not � wages earned while in the US unlawfully could be reinstated to the worker's new Social Security account.
The agreement between the US and Mexico was signed in June 2004, and is awaiting President Bush's signature. Once President Bush approves the agreement, which would be done without Congressional vote, either House of Congress would have 60 days to disapprove the agreement by voting to reject it.
"The Social Security Administration itself warns that Social Security is within decades of bankruptcy � yet, they seem to have no problem making agreements that hasten its demise," said Ralph McCutchen, Chairman of the TREA Senior Citizens League. "Our 1.2 million elderly members didn't sacrifice through difficult times so we could fund millions of workers who crossed the border and decided to work here illegally."
For example, a worker who turns 62 after 1990 generally needs 40 calendar quarters of coverage to receive retirement benefits. Under totalization agreements, workers are allowed to combine earnings from both countries in order to qualify for benefits. The Agreement with Mexico, like other totalization agreements, would allow workers to qualify with just six quarters, or 18 months, of US coverage.
But Mexico's retirement system is radically different from that of the United States. For example, only 40 percent of non-government workers participate in Mexico's system, whereas 96 percent of America's non-government workers do. In addition, the US system is progressive, meaning lower wage earners get back much more than they put in; in Mexico, workers get back only what they put in, plus accrued interest.
"I applaud the persistent efforts of TREA Senior Citizens League to try to get documents from the US Government about the US-Mexican Social Security Totalization Agreement," said Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC). "The American people are finally beginning to get some of the information regarding this Agreement that they have been seeking for so long."
According to the Social Security Administration, the Social Security Trust Fund will begin paying out more than it is taking in by 2017, and will be exhausted by the year 2040.
Heath Care for Illegal Immigrants
Meanwhile, Californians were celebrating the inauguration of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday, but they soon may wonder why they should celebrate.
Through leaks to the press, reports claim the Governor may offer free health care for all school children in the state including the estimated 1.5 million illegal aliens attending California schools.
Schwarzenegger is scheduled to release his health care plan on January 9, but there is already speculation that it will cost taxpayers between 10 and 18 billion dollars. Taxpayers who sent Schwarzenegger to the State House to reduce already bloated government spending are being betrayed, according to conservatives.
One critic claims that besides redistributing wealth, the governor is wiping away the value of being a US citizen with this plan.
"Why should a child who is in the country illegally share in the legacy reserved for children who are citizens?" asked Mike Baker, a political analyst.
"And where are the religious leaders and pastors? Why aren't they speaking out?" asks Baker.
Church leaders and pastors have remained silent about the attacks on US sovereignty and American taxpayers. Many are afraid of jeopardizing their tax-exempt status as a result of exercising free speech. To date, not one church has sued the US government for it's unconstitutional tax-exemption policy.
A pastor at a New Jersey evangelical church sees a double standard at work. He points out that liberal-left preachers and politicians who visit their churches will discuss politics and even electioneer in those churches. But if a conservative pastor speaks out against the government, he is threatened with having his tax-exemption revoked by the federal government.
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The New Jersey pastor, who requested anonymity, believes that church leaders are neglecting their responsibility to inform their congregations of government actions that are contrary to the Judeo-Christian principles espoused by the Founding Fathers.
"When the churches are silent, they are complicit in the evils destroying the United States," he said.
Related Articles:
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Protect
Social Security
2, Illegals
in line for benefits
3, Cal.
Governor Schwarzenegger's health reform plan leaks out
4, Cal.
Gov. to seek insurance for all children including children of illegals
5, Pastors
afraid of speaking the truth
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The New Jersey pastor, who requested anonymity, believes that church leaders are neglecting their responsibility to inform their congregations of government actions that are contrary to the Judeo-Christian principles espoused by the Founding Fathers.
