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August 13, 2010
Forced to retire, some take Social Security earlyUnable to find work, unemployed turn to reduced Social Security checks early to stay afloatAssociated Press | By Matt Sedensky | August 9, 2010 Paul Skidmore’s office is shuttered, his job gone, his 18-month job search fruitless and his unemployment benefits exhausted. So at 63, he plans to file this week for Social Security benefits, three years earlier than planned. “All I want to do is work,” said Skidmore, of Finksburg, Md., who was an insurance claims adjuster for 37 years before his company downsized and closed his office last year. “And nobody will hire me.” It is one of the most striking fallouts from the bad economy: Social Security is facing a rare shortfall this year as a wave of people like Skidmore opt to collect payments before their full retirement age. Adding to the strain on the trust are reduced tax collections sapped by the country’s historic unemployment — still at 9.5 percent… Personal Stories from 60 Plus MembersI was laid off in Jan. 2009 and have not been able to find full time work. In order to survive I registered to take early Social Security for monthly income. I am now doing limited contract work with no benefits, plus I am learning to do taxes to hopefully open a franchise or at least prepare taxes for a source of income. Unemployment is running out, I have gone through all retirement funds and am selling my house. I opted for early retirement at age 63. I was a self employed Information Technology Consultant for over 20 years. When the recession hit, I couldn’t find any assignments that paid a decent billing rate for my expertise. Additionally, the IT jobs dried up in my field and any available assignments were going to low cost IT firms in India. Instead of taking menial jobs, I decided to pack it in and go on Social Security to supplement my retirement needs. Initially, the Social Security Administration hassled me to no end about being a self employed professional, but eventually I received my first check on October 28th, 2009. I am very happy that I went for early retirement since the break even point financially for retiring at 63 vs. 66 years of age was 89 years of age. So it was a good move on my part. I was working for a company who provided aviation support to another company. The company I supported was purchased by a larger company who has their own aviation assets. That was a major contract lost. This turned out to be the beginning of the end. Those of us who were supporting the purchased company were laid off immediately. A couple months later our whole operation was closed. I certainly understand- no work- you have to lay people off, bad timing for me. Actually it’s bad timing for everyone. I have been unemployed and underemployed since 2000, when the company I worked for dissolved their partnership. I was on unemployment for 9 months, then I did part time work in In-Home Support Services, childcare through state programs for mothers returning to work and off of welfare. I finally filed for my Social Security at age 62 because I couldn’t get any work at all. I suppose I’m too old for construction work, but for the last 10 years of my job, I was the office manager, did all the paper work, paid out payroll and all office bills. Still can’t get a job even in an office. It very difficult at this age to get in anywhere. I just found out that by taking it early I gave up 25% of my monthly payment. I only get $176.00. How much living can you do on that? I had to retire early, three to four years ago, on SSD. I am NOT happy about it, but grateful that I get a, barely, subsistant ‘allowance’. I am a male, age 61(next month). I retired early in part because I knew I could receive my benefits at age 62 1/2. That looks a little precarious at this point. It appears that we can not trust the promises of our own government. I believe that any changes in the system should either be voluntary, or only apply to the beginning wage earners. This is only fair as they have the time to plan for the changes. At 60+, it’s a little late for me to redo my retirement plans. I would like to see Obama bail us out instead of the unions!! I struggled with my travel business after 9/11 and in 2006 finally closed it. My wife had found a Job in Yuma, so I followed her here. I took whatever job I could get; had several part time jobs, one with the Office of Personnel Management giving tests and worked as a temp for Kelly’s. Yes I was a Kelly Girl! I found full time work with NCO as online rep for T-Mobile, in May of 2007. I was looking forward to the raise I would receive at the end of two years; instead I was laid off in May of 2009. I had 26 weeks of unemployment. Towards the end of my unemployment: I started a Community College program for Medical front office, then applied for Social Security. I had only one interview in six months. Thank you for this opportunity to vent. Where was the help that I kept reading about? The help that was promised always edited me out. Debt relief programs want a minimum payment which I could not promise; refinancing was out because my credit rating was in the tank; and bankruptcy in Maryland expects you to pay off your debts. Loan modifications? First the banks just blew you off and now the only people who can actually get you a loan modification want $2500 to do it. Where do you get money when no one will hire you, the “help” programs you desperately need think you have too much, and the only people who know how to get you meaningful relief want thousands to do it for you? At 62, I was at my wits end and staring at a cut-off notice from the Baltimore Gas and Electric. I went to the local Social Security office just to see what kind of income I could expect in 2010 when I turned 65. I had no idea what I was going to do in the meantime. They told me that I could get $1939 a month right away and, with COLA raises, I thought I’d certainly make it through this rough patch. Who knew that 2007 would be the only COLA I would ever see. So I immediately took care of the paperwork and started getting my SS checks. I’m going to make it I thought. And, in the main, I survived. I can’t make the repairs I need to the broken toilet, leaking shower, my incomplete dental work, my tv, or sputtering refrigerator but I was happy everyday to be able to stay in MY condo. It is now August of 2010 and here comes the next backbreaking expense – health care. After all my expenses including $200 monthly for food, I will have $58 left. I usually spend about $300 a year on prescriptions so I don’t want to get health care now. But I am mandated to spend $1326.50 a year on hospitalization while I still pay for prescriptions, dental and vision myself. What kind of realistic health care insurance is this? My utility bills have climbed higher and higher and I can’t afford to replace my 20 year old appliances with more energy efficient ones. I don’t have any disposable income which prohibits me from entering into a debt payment plan so I have gotten a IRS lien placed against my property. Don’t let me forget to mention that I “can’t” file income tax returns anymore which makes my mortgage interest deduction ($7,000 a yr) worthless to me. I only got to deduct it TWICE and got 1 COLA raise. This is the first home I have ever owned. It is the most important accomplishment of my life. No matter what obstacle comes up, my first check is to pay the mortgage. I have lost all my cash, credit, and investments. However, during this time of financial crisis, I paid off my car, lived by a budget without allowances for any unnecessary expenses, and made my mortgage payments on time. What’s wrong with this picture?
32 Responses Leave a comment. |
Noticed that you subtitled this article “…to stay afloat.” Nobody is getting rich taking Soc Sec. This is only a survival method, I think all of us would like to find work, but I believe I have worked my last paying job. I’ll keep volunteering because I need the people contact, but sure would like an honest paying job.
I AM ON SSD, DO TO A BAD KNEES AND A BAD HEART.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ON SSD SHOULD NOT BE ON IT…
A LOT
Kathy: Your comments about a lot of people who should not be on SSD is correct but the problem goes back to all the lawyers running ads on T.V. that they can get people SSD even though previously denied by the government. Lawyers run and dominate all three branches of the U.S. government and this is known as the “legal caste”. Late American newspaper publisher and edior E. W. Scripps wrote: “If there is such a thing as true freedom and democracy then the road to that goal lies over and through the ruin and annihilation of the legal caste.”!
Obama doesn’t want to create jobs for older people and this is done by design. He hates older people, and I can not tell you why, unless it is the idea of keeping people dependent on the Gov.
welfare bloodsuckers use their welfare debit cards to buy cigarettes and alcohol and gamble at casinos with our taxpayer dollars.While our responsible hard working educated seniors are forced to survive with no cost of living raise for two tears in a row.Seniors have paid with their taxes into the system for 50 plus years while the welfare deadbeats have been living off the system for 50 plus years. maybe if pelosi would take fewer private plain trips with her private tax payer jets you would have the dollars for the cost of living raise to our tax paying senior responsible citizens.
I am a Disability Retired Police Officer on a State Pension Plan that I had to pay into not some free-bee as some States have. I did not pay into Social Security once on this Pension plan. I was short one Quarter from being able to collect SSI Disability along with my Pension , so I have survived on my Pension since my Retirement in 1986. 24 years have passed since that time and my Retirement was based on my 1986 wage scale of $8.00 per hour. When Disabled I was Married since 1972 with five children from 1975 through 1981. My Pension is now at $1,530.20 per month “BUT THE FIRST THING I MUST DO EVERY MONTH IS PAY FOR MY HEALTH INSURANCE AT A 50% RATE AND THE TOWN PAYS THE OTHER 50%. I PAY $ 766.80 PER MONTH , LEAVING ME WITH $763.40 . My Wife has R.A. and unable to work but at age 60 the SS Administration is refusing her disability because of her age and that has been an on going battle for the past year “even with a Lawyer” who will end up taking 1/3rd of the eventual award when ever that happens. We had to file Bankruptcy and was finalized on August of this year. Looking forward to paying cash for everything from this point forward for the likes of “HEATING OIL IN THE NORTH EAST” ,GAS FOR OUR CAR , CAR INSURANCE , HOUSE INSURANCE , PROPERTY TAX , ELECTRIC , ON AND ON . I was forced to file early at age 62 for my SS but when 3/4 is deducted because of my Disability Pension , I net $194.00 per month.
I forgot to mention that I only have a 20% lung capacity due to inhalation of “PLASTIC PARTICULATE FROM TUPPERWARE THAT I INHALED IN A HOUSE FIRE CAUSING ME TO HAVE C.O.P.D. , on O/2 most of the time , and Medication up the Wazoo. With the present Administration running the printing presses on over time in an effort to “SOCIALIZE THIS COUNTRY” , as poor and as dissatisfied , I will fight to my dying breath against this “COMMUNIST ORIENTATED BASTARD AND HIS SOCIALISTIC APPOINTEES AND CZARS”. EVERYONE NEEDS TO VOTE AND REMOVE THESE MORONS FROM OFFICE AND IT’S NOT PREJUDICE OR ANY OTHER REASON EXPERT “total incompetence and a socialistic change over of our free country that has been paid for with the blood of every American who ever put on a uniform and gave the ultimate sacrifice for a free America. “WE MUST NOT LET THEN DOWN OR THEY WILL HAVE ALL DIED IN VAIN”!!!!!!!!!
What plan has Obama have for all the early retirees as far as health insurance. I am on cobra now, but that only last another 4 months. I took my SS, but it isn’t enough to pay for the high price of health insurance and my prescriptions???????
the senior citizens are looking for a cost of living raise just to survive day by day. however this govt believes it is more important to take care of the welfare deadbeats and the illegal invaders who work here without paying taxes,rather than the hard working citizen taxpayer who fought in our wars and paid into this govt for the last 60 years.I guess they feel it is more important for them to spend 160 billion dollars in tax payer money to study the sex lives of the fly or to payback their special interests, and leave the precious senior citizens to eat crow again for another year.Lets reward the screwups and punish the responsible to secure the sacred vote.
Mr. Jones,
While I feel for you and your family and understand just a little of what you are going through, we must all accept that this “change” Obama wants to implement is only possible because we, the People, have not done our job. WE have allowed these “representatives” in both houses of Congress to systematically put into place the “power” he needed to push through his agenda thus far. My Congresswoman has been there 28 years and is a “Pelosi want to be”. Thank God we have a “novice” to run against her; never even ran for student council in school! We have overlooked career politicians in both parties that support the “new world order” as they move from job to job preparing the way; local office to state office to federal office. You are correct. WE need to make the changes. PLEASE VOTE! Beware of career politicians; they are only out for themselves.
I am 62 in 2011, and going out. I’m taking early SS and State retirement… take yours while it is yours to get!
I have taken SS at 62 after being out of work for 18 months. Working with benefits was how I got and was able to keep Med insurance. I have heart desease and high blood pressure but now with Cobra and unemployment running out this month I will no longer be able to afford my medication or doctor visits.I have worked all of my adult life but have no other 401 or pension to add to my income. All I want is to work! Now I walk into interviews and the faces of the interviewers change as I smile and extend my hand. Frustration, Frustration Frustration.
I have read the comments made (between 08/13/2010 and 11/04/2010) by follow citizens which primarily consists of being forced to take Social Security earlier then planned because of unfortunate job loss, and for some with additional circumstances (medical costs, mortgage costs, ex-spouses, child support, etc., etc..).
Added to the above is an additional two year Social Security no cost of living increase.
I truly believe these follow citizens are not takers, but believed in the American Dream. They believed in Social Security and Medicare when they were first legislated, just like I believed (pay into it and receive its’ benefits).
However, our past Congressional Representatives (including probably some of our past U.S. Presidents) did not keep the intented Social Security LOCK BOX. This SS LOCK BOX was raided to pay for other general U.S. expenses. Today there is no Social Security LOCK BOX. And most likely no Medicare LOCK BOX.
Now we have a two year Social Security no cost of living increase. Why? My guess is because of the Federal Reserve. It is the Federal Reserve that controls INTEREST RATES. My other guess is the present Congressional Democrates’ and the Obama Administration’s over-abundance of give-away SPENDING to UNIONS and LOBBYISTS through their so-called STIMULUS PACKAGES, and yes, it also includes the over 2,000 Page OBAMA CARE Package.
Think about it! NO INFLATION means don’t need SS cost of living increases. NO INFLATION means don’t need to INCREASE INTEREST RATES for SAVINGS or CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSITS (which are Government FDIC Insured) for our elderly SENIOR CITIZENS on FIXED INCOMES.
Therefore, the Liberal Democrates and Obama Administration can have more DOLLARS TO SPEND for their SOCIALISTIC AGENDAS of SPREADING THE WEALTH.
Other things to THINK about is “Why did the Liberal Democrats wait so long to ACT on President Bush’s TAX CUTS” and “Why those same Liberal Democrats “pushed” to give MORTGAGES to people who could not eventually pay for them”?
I believe that is why you and I and our country are where we are today, currently unfortunately in a economic mess.
How sad all the above stories; seniors that, like myself, have paid all or most of our lives in SS just to be punched in the face either because our health failed(my reason for SS at 61 – wife supported me fully until 62) and it was tough.
Bought a “fixer upper” house 12 yrs ago but 2 yrs after moving in my health declined steadily…am now 67 and unemployable obviously because age discrimination DOES DEFINITELY EXIST but try proving it…we who are the experienced workers dumped for younger totally unexperienced grads because they are both paid less and totally unqualified.
Welcome to SENIOR CITIZENSHIP! Before 40 could conquer any obstacle but life has unintended consequences.
I am not overweight, never ate fast food but genetics from both sides of my family have done me in…diagnosed finally with ADHD (attention disability hyperactivity disorder at 61)….well at least (too late) I finally know what I need to be treated for as everything but my allergies are caused by this “born with” condition”
Fortunately, my wife is 6 yrs younger and has the “average income in America” so we survive..but that’s it!
What happens when she MUST RETIRE!!! Too much pressure on her….the Greatest nation the world has ever seen has been sabataged by Presidents and Congresses for 50 years spending the Social Security funds and now here we are!
I heard about 60 Plus today on Fox Business, a very impressive interview. I told my wife I would visit this website to learn more. The first section I noticed was this one on Early Social Security.
I do identify with those who lost jobs and have not been hired so they took SS early. I have been toying with taking SS at 64 rather than wait til I am 66. If it were not for my websites earning enough to pay our housing costs each month, my story would be much like those I have read here.
Before applying for SS, I will write some articles on my career focused website regarding the whole process. Fortunately my wife is still working but has cut back drastically due to heavy administrative duties sapping her strength as director of a preschool.
I have been impressed with the “spunk” of those writing their stories and their determination to make it.
Onward with purpose,
Chaplain Paul Slater
Take social security and medicare benefits from the old and keep and raise benefits for the young welfare leeches who dont want to contribute to society but just want to abuse the system.I see whose side the govt is on. Wake up taxpayers.They dont want to seal the borders just cut cost of living raises for the elderly, wake up twice.
I never expected to retire on social security, but I also never expected to be classified as a “drain on the system”, even though I paid into the program for 43 years. The left seems to classify us boomers collecting SS as they would an entitlement program.
TB
i have been forced to retire early because of a job loss,i am 61,i was told you can apply for ss 6 months before you turn 62,to start receiving ss quickly,is the true?anyone who can enlighten me would be greatly appreciated. thanks
I was severance on Dec 31, 2000, along with hundreds to thousands of employees from 55 through 60’s. (I was 55, my boss was 66, and a Chinese friend was 63-he was involved in every Culture Exchange that the bank offered – it didn’t matter). We were going to receive a Severance package if we signed a form that said we couldn’t tell anyone about the amount and could never sue the bank, or the money spent would be taken back- sign the form immediately – or the offer would be taken away and never re-offered. This house cleaning was the result of the “YEAR 2000 Calamity” and clean out the OLD GUYS and bring in young well educated engineers to run the data processing operation.
On January 1, 2001, I already had a full time and 2 part time jobs waiting. Then, on January, 6, 2001 I was working late on my new job, developed stomach pains around 3AM worked for 2 hours longer then went home. I called a friend Sunday, and ask to be taken to an emergency room, when I arrived, I was immediately taken to surgery because my appendix had burst. During the week I had several conversations with my Sister (PhD Medical), she and her husband came to my home on Fri, and did not like what she saw – On Saturday, I started to eat every pill they had given me, she called the surgeon for antibiotics, they did not work so she called the surgeon again and told him she was taking me to an emergency room and for him to meet us there if possible. When I finally got on the exam table, one of the doctors just picked at the tip of the band aid like suture; I blew up. From that point, I was not allowed to work for 8 weeks. I lost my 2 part time jobs immediately and the full time was gone in a couple of months.
Somewhere in 2003, I was able to remove almost $300,000, put some in an IRA and other stocks – I took enough to live on, look for work and pay my bills. Two of the stocks were Enron and World Com, I owned the some of the original MCI stock. Ugh-Oh, the dominoes were falling, my business venture failed, my House was going south and did. I filed bankruptcy and lost everything I owned. In the second qtr of 2003, I was calling for opportunities, there were some, then by August, 2003, those jobs were gone and most had filed bankruptcy.
What to do, I looked for work sent resumes in many hundreds, only one response at $7.50 per hour – no way, I was making 6 figures before I was severanced, so that amount was just a waste of my time – so on and so forth; I took jobs of all kinds, I worked in Telemarketing (it broke my heart – these people generated their business with the $2.50 checks they sent in the mail, people would cash them, amounts up to $139.00 would be deducted from the account the customer provided, years could go by (15 years was my max, the lady was 83). When her daughter found the charges, a nasty call was received by hundreds of telemarketers, they were to sell, then re-sell, then re-sell – of course using scripts. I was exhausted when I got home because all of us were expected to sell, or we could quit or be fired….I got fired.
It is going on 10 years since I worked at the bank, and not ONE meaningful job. I gave up, tried to write a book on the adventure, but, found that I was not a writer. Several small jobs later, I landed an apartment manager job that paid me $400 – before SS tax, and a FREE apt valued at $409 – I paid all utilities…. NOT a lot but I had a roof over my head.
So, the end of the story, I received my first SS check in December 2009………then January 1, I was fired by the apartment owner and also quit at the same time. I am living on SS and small amounts of money from my Internet Marketing Businesses. NO, it was not the best choice but I had too. I have met 10’s to hundreds’ of us all exactly the same except the amount we used to make and I wonder what this has done to Social Security (and other entitlements) and how much we lost by working for 60 to 70% less for the remainder of our lives. I have never heard this ever mentioned in discussions about our economy, also, never hear the impact of $6 Trillion lost by DOT.BOM.
My husband and I both took social security at 62…so glad we did because my husband passed away last year just as he turned 64. I guess that’s what the government hopes will happen to all of us.
About your taxes owed, you can get them put on hold for good.Just get a hold of a legal aid office. If you are on a fixed income that can not force you to pay. I became disabled at 57 and I was helped by a legal group based at the University. They will help you out from under that burden.
I can’t believe this administration can not give seniors a cost of living raise. Our medication prices have doubled in 2 years and Obama and Congress should be ashamed for not taking care of seniors but worry about education programs and welfare programs. Kids today are not interested in working. We seniors have worked all our life and paid into this system only to be spit on this administration. It’s a sad day for the rest of the world to see how America takes care of seniors. Even Bush & Clinton gave us cost of living raises. This is the worst administration in the history of our nation and we can’t wait to vote them ALL out.
Unemployment is not just for seniors. My daughter has been out of work closed to three years, she is not able to get any paid jobs at all. I help her with what I have, I am sure I can’t help her until she is 62 years old to collect SS checks. I am 60 years old, I have never seen so many people being unemployed in my life before, I sincerely hope the administration will start taking care of the people instead of taking care of the Unions.
I am not interested in retirement. I enjoy going to work. As they say, “Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice and need.” I look forward to working until I am no longer physically able to do so. On the other hand, if I lost my job, I anticipate having great difficulty finding another one. Raising the retirement age is fine, but only if those who want to work still have a job.
I’m an old retired guy like many of you folk. We struggle to find the answers. I’ll tell you what the governments solution will be, whether you agree is up to you. Here it is in a rhyme I wrote recently:
Wherein Lies the Answer?
As I set here at the keyboard,
And think of things, today I saw.
It reminds me now of something,
I’m roughly Quoting: Bernard Shaw.
“You surely must know someone,
There may be 5 or 6.
That if you set them down, and asked:
My friend what makes you tick?”
“As you set there and think real hard,
Just how have you helped out?
We’re asking you today to tell,
There is no time to whine or pout?”
“Have the things that you accomplish,
Made ‘you worth ‘what you have cost?
We’re running out of “green” resources,
And must remember when they’re lost.”
“There is no magic money tree,
That keeps us well supplied.
If you’re not doing all you can,
It may be time you died.”
“It may sound so very harsh,
As we’re now asking you.
But science has come up,
With their solution too.”
“There is a painless,
And yet efficient gas.
One long, deep, whiff,
This moment too. . . shall pass.”
“I didn’t say with one long whiff,
You’d suddenly pass gas.
I’m really saying, here so gently,
Your life will soon be past.”
“End of paraphrased quote.”
I can imagine what you’re thinking,
Where do these notions start?
When we seek answers near the end,
Each one must do their part.
We’ve asked our government workers,
To take some minor cuts.
The Union Bosses looked at us,
And said: ” You must be nuts ! ”
We went then to the schools,
Their budgets seem to grow.
They were amazed that we could ask,
With those little tykes all in a row.
We went to Nations, near and far,
And suggested we’d make cuts.
They can’t live without our help,
They’re living in a ‘hand-out’ rut.
There are those poor and needy,
Some living under concrete piers.
How can we now, cut off the funds,
And starve these innocent dears.
Of course there are those “elders”,
Some seem to live near poverty.
They’ve all paid, long in advance,
Now simply state, “Just leave us be.”
Some said:” the Pentagon’s our mark,”
It’s our budget, near a fourth.
But even we, with hardened heart,
Can’t short the U.S. Force.
Of course the Politician’s,
They could all afford to give.
But here again the laws are such,
That they may “privileged” live.
Here my friend is where we’re at,
So everyone must sooner die.
So we can keep on, keeping on,
Living as always. . .Some too high.
But as you read tomorrows news,
In days to come, when a shoe fits.
Remember this, the answers plain.
It will come down to this. . . .
“You’re it.”
January 2010, I am 58 years of age. I was finally awarded disability for degenerative joint disease of both hands, both ankles and one knee.
Prior to that, I had worked in the printing profession for over 35 years. In 2008, my position as Manager of Operations at a community newspaper in NC along with 6 other managers were laid off due to progressive drops in advertising revenues and rising production/material costs.
I then decided to start my own business and all was going well until I became unable to use my hands and could barely walk.
I do empathize with and relate to the individuals who have posted the previous comments. However, it appears to me that every single person wants to point the finger to someone in government for the American citizens being in the situation we are at present.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news here but the facts are this. In Congressional elections the average percentage of people who vote is no greater than 23-28% of the registered voters. And; in the Presidential elections the average voting population is only 43-46%.
I as this, How in the world are we as American’s going to change a darn thing IF WE DO NOT VOTE?????
I used to be a Democrat in the 70’s then became a Republican in the 1980’s and I now am not affiliated with any party.
We as American’s have no one to blame but ourselves for the representatives we have in office because the majority of us do not vote! And in addition, i do not believe the average american realizes that it is Congress NOT THE PRESIDENT, who is responsible. Refer to the Separation of Powers related to the Constitution of the United States below. It is pretty clear who is liable for our mess.
Separation of Powers Provisions in the Constitution
Article I, Section. 1:
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
Article II, Section. 1:
The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.
Article III, Section. 1:
The judicial Power of the United States shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.
Article I, Section. 7:
All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.
Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States:
If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it.
If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent together, with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law.
If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.
THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE IS TO VOTE!!!
Voting is not the only way. According to Thomas Jefferson, “(W)hen a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
I agree that voting is essential but it must be an informed vote. I also agree with JonO and that is why we have a right to bear arms. We must elect people who adhere to the Constitution. This includes eliminating the Federal Department of Education, The Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Reserve. Seniors, especially ones who have saved for their retirement, are being severely hurt on multiple fronts. These include the Governments false evaluation of inflation that excludes the increases in very costs (food, energy, medical) of ones survival in order to eliminate giving cost of living increases to Social Security recipients. It also includes the Federal Reserves policy to “print” money through their fancy name for it “quantitative easing” which devalues the hard earned savings. Eventually we will wind up with nothing to pass on to our heirs.
I personally think that most Seniors are at the Crossroads now, and because of the larger numbers of 65 year old Boomers it is time for us to speak up and be heard. Poor Seniors that are not capable to be creative or productive need to have more than the cost of living increases. Let’s eliminate Seniors Poverty by raising every Senior at least above the official poverty line income.
Secondly, the rest of us cannot and should not depend on income from Government entitlements. This is really just your basic survival income. There are many Seniors that if they only had an extra couple hundred dollars per month it would make a big difference to their lives. This is not an exaggeration.
I suggest that more Seniors become more active, creative, productive and useful in Society. To define what I mean let’s go back in time when… eg. Colonel Harland Sanders received his first monthly Government Social Security cheque for $110.00 US. He thought to himself that he waS not going to sit on HIS Rocking Chair accepting all of these small income Government cheques. Did the Colonel complain to the Government OR did he try to study his own circumstances and see if he could still work on a new business idea. Well, the rest is history and the Colonel wasn’t the same senior citizen again.
Myself, I retired at the young age of 65 and decided to write my first new book about Seniors(50 Plus) empowered to become Entrepreneurs. The book is titled, Encore! Encore! Seniors(50 Plus) As Entrepreneurs: Their Time Has Come self-published by Lulu.
If all of us Seniors get together not only in the United States but around the World I have no doubt that we can make a big difference in this world; especially in the area of Financial Literacy leading to a new Entrepreneurial life that could supplement any Government pensions received.
where to persons such as I, with a cavernous malformation or another name for my tumor is cavernous sinus hemangioma which spures off to the base of my brain, which has caused numbness to the left side of my face, double vision when I look to my left, balance problems, hearing loss in left ear, sight loss in my eyes, I drop things and what else I don’t know most I thought was just getting older, now I know is the tumor. Last 10 years the stock market and I have made bad decisions that had left me without the funds to go out of state to surgeons that have experience with this type of tumor. My husband and I made bad investments, that we are paying on, our income is enough that I can’t get medicaid, we can sell the property we invested in , three years age the two largest employers in that town moved out and young people are moving out, we are left paying on property and no one in town to buy it. Any one out there know where there may be assistant on travel, lodging, and food. VMP
OMG! I’ve been cking out SS; I’m a nurse, 62 yrs old, good health. 40G IRA & a 40 hr job; didn’t save much cause I raised my son as a widowed single mom (spouse killed in VietNam in /68)…Of course, got no help from USGov nor SS. They managed to dub me out of that as I couldn’t pay a lawyer to fight them! Managed to survive all these years & the “pennies” I earn…doesn’t keep IRS from stealing/robbing me ea year. What to do: I’m going to apply for SS at 63, get what I can. sell my car, have a huge garage sale, sell my house (still have a mortgage) to collect equity & move out of the country. Where? Anyplace but here!
I have a different story. If any of my fellow RWE’s (Right Wing Extremists:-) need any further evidence that the government as presently constituted is crazy, here it is. After reading about all these people who are out of work and taking Social Security early to get through the hard times ’round our cabin doors, here I am, still working at the same old job I have had for years, 68 years old, and receiving full Social Security as if I had retired. Every step of the way I asked the people at SS if they were sure this was legal, and they assured me that it was, and apparently they were right. I did not retire and take a different job, I am still in the same place, not retired at all. I can use the extra money, and I may eventually be able to accumulate enough money so I can retire, but it is crazy for the government to give me this money when we are all worried about SS running out of money for people who really are retired. I wish I could have had an option like what Bush tried to
It is time for a subsidized federal jobs program like the one they had in the 1970s known as the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act. It ran under Republican and Democratic administrations until Reagan killed it. Jobs were created for skilled employees caught in a recession, and there were programs for the unskilled who needed work experience and vocational training. Everyone on this blog wants to work, so why not be employed to meet some public service need offered either by government or non profits. Better yet* why not subsidize the private sector to hire skilled unemployed workers through tax incentives. Everyone who is able to work should have the opportunity. All of this wasted talent and experience!