Obama '08?

Absolutely true. My old power plant job had me in contact with carpenter crews, and every one of them past the age of 40 was in pain from knees, hips, back, you name it. I'm just waiting for someone to pop up with the classic idea that they should show some initiative and retrain as computer programers. That was the keen suggestion twenty years ago.



That's another truth. I should add that when you hit the labor market after age 55, there is no limit to other applicants who "better suit our immediate needs. Please feel free to try again".

How would his "retirement"--I think you mean resignation (those polysyllabic words are tough, I know)--benefit Greece and Japan, specifically?

It wouldn't? You're just an asshole? Well, I appreciate your honesty.

Back when so many people were hooked on what Money Honey would say next as they played with their day trading accounts, generally watching them grow most days but sure that so long as they stayed diversified and stayed in long enough that they were going to make a killing.

Almost no one believes any of that anymore, the little guys have departed the equity markets as few believe in them anymore. We now know that what money there is to be made mostly goes to the big boys with the souped up computer trading systems.

hawk, That's not totally true. We're not the "big boys" by any means, but our investments have done pretty well with annual returns averaging local salaries - after taxes.

Conservatism is the key to investments; greed usually ends up biting people on the behind.

Some Democratic Congressmen are questioning why SS reform is even on the table in the discussions of debt or deficit levels. They are unhappy with Obama.

We spend trillions on war adventures and want to cut the age of retirement. I have known a lot of individuals just making it until they could collect medicare. Or not making it.
Not everyone waltzes with pensions after x years with one company. Some limp along, including with having to pay exhorbitantly for individual insurance as a "consultant". I was self employed for twenty two years before I just stopped. Try doing that with blue cross on lowish income in the first place, high payments and high deductibles.

A lot of us consultants or one or two person firms have done good stuff for the world and have charged reasonable rates but have not made enough to deal with the galloping insurance rates.

I question why it is on the table.
Weren't SSC funds raided earlier?
Raid the war treasury.

That results in very high workers comp premiums; and probably also affects health insurance premiums which is usually based on the average age of workers.

The California Senate is looking into controlling the escalating private health insurance premiums. I hope they succeed.

This is the one of the few times I agree with Obama's approach to negotiate with the GOP; it also matters how they revise social security for the long-term survival of this benefit.

On the latest news about the debt ceiling, Obama has suggested that he's willing to cut up to $4 trillion in spending, and that includes social security.

We'll see if the GOP is serious enough to come to any agreement.

I am hoping that this is a bluff by president Obama because if he is serious, it stinks.

You really are loathsome, H2O.

It's not a bluff, it's just another Obama lie.

MJackoff...

I agree completely with you.

Barry 'kind of a dick' Obama is preparing to spend 1 billion dollars in an effort to be re-elected.

Wouldn't it be better for everyone if he used all of that money to shore up SSC funds?

It's not a bluff; it's his way to open the door to negotiate with the GOP, but he's a bit naive to think they will play fairly.

Cutting taxes have not produced jobs as promised by the GOP, and they want more tax cuts for the wealthy. They are on the road to decimate most government programs including social security, Medicare, and Medical - the last bastion of security for the majority of Americans.

Why the GOP continues to get support from the American people is a mystery with no answer. They must be masochists who love pain and starvation.

Unemployment continues to increase, because public employment at all levels of government are being cut - including teachers.

They will destroy this country; it's only a matter of time.

Look at what's happening to our infrastructure. No economy can maintain itself or grow when a country's infrastructure isn't maintained. That's Econ 101.

SS is solvent until 2036.

Neocon Scare Tactics on Solvent Social Security

Well, in my opinion it was and is a bad idea, just more caving in to the republicans which Obama has done way too much of. Even if they were willing to negotiate, I don't think we got to give away everything in order to make them do so. There comes a time when he's got to draw the line and I think he stepped right over it.

Yes, and after that it will be insolvent. More impotantly it will be too late to fix the problem without sudden and massive changes to the tax & benefit structures and the challenges of an even more unfavorable demographic distribution than we face today. The time to fix it is already past due,