The Energon Pub

You know,I had a conversation tonight with my folks and my grandfather and the discussion was about social security.

The fact of the matter is that with all the people collecting who didn't or don't pay in(this strectches from welfare to illegals and other circumstances) there won't be a social security for me by the time I am even ready to collect.

I am lucky because I am in a union and have a pension but that won't neccesarily cover my ass all the way.

The problem is that a lot of people who aren't paying in are collecting.Or who didn't pay in what they are going to eventually get.So they rob peter to pay paul,so to speak.


I was thinking about all this earlier(hell they were even talking about it on a few tv programs) but I was wondering what will happen when they finally can't pay people?It will be gradual at first but eventually so many people won't be able to collect it(people who actually worked their ass off all their life and paid it in) that it will be quite obvious what the problem is.Can you imagine what that will do to this country.Not just the poor bastards who can't collect but to the younger people who won't ever see a dime.

That will be a pretty screwed up ordeal.Just wondering what everyone thought of that.Cause I really don't figure the government to do anything about it.

They were also talking about Houston(thats where I live) having trouble with the population increase and that in about 20 years the commute time on the freeways here will be unbearable.I'm talking about a 1 hour ride home taking 5 to 6 times that.

The problem is the people who come over here illegally and everyone in genereal(I am not completely blaming the illegals but they are just as much at fault if not more so) only want to live in the city.No one wants to live very far from it.Yeah it sux to live out in bumf%^k egypt but the problem is if everyone settles in one place then it really clogs up.They need to spread out.I am personally looking at moving at least 30 miles from Houston if not more.You can't have everyone all piled together like sardines.Eventually the can will bust and it will be crappy.

Every day they build a new apartment complex or more houses and they need to stop.That way if houses aren't for sale then you can't just throw up a 6 story apartment complex down the street and call it done.That doesn't help the problem.Plus a lot of the people that came over from new orleans...never left.With government aid and whatnot...why should they?I had a guy working with me from there and he said he just didn't feel like going back.Ok.Cool.But when 200,000 people say that...it's not so cool.


Not trying to rant or offend but I just see all this stuff really screwing up things and no one is doing a thing to correct any of it.

I believe in your right to freedomn to do whatever you want that is legal in this country but I sure think sometimes it really comes back to bite us on our ass.Maybe the government doesn't have enough say so in what we can and can't do.Maybe they do and they just don't use it correctly.But one thing is for sure.Things need to change.Or I am moving my ass to Japan.

America used to be a big ole apple pie but now its nothing but crumbs and instaed of trying to turn it into another big ole pie...people are just snatching up the crumbs till there's nothing left.

I have an easy solution.

Pass the Soylent Green. It's to your left, by the potatoes.

But yeah, I'm pretty cheesed about this. FDR wasn't counting on the baby boom when he drafted Social Security, and now we don't have enough to cover our own asses. Hopefully, I can make like my grandma and collect my great-grandkid's social security when the time comes . . . provided the US birth rate doesn't drop.

Last group to really benefit from SS is going to be the Baby Boomers. This isn't old news I'm 18 now and I have been aware of this since I was like 12 or something.

Old news. Simple fact is, if you were relying on SS to retire on, boy did you mess up. Better plan for your future a different way. I recently read an article that you can still retire comfortably if you start on 401ks and the like before the age of 25. The amount to retire starts to drop significantly after that. So start 'em if you have 'em.

Just die early, then you won't have to worry about it.

Operation Ravage wrote:Pass the Soylent Green. It's to your left, by the potatoes.

LoL! I guess I'm the only one so far to get it...

Old news, but yeah. You know something is wrong with Social Security, because hypothetically, there should always be more people paying in (able bodied working adults), than drawing out (retired folk). It should be a nice equilibrium, though obviously vulnerable to a few upsets:

1) If too many people are drawing out of Social Security. (This would largely be due to people relying on it that didn't 'earn' it.)

2) If too few people are paying into it. (This would largely be due to an increase in unemployment.)

3) If we're paying out too much per person. (Hard to imagine, b/c the old folks can hardly survive on it as is.)

4) If we're not collecting enough per person. (Maybe, I don't know.)

So, you have limited number of options. You can fix the problems above by increasing employment, increasing restrictions on who can collect, collecting more, and/or paying out less. Or, you can close down the whole program, so at least those of us who won't get any, don't have to pay any more out.

Additionally, ever wonder how much tax money is spent on running a government program that size?

Supreme Convoy wrote:

Operation Ravage wrote:Pass the Soylent Green. It's to your left, by the potatoes.

LoL! I guess I'm the only one so far to get it...

No, it's just a really old joke.



My plan: raise extraordinarily successful children.

Caelus wrote:So, you have limited number of options. You can fix the problems above by increasing employment, increasing restrictions on who can collect, collecting more, and/or paying out less. Or, you can close down the whole program, so at least those of us who won't get any, don't have to pay any more out.

Not that simple, Cael. One of the big problems is what you mentioned; more people are taking out of the system than are putting back in. And since the over-65 crowd growing every year and the under 35 crowd staying relatively small, it's not going to get better anytime soon. That's why folks need to save and invest in a 401k plan as soon as possible.

The biggest problem, though, is that one of the biggest withdrawers from Social Security is the Federal Government. Many of the (pork-barrel) projects that Congress pushes have used Social Security as a source funding their legislation and don't pay it back. Just goes to show that when it comes to your money, don't trust the Feds to keep their hands off it.

Milanion wrote:Just die early, then you won't have to worry about it.

That's what I'm planning on. I have known for years social sec. wouldn't be there for me by the time I need it. The system is extremely flawed. There is no easy solution. I don't think it can be fixed. You need to plan and protect yourself. My plan is to go before retirement age. Or marry a rich chick.

Save, save, save, invest, invest, invest. It's the only way to survive. I trust neither my employer nor my union, much less the government, to keep good on their word. Too much can(and will) happen in the next 20 yrs that I'll probably end up going to court over my pension anyways.

People are living longer, and idiots are still having babies, who in turn grow up and guiltlessly exploit hardworking people. It isn't difficult to see what all that will lead to. This counrty is going to be completely socialist in 50yrs anyway...I sincerely hope that I'm dead by then.

401Ks' are a good way to go. Unfortunately not enough info is given to peeps when they are told to invest. So many people pass on them or only put 1% into it. That's a mistake younger people don't conceive. If your company offers one, and most do, use it. Ask your bank personnel to give you a hand in choosing even if they are not the ones providing the 401K. The only problem I have with them is that If something happens in the stock market and that is where you placed 75% of your dough, you can lose a lot. Diversify and you should make money safely.
SS IS leaving the nation with an opportunity to find a better option. It's basically buying us time, but unless the feds are willing to work together nothing will be accomplished.

"Green.. they are out of the green. All they have is red and blue."

The truth is, Social Security was never ment to be the only source of income, but rather a supplement to support what you put away for retirement. Simply, they just need to cut SS by about a lot.

Of course, by not fixing Social Security, the government is driving the American public to invest more...

Ok your points are valid but the point is some people can't save money or invest.I try to and it will never be enough.

And Rodimus lantern...when you've been working a while and see how much money they take out every week it really starts to add up.Maybe it will matter more to you then.

The point is people should organize and demand answers for solutions and alternatives.Then they wouldn't be ignored.

You might not care so much about your money but I sure the hell care about mine.

primal rage wrote:Ok your points are valid but the point is some people can't save money or invest.I try to and it will never be enough.

Da, investing before the age of 25?

I'm 23 and I still don't have an income. What the hell am I supposed to invest with?

I'm just glad i don't live in the US of A.

Mind you we have our funny Government down here too, odd stuffs been happing

Everything is going crazy! We might just end up paying our taxes in Corn dogs!

Well, I'm sorry, but if you depend on social security for retirement, than you are retarded.