Payroll taxes won't help low income older adults

[choie]

I'm sure I've mentioned that I'm a social worker who works with low income older adults, many of whom go to senior centers for breakfast and/or lunch or who receive home delivered meals. Needless to say, senior centers in NYC are experiencing a significant decrease in participation since the outbreak of the coronavirus here in NY. Consequently, many older adults aren't receiving meals that they desperately need. There is talk now of the possibility of closing senior centers if the virus becomes more prevalent.

So...what will happen to older adults who need these meals - who can't afford to eat, even if they have SNAP benefits. And what about those older adults who are just over income for SNAP, but need these meals because they find it difficult to afford the high rent in NYC AND eat. Not once in the press have I heard anybody ask about how this foul administration will address this need. How about plans to provide financial assistance to community based agencies so that they can increase their output of home delivered meals to people who are most vulnerable to the spread of this disease. Nope - all we hear about is a cut to payroll taxes.

[5X]

1. Won't help me or my wife, we're on SS. n/t

[Newest Reality]

2. Being in that kind of position...

I wonder what will happen to us?

There are those of us who have little or no income and are homeless, as well. It is obvious that this is not low priority, it has no priority at all.

[msongs]

3. ummm the purpose of all this is to help TRUMP nt

[handmade34]

4. yes

it is all a ploy to make trump look good

[MH1]

5. Payroll tax cuts are a lazy response to this situation

There are a ton of things that can be done to help the people who need help. But those things take money.

Cutting payroll taxes isn't going to boost the economy when people aren't going to events or stores.

In fact I find it positively evil to talk about "boosting the economy" when the things that will boost the economy make people more likely to DIE.

[gristy]

8. exactly

I don't know whether to or

[Wounded Bear]

6. Won't help anybody who's retired, like me...

you have to be on a payroll to pay payroll taxes.

[choie]

7. and I just read in a post

that Trump is considering an aid package for the oil and shale industries. Yes, those poor poor oil and shale industries who are so vulnerable to the combustibility of the stock market.

[Igel]

9. The point isn't to help those who lose income.

The point is to help the economy overall by applying something that helps a lot of those participating in the economy. Will anything affect everybody? That's pretty much a no.

Take the stimulus in 2009. Not everybody benefited. But it wasn't to help each individual. Same with the payroll tax cut under Obama.

It won't help those without an income. It won't help those with very low incomes hardly at all. It won't help a lot of teachers or government employers who pay no FICA (but many do still pay the Medicare portions).

For those there'd need to be a different kind of help, if individual income help is what's called for. (For many, it's always called for. But that's not the topic *they* are discussing, even if it is the topic we're always discussing.)

Note that a FICA cut would also help every employer, because every employee's FICA tax is mirrrored by their employer. (Of course, that's a tax deduction, so it would be partly paid back the following year as income tax.)

Note also that an FICA cut will hurt people in the long run, just as the prior cut will wind up hurting people. Less FICA = less trust fund = fewer reserves for 2036 or whenever the funds are needed.

[choie]

10. their idea

is to help employers and THEIR income. Or I should say PROFITS. The priority should be to help people who are directly affected by this virus...people who are sick or vulnerable. Not people who may lose a couple of bucks because of a downturn in the fucking market.

[Bettie]

11. It isn't about actually helping anyone

it is about blowing a hole in Social Security so that he can demand that benefits be cut.

[Sherman A1]

12. Precisely

Taking advantage of a bad situation to look good and further their ultimate goal of ending SS.

[Captain Zero]

13. It's about blowing a hole in Social Security so GOP can demand that benefits be cut. /Thanks Bettie

Exactly. They are opportunists, using this crisis to create another that furthers their intention to say look Social Security is failing we have to cut benefits.

They are Evil.

This payroll tax cut is all about dividing the country and Defunding Social Security for Seniors.