a friendly reminder to the very serious granny starvers, in case any of them are listening:

[nashville_brook]

median monthly SS benefit is $1230.

That is all.

h/t Atrios.

[Raven]

1. And from that the government takes

out a medicare insurance premium and people who have medigap will pay a premium for that and then there's drug coverage and then..... oh, and then there is food and heat...

[nashville_brook]

19. threat of hunger skyrockets among seniors in last decade

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/03/threat-of-hunger-hunger-risk-food-insecurity_n_1475367.html

One in seven seniors in America -- some 8.3 million people -- faced the threat of hunger in 2010, a 78 percent spike since 2001, according to a study released today by Meals On Wheels, the nonprofit that delivers meals to the homebound.

The “Senior Hunger Report Card” found while the risk of hunger for the U.S. population as a whole has declined since the end of the recession in 2009, it rose for people age 60 and older, mainly among those earning less than $30,000 –- or one to two times the poverty level. (The federal poverty level in 2010, the period studied, was $10,830 for a single person and $14,570 for a couple.) James P. Ziliak of the University of Kentucky and Craig Gundersen of the University of Illinois authored the report.

[djean111]

2. Oh, y'all are just letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. Stop it!

[nashville_brook]

18. ain't that the truth.

[leftstreet]

3. SS should be increased

But the politicians have us debating cuts instead

DURec

[kimbutgar]

4. They don't seem to realize if you starve granny and take away her social security and Medicare

Families will have to take in granny and pay for health care and daily care. Fools.

[nashville_brook]

5. they don't care b/c they can afford to hire help for that.

the rest of us will be unable to take those jobs we're required to have in our 60s b/c we'll be caring for our parents.

[DirkGently]

6. Point can't be made enough. Need does not disappear. It shifts.

So not only SS recipients will be impoverished, indebted, and damaged. Every family that has to make up for the reduction in benefits will be damaged as well. Healthcare is a similar burden shifting situation. If people don't have reasonable access to affordable care, we still all pay.

Of course, the implied rightwing / corporatist / Third Way solution is that we start putting people on icebergs and setting them adrift.

Rather than, you know, raise taxes or cut defense spending or something.

[liberal_at_heart]

7. My dad gets about $1000/ month

[Downwinder]

11. Same here.

After Medicare, Medigap, and Part D. That leaves about $700.

SSI would be about $900 with Medicaid.

[nashville_brook]

13. hunger among seniors is skyrocketing.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/03/threat-of-hunger-hunger-risk-food-insecurity_n_1475367.html

One in seven seniors in America -- some 8.3 million people -- faced the threat of hunger in 2010, a 78 percent spike since 2001, according to a study released today by Meals On Wheels, the nonprofit that delivers meals to the homebound.

[nashville_brook]

16. also, from same article as above:

The “Senior Hunger Report Card” found while the risk of hunger for the U.S. population as a whole has declined since the end of the recession in 2009, it rose for people age 60 and older, mainly among those earning less than $30,000 –- or one to two times the poverty level. (The federal poverty level in 2010, the period studied, was $10,830 for a single person and $14,570 for a couple.) James P. Ziliak of the University of Kentucky and Craig Gundersen of the University of Illinois authored the report.

[In_The_Wind]

8. It isn't easy stretching the dollars.

[Octafish]

9. What is it with you bleeding heart liberals?

It's not like old people matter, otherwise we'd make it a law that they would enjoy their golden years with good housing, food, clothing and total respect after working away their own youthful years to make America a better nation.

[nashville_brook]

12. so true.

[Downwinder]

15. They won't let you die. Adult Protective Services

comes along and wants to put you in a facility.

You tell WH.GOV, if they are going to cut SS they need to send out euthanasia pills rather than starvation, and they lock you out and refer you to a suicide hot line.

Quality of life might suck but it is better than being locked up in a for profit facility and a whole lot cheaper.

[Warpy]

10. And they have birthdays every single year

and those birthdays are going to add up, too. One day they'll be living on that little and they'd better be prepared for it.

I always wanted to be a fly on the wall when those granny starvers turn 50 and realize they aint rich yet and never will be and that the Social Security benefits they railed against all their lives are the only things between them and starvation.

[sabrina 1]

14. 'Greedy old Geezers!'

H/T to Alan Simpson btw. Credit where it is due!

[Downwinder]

17. What is he having to survive on, $100,000+ per year?

But I am sure he has expenses, like transportation, phone, TV, AC, etc. that he has not had to get rid of.

[sabrina 1]

20. He is surviving on the generosity of the American people who are most likely

paying for his Health Care and his pension, not to mention all the investments he has thanks again to the American people who elected him and put him in a position to know what to invest in.

I wonder is he willing to take some cuts in his HC, or to pay for it himself since he can afford it? We can't keep supporting these wealthy Govt Welfare recipients who really do not need our assistance.

[Egalitarian Thug]

21. K&R There are so many other things we can do, this is a disgrace. n/t

[Curmudgeoness]

22. The "new" death panels, brought to you by the GOP.

Their outrage over the non-existent death panels in the ACA seems hollow.

[Skidmore]

23. Borrowing this.

[SoCalDem]

24. My SS per month is $834.00

Lucky for me, I don't have to "live on it" alone.

[nashville_brook]

28. i have no choice but to die young or keep working.

[sunwyn]

25. My mother's social security is 671 bucks a month.

She will get a 12 dollar raise in 2013 but Ohio Job and Family Services will be taking her Medicare supplement and cutting her food stamps by 13 bucks.

[nashville_brook]

27. it's sickening this is happening.

who can live on $670 a month?

[DrDan]

26. simply criminal that our legislators would be discussing cuts

[RebelOne]

30. I receive about $1,430 a month, minus my Medicare,

which gives me $1,360 a month and it is not easy to live that. Fortunately, my living costs are low. I live in a mobile home that I own and only pay a monthly lot rent of $377, which includes garbage pickup and water. I do not have any credit cards and will not ever have any again because I went into bankruptcy because of them.