Sign the Petition: Stop the 27% Cut to Social Security

[red dog 1]

Last edited Sat Dec 24, 2016, 07:29 PM - Edit history (7)

Social Security Works.org
Friday, December 23, 2016

SIGN THE PETITION: STOP THE 27% CUT TO SOCIAL SECURITY


Just before Congress left for the holidays, Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) Chairman of the House Social Security Subcommittee, introduced the "Social Security Reform Act" - an impressive wish list of devastating Social Security cuts and upper-income tax breaks.

Our friends at the Economic Policy Institute Policy Center have crunched the numbers on the Johnson plan, and they are even scarier than we thought.

More than two thirds of beneficiaries would see, on average, a 27 percent cut in benefits.
This includes:
- Raising the retirement age to 69 (equivalent to a 13.5 percent across-the-board cut)
- Changing the benefit formula (9 percent average cut)
- Slashing the cost-of-living adjustment (13 percent average cut)
- Some long-lived beneficiaries could see cuts of up to 74 percent.
- Eliminates the taxation of benefits on high earners - giving a tax cut to those who need it least while reducing revenue back into the Social Security trust fund.

Sign the Petition today opposing Johnson's "Social Security Reform Act," which cuts benefits for 70 percent of Social Security recipients.

http://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sign-the-petition-stop-the-27-cut-to-social-security

More about "Social Security Works"
http://www.strengthensocialsecurity.org/social-security-works/


Want to do more?

1) If you live in the 3rd Congressional District of Texas,
you can e-mail Rep. Sam Johnson @
https://samjohnson.house.gov
(Click on "Tell me your thoughts&quot

2) Go to President-elect Trump's website @
http://greatagain.gov
DONALD TRUMP PROMISED TO PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY
(Click on "Share Your Story&quot

3) E-mail or phone your Congressperson, regardless of whether he or she is Republican or Democrat
(Google him or her to get their website)

4) E-mail or phone both of your U.S. Senators, regardless of which party they belong to.
This is especially important if you live in Arizona, South Carolina, Maine or New Hampshire, since GOP Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins, and Kelly Ayotte publicly stated their opposition to Donald Trump.

5) Donate to Social Security Works @
http://www.strengthensocialsecurity.org/social-security-works/

6) Contact AARP
- By phone, Toll free phone # 1-888-OUR-AARP or 1-888-687-2277
- By e-mail, http://aarp.org/about-aarp/contact-us/

7) Call your local radio talk shows and let people know about Rep. Sam Johnson's proposed "Social Security Reform Act"
(Also call syndicated nation-wide radio talk shows & try to get in)

8) Write a "Letter To The Editor" of your local newspaper, stating your opinion of the proposed "Social Security Reform Act"

9) Go to Thom Hartmann Show and post your own blog (Register for free)
STOP THE GOP FROM CUTTING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS IN PROPOSED "SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM ACT"
http://www.thomhartmann.com

10) Call, write, or e-mail ANYONE else who might want to help fight Sam Johnson's "Social Security Reform Act", including Rachel Maddow, Mike Malloy, Stephanie Miller, Randi Rhodes, Ed Schultz, Michael Moore, Brad Friedman, Amy Goodman @ Democracy Now and anyone else you can think of, including Democrats in Congress, even if they are not your Representative or Senator (e.g. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN)

[OregonBlue]

1. Done and rec.

[red dog 1]

7. Thanks

[riversedge]

2. No joy in the coming years.

[still_one]

3. who in the F**K is this asshole. People have being paying into Social Security and Medicare, and th

are entitled to their benefits. THIS IS NOT A GIVE-A-WAY program.

I really wish the worst toward these peoople

[Cha]

22. As I posted down thread.. republicons get SS too.. I hope

they scream their damn brainwashed heads off in the districts.

Threaten to send someone else to congress if they cut their SS.

[Skittles]

4. THANKS TRUMP VOTERS

YOU FUCKING FOOLS

[doc03]

5. One thing I agree with is eliminating the tax on SS benefits. For a single person

what they consider a high earner is only mid $30k that was set back in 1983 and has never been
adjusted for inflation. It would save me several thousand a year and I am no damn one percenter.
Eventually it will affect couples because inflation is going to put a large percentage of them in
the high earner category.

[edhopper]

6. How about just raise the index amount

rather than give the top another tax break.

[doc03]

8. I would be fine with that, if it had been indexed for inflation back in

1983 that figure would be in the mid $80s. To be honest I am already retired so raising the age wouldn't hurt me
and taking the tax off would far outweigh the miniscule COLA we have been getting. If that isn't done most of the middle class
retiree couples will also get hit with that tax.

[hfojvt]

23. I cannot even figure what the formula is

Is it taxable over $25,000 or taxable over $34.000?

How much is taxable? The smaller of A) .85 times SSB OR B) (smaller of SSB/2 or $4,500) + .85(AGI- SSB/2 - $34,000)

would seem that at most only the amount over $34,000 taxed at $4,500 + .85(SSB/2)

Now the maximum social security benefit is $2,687 per month or $32,244 per year. So the most that would be taxable is $18,203. Meaning this person ALREADY has over $14,000 in tax free income. Plus if this person is over 65 they get an extra $1,550 deduction that a younger person with the same (or lower) income does not get.

At most the taxes on that amount would be $2,730. And this for a person making over $66,000 a year.

My last paycheck of the year says that my gross pay was $17,572 for approximately 1,145 hours of work although actually I made $1,023 for vacation days, $304 for sick days, $663 for holidays and got longevity pay of $282.5 so it was only about 1,015 hours of work. But also $1,325 was taken out of my checks for FICA and $1,054 for my pension (and I put another $6,500 in my Roth IRA to reduce my income taxes to zero - it's either that or pay $600 in FIT (actually I only need about $2,000 in my Roth to get down to zero)

So anyway, a retired person making upwards of $60,000 a year seems pretty well off to me, and I don't think they need another tax shelter on top of the $14,000 which is already tax free.

[doc03]

40. I am not going to spend an hour going thru my tax returns to explain it. Anyway

on last years return I made $19223 from SS and $13785 was taxable. Now I worked for 2 years at AT&T, 2 years in the Army and 40 years in a steel mill. SS was not taxed at all until 1983 when RR taxed up to 50% of it then Clinton raised that to 85%. The threshold for
the tax was set in 1983 at $34.000 for a single person and I think $68000? for a couple. Those figures indexed for inflation would be $82390 and $164779 today. What people don't realize we are taxed on the amount over $34000 and taxed again on the same money over the threshold on SS. What it amounts to any money I get over $34000 my effective tax rate with state tax is about 35%. The tax tables don't even go that high. Example I withdrew $12500 last year from my IRA to buy a car that raised my tax bill counting my state tax to over $4000 tax for that money. I guess until the majority of couples start getting hit with that tax nobody will care. I do my own taxes and know how it is figured, probably a majority of people have someone else figure their tax don't even realize this. I spent over 15 months on the picket line fighting for that pension. But from what I saw of your post I am a 1% er and should be penalized for working hard and playing by the rules.

[hfojvt]

41. a tax is not really a penalty

My question would be - why should somebody who makes $40,000 a year have $19,223 of tax free income when somebody who makes $19,223 in wages does NOT have tax free income?

It is highly unlikely that said working person making $20,000 a year in wages will ever make enough money to benefit from it.

If it was up to me, I would tax 100% of it for everybody - that would be basic fairness, and has nothing really to do with how rich a person is (and note, I would NOT say that only 1%ers are rich). If a working person making $40,000 a year pays taxes on all their income, why should a non-working person making $40,000 a year get a big break?

[doc03]

42. So I guess I am filthy rich, thanks. Why are you defending means testing, that is what that is?

As I said I worked for 44 damn years and paid union dues and sacrificed 15 months with zero pay to get a
pension. Now you think I make too much and I should be penalized. That is exactly why Democrats are losing
the middle class worker's vote. Like I said if it had been indexed for inflation it would now be $82390 for a single and
$164779 for a couple. Hey why don't you just subtract every dollar of my pension from my SS? Now for a someone
making $82390 a year if you taxed all the SS they wouldn't even notice it. Why should I spend 40 years working my ass off
in a steel mill with every carcinogen and hazard there is when some socialist wants us to give everything up so
someone else gets earned income credit. I think we had around 20 fatal accidents while I worked there and there aren't that
many of us live long enough to retire. I had cancer myself back in 2005 and have been lucky so far. Like I said before that is why the middle class working person has been voting Republicans in office in droves.

[hfojvt]

46. again, it has ZERO to do with how rich or poor you are

if you have income, I think it should be taxed - PERIOD.

The $20,000 guy does not have tax free income and neither does the $40,000 guy or the $80,000 guy or the $180,000 guy.

The alternative is that hey, let's just tax people who work. That seems fair to you?

Oh, and I agree, we lost a bunch of the "middle class" to Reagan, because they saw the $$$$$ and could give a shit about the poor. They've got theirs and so fuck the poor, because they want more, more, more.

And they are NOT rich, oh no, not them. Why, they can barely afford the insurance on their NEW car.

[doc03]

47. Your obtuse reply doesn't even deserve a response have a nice Christmas comrade.

[duffyduff]

9. Just because something is introduced doesn't mean

it will be law. Literally hundreds of bills are proposed.

This isn't going anywhere. Johnson is full of shit.

[Johnyawl]

16. Exactly right duffy

Schumer has already stated the Dems are going full throttle on protecting SS & Medicare. There's an election in two years and even in the red states this is a non-starter. Too many angry old white people.

[Miles Archer]

30. Depends on who's paying attention.

Too many of those angry white people are still wearing "make America great again" hats.

This has been the ongoing dream of Paul Ryan's career, and he's looking for every backdoor way he can find to kill "entitlement" programs, even if they're not "entitlement"programs.

The Republicans could give a rat's ass about "anger."

[maddiemom]

34. I'll never understand why Ryan is so obsessed with cutting S.S.

It seems like a vendetta against the retired and disabled. Oh, and the raise for next year (after NONE this year)? THREE TENTHS OF ONE PERCENT! Its hard to come up with anything much that that would buy, even on the "upper end."

[Miles Archer]

35. Ayn Rand.

"The people who suffer are best left to die."

Ryan is a Rand acolyte and requires every one of his staffers to read "Atlas Shrugged."

[Lucinda]

10. ...

[Drahthaardogs]

11. Nope

People need to experience the folly of their choices.

[Missn-Hitch]

25. I agree. May the full brunt of their policies be implemented.

I hate saying it but it's the ONLY thing that MIGHT wake people up.

Cheers.

[Wolf Frankula]

12. Signed it.

Let's slash Sam Johnson's pay. Put him and the rest of those goopers on minimum wage.

Wolf

[red dog 1]

14. Thanks for signing.

[NightWatcher]

13. Do you really think that this petition will accomplish anything?

We're in a crazy new world with an illegitimate fascist about to assume control.

[jodymarie aimee]

31. NO

In Wisconsin, We petitioned, we protested, we got 1.9million signatures, we had a recall election. NO, It will do no good, and you guys know that, too. These petitions are crap. I am sorry, but they are. The old laws don't apply, when Rs have all the power.

[paleotn]

15. Signed and kick and rec

[red dog 1]

33. Thanks for signing

[OnlinePoker]

17. Here's his congressional page if you want to contact him directly.

https://samjohnson.house.gov/

[red dog 1]

36. Thanks for that link

I wonder what would happen if he got thousands of polite but firm emails asking him to PLEASE DON"T CUT OUR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS?

I'm going to post that link at the bottom of the OP, along with a couple of others, including a link to President-elect Trump's website.
Trump promised to not cut Social Security.

http://GreatAgain.gov

[Victor_c3]

18. As a recipient of SSDI, those are fighting words n/t

[lordsummerisle]

19. K&R n/t

[True_Blue]

20. Signed & Thanks!

[red dog 1]

37. Thanks for signing

[Cha]

21. Republicons get SS too.. I hope they scream their damn brainwashed

heads off.

Mahalo, red dog

[turbinetree]

24. Done and donated

And left the facsist right wing republican a piece of my mind

[red dog 1]

38. Excellent!

Thanks for signing and donating.

[turbinetree]

43. No Problem, I am on social security and medicare

and this "twit" wants to hurt me and 36 million on SS and around 56 million on Medicare.
It is just amazing how much power these fascists are given, and when human beings come to the realization that there next ones walking up to the guillotine, they cry but, but, but, you said................. no he never said that and this includes that prick Eddie Munster, he said I want those from 1945 and 1965 (baby boomers) to be the first ones getting there heads lopped off , and then your next

[LAS14]

26. Just signed. Thanks for posting about something we can actually DO!

[red dog 1]

39. Thanks for signing

Check back later on after I post some links to the OP
(More things we can actually do)

[SaschaHM]

27. Done.

For political purposes, I hope this passes the House and gets demolished by a Democratic firewall in the Senate.

[Yavin4]

28. Sorry, I'm not signing it. People have to learn the consequences of their votes.

Without that lesson, they will continue to elect these assholes.

[Berlin Vet]

29. Eliminate the Cap

I don't understand how a program that is funded by the people that receive the benefits is such a major issue with the Republicans. I've also heard from Republicans that raising or eliminating the cap on how much of your income is subject to Social Security would not solve the looming "problem". To me it is more of an issue of fairness, since why is it that if you make 50K a year all of that is subject to Social Security? However if you make 500K, only the first 118K (roughly) is subject to Social Security, so where is the fairness in that? I believe all income, regardless of how it is defined should be subject to Social Security.
I think if the Republicans are going to go full bore on cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, they will lose the House and some Senate seats in 2018. A few years ago when Republicans tried to push that voucher for health care they faced some serious backlash and it was dropped. My congressional representative held two town halls to push that crap and the majority of the audience let her know that they did not support changing Medicare to a voucher program. And you know what, that was the last town halls she ever held, only does small group meetings with selected individuals.

[FogerRox]

44. Eliminate the Cap, and you create

a $230,000+ annual benefit.

Additionally what rich person like the President of CBS, wants to pay FICA on an additional 20 million bucks. CBS wont want to pay either.

[Berlin Vet]

48. Is It Really Impossible?

So the President of CBS does not want to pay FICA on his 20 million plus salary. And CBS would not want to pay their share as well, so eliminating the cap is a non starter because the 1 per cent would not like it? How about this, we say you will receive your 230K annual benefit but you have to wait until you are much older (say 75 plus) to get it. Or if they hit hard times they can apply at an earlier age. Of course this is all just a pipe dream until the Democrats can come back into power.

[Jim Beard]

49. Just because they will have to pay doesn't mean they have to collect.

Its a flat tax and they need more equal taxation that benefits the huge working class.

As for CBS, who cares.

[eniwetok]

32. Just when I thought GOPers couldn't get any slimier

Hold on to your hats kiddies... the psychos are in charge!

[brooklynite]

45. Perhaps the election of Donald Trump should end the notion that slacktivism gets things done.

If you care about Social Security, have the energy to contact your elected officials directly, and in your own words.