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In reply to the discussion: Look folks, politics aside, we might have to cut SS benefits 30 years from now... [View all]democrattotheend
(11,607 posts)I live on a pretty tight budget but I will admit that I have never worried about starving or being out of a home. So I apologize if I sounded insensitive.
The point I was trying to make is that seniors are not the only ones who struggle, and in fact, statistically they are the least likely age group to be struggling. So I think those who claim to be progressive, even those who are struggling, have an obligation to care about whether there is money left in the trust fund when today's single mother who is struggling to raise 2 kids on a minimum wage from which payroll taxes are deducted retires.
I don't want to minimize anyone's struggle, but I take offense with the attitude that it doesn't matter whether future generations face draconian cuts as long as those who are struggling today don't. Members of my generation will arguably have it harder than today's seniors trying to earn a living and save for retirement in a world where employers view their workers as completely expendable, fewer permanent jobs with benefits exist, and defined benefit pensions are almost non-existent.
So IMO, the best solution is to protect those who are struggling now while asking wealthier workers and retirees who are not struggling to pay a little more to keep the system solvent. And the president's proposal for chained CPI would do to an extent by setting a floor for SS benefits at 150% of the poverty line, which I think would be a slight increase for the poorest beneficiaries.