Bush proposes cutting SSA death benefit; we're a "BURDEN" now

[Bluebear]

WASHINGTON -President Bush's budget calls for elimination of a $255 lump-sum death payment that has been part of Social Security for more than 50 years and urges Congress to cut off monthly survivor benefits to 16- and 17-year-old high school dropouts....

Mark Lassiter, a spokesman at the Social Security Administration, said the one-time $255 benefit is paid in the deaths of some Social Security recipients but not all, making it an administrative burden for the agency.

"It bears no relation to what a person's funeral expenses are or to any of workers' earnings levels," he said. "We believe that eliminating it is not going to cause an appreciable financial hardship to a survivor."

Lassiter said the benefit is paid in cases in which a surviving spouse was living with the deceased at the time of his or her death. It is also available in some cases for a surviving spouse who lived apart and for some surviving children.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060208/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_social_security

[strategery blunder]

1. Sadly, I'm not surprised

Halliburton needs every $255 check pried from the hands of widows that it can get...because wholesale embezzlement and theft of the United States Treasury is HARD WORK!:puke:

:mad:

[bluestateguy]

2. reply

"It bears no relation to what a person's funeral expenses are or to any of workers' earnings levels," he said. "We believe that eliminating it is not going to cause an appreciable financial hardship to a survivor."

He's right. It's too small. That's why it should be raised to $2000.

[strategery blunder]

3. But, but...

Raising the survivors' benefit would mean less money for Halliburton's offshore accounts! And we have to cut taxes too! :sarcasm:

*goes off to borrow another $100 bn from China for Iraqnam*

(Seriously, I agree with you in that it should be raised to $2,000 minimum...)

[me b zola]

4. Of course we are a burden, sweetie

So we must be good little worker bees and work until we fall over dead. As long as our death puts no strain on the system, then we should be allowed to die in peace. That is, unless, some fundie decides that our death is their buisness, then we shall be a marter for their cause.

[Bluebear]

6. It's all so clear to me now!

:scared:

[cornermouse]

5. When I read this, I had the mental picture of Bush

grinding the heel of his boot down on the throats of American widows and orphans. Sadly, that's pretty much what he is doing.