Will Social Security be cut while Obama is President?

[ZombieHorde]

I don't know, but sadly, I wouldn't be surprised.

[rug]

1. Of course it will but he'll call it something else.

[woo me with science]

30. +1

It may go something like this thread:


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x702233

Chained CPI: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=1399700

[bluestateguy]

2. The trick is in your wording

(and I'm not saying you mean to do this)

Obama could agree to cuts of sort that don't go into effect until years after he is out of the WH (whether that be '13 or '17), such that the planned cuts could be rolled back by a future Congress, president and future AARP lobbying effort. Remember the budget has to be approved every year. These 10 year long term budgets are all just for show. Much like the Medicare doc fix is itself a patch to prevent a budget cut from going into effect that was passed 12 years ago. It has never been implemented.

Anyway, that would allow one to say that technically the cuts would be coming on someone else's watch.

[jefferson_dem]

3. Define "cut".

I predict "reforms" will enacted, which virtually everyone agrees are needed. What those "reforms" will look like remains absolutely unclear.

[ZombieHorde]

11. Either smaller benefits or benefits for less people. nt

[Kaleva]

15. Are you talking about those who are receiving benefits now?

[ZombieHorde]

25. Both those who are receiving now and those who have yet to receive. nt

[woo me with science]

32. Ah, a potential strategy is being revealed.

It appears increasingly likely that this is exactly what we will be doing over the next months. While future retirees anticipate shifting to cat food, we will invited to argue over the definition of the word, "cut."

:puke:


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x702233

Chained CPI: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=1399700

[Vincardog]

4. He will only offer SSI cuts as the first of the worst positions he could end with and guarantee

that the radical left will be truly pissed. When the election between him and whatever a$$clown
the GOp puts up watch them blame the GD LIBERALS for not turning out to support him.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. It has been his intention all along

Remember next time, people. Politicians who employ 'ex gay' hate preachers to be their surrogates are not in anyway to be trusted. Think about it, it should have been obvious even then.

[CakeGrrl]

8. Proof?

Your conspiracy theories are heading further and further out.

Who has been hired to be a surrogate for the President? And when did this occur? What is this surrogate doing on behalf of the White House, as you claim they're on the payroll?

:wtf:

And what in the WORLD does that have to do with debt ceiling negotiations?

:wtf:

:crazy:

[FrenchieCat]

6. The cap might be removed.....

so I don't see that as a "cut". Do you?

[21st Century FDR]

12. That would be a good start.

But sadly not very consistent with things Obama has done thus far.

[brentspeak]

13. Kindly desist from spreading B.S.

The White House is not seriously pushing for a FICA cap lift, so please refrain from telling people otherwise.

[bornskeptic]

33. He has never even hinted at support for reducing benefits,

while he has suggested raising the cap numerous times. If, as you say, he is not seriously pushing for raising the cap, maybe that is because Social Security is not an urgent problem, and he has far more important things to deal with. After the Dems retake the House next year, he will probably try to get the cap raised to include 90% of earned income, as suggested by Bowles and Simpson. Until then he has to concentrate on stopping the Republicans from totally destroying the US economy.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[high density]

10. Apparently

It's currently on the block as some sort of bluff to show how inflexible the Republicans are... (A fact, of course, every sane person already knows.) But I expect the Republicans will suddenly turn and agree to this plan.

[Tx4obama]

14. The WASTE and FRAUD will be cut - but not indiviual's checks. n/t

[boppers]

16. Which will be spun as an attack on seniors.

That's what the last "fraud cut" was spun as.

[Mimosa]

18. Where's waste and fraud in the Social security WE PAY FOR?

We pay for our social security. If the same money were invested in a fund we'd get more out of it. But that would be too risky. So we do accept lower returns. The politicos use SS money to fund other programs, right?

[21st Century FDR]

19. If you really want to cut WASTE and FRAUD

Start with the "defense" industry. I can think of a half dozen illegal occupations which can be ended immediately. And not another goddamn penny to the likes of Blackwater and Haliburton.

[Mimosa]

17. In a just world Social security would be INCREASED. n/t

[bhikkhu]

20. if you count adjustments affecting retirees in 2075 or so...

which is about all that has been discussed, as far as I know.

Social Security is basically quite sound for the next 25 years or so, and nobody has seriously suggested cutting anything before then. The basic idea that both parties take is that having paid into the fund constitutes an agreement to receive the expected benefits. The government won't break the agreement, so changes need to be made far in advance.

If there are cuts, they will most likely be to benefits payable to those who are too young now to enter the workforce, and they will be very small changes.

I wish there were less exploding heads. People get so worked up, then I wonder how many will pay attention to see what actually happens, instead of going off manic onto the next fantastic bit of misinformation...

[zalinda]

21. So, if it's not happening to us, it doesn't matter? n/t

[bhikkhu]

22. If I knew 30 years in advance I'd have to work to 65

instead of working to 62, then I'd be ok with it. The important thing is that the fund as a whole is sound and works as designed.

[zalinda]

24. The one thing that would solve the problem, won't be done

you can count on it. That is to raise the social security deduction cap from a little over $100,000 to something higher. Personally, I'd like it to go as high as the pay check. I'd like to see a CEO contribute 6% of his salary to Social Security, with the company kicking in a matching payment.

zalinda

[bhikkhu]

34. "The Problem" is very much exaggerated

...as it was back in the 80's when the program was last strengthened. The cap is the obvious thing, but we could also do nothing at all and be fine for decades, depending on the overall economic health of the country.

[Safetykitten]

23. Was there really any question? To have a Democratic president doing this is beyond revulsion.

[Ice Number Nine]

26. have you ever not been revolted by Obama?

think hard.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tx4obama]

28. Here's a link with a long list. I'm sure there's quite of few things on there you'd like

perhaps you just haven't heard about all the GOOD things

http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/what-has-obama-done-since-january-20-2009.html

[Hawkowl]

36. A few

But quite a few more are just Orwellian doublespeak. Such as the "transparency" stuff. Simply NOT TRUE. This link may work on people who have not been paying attention and especially on those who are weak at math. For example $15 Billion for to help small business is like pissing on a forest fire in Yellowstone. Especially when the wars are costing upwards of $3 Billion PER DAY! Another example is the mortgage assistance/modification program which has been a craptacular failure, because it simply doesn't work. And the $60 Billion for infrastructure, again peanuts. The tax cuts are fine politically--but actually detrimental to economic recovery while the private sector refuses to invest. We need DIRECT, government investment, and employment, not wholesale attacks on teachers and public employees with the President turning a blind eye (i.e; Wisconsin).

The Wall Street reform act is a fucking joke. He should've simply restored the Glass Steagall Act. That is what worked for 70 years. He also should have prosecuted the banksters. Instead, a free pass, which reinforces the moral hazard of Wall Street and FUCKING GUARANTEES another meltdown, probably before his next election.

See the "compromises" he settled for are equivalent of putting a band-aid on a severed limb. Better than nothing, but the patient is still gonna die. His presidency is gonna die because he failed to stand up and fight--for himself!

[woo me with science]

29. +1 nt

[Tx4obama]

31. Doing what?

If you are referring to Obama cutting SS, there is NO proof of that at all.
There is NO quote from Obama saying he is even considering it.
The only thing there is is a Washington Post article that hints that he is, the article is NOT sourced and there are NO quotes from Obama in the article. And THAT article is the one that everyone else that has written articles are quoting and referring to.

So, WHAT is President Obama doing?

[great white snark]

35. +1

Thanks.

[ZombieHorde]

37. Like I said, I don't know.

No poll is about reality. Polls are about people's view of reality. This poll shows us how people who vote in polls in GD-P think about this scenario.

As of this post, there are 92 votes with 62% saying SS will be cut under President Obama. If SS is not cut, you could always bookmark this poll and pull it out the next time many DUers believe President Obama will do something horrible. Perhaps we are seeing the power the speculative reporting.