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I think most voters today are very well informed compared 10 or 20 years ago, particularly on issues that directly effect them. 80% of adults have cellphones and that means 24 hour a day news feeds. The constant barrage of political news is unprecedented. And with social media, we live in a partisan echo chamber. The problem is not the quantity of information voters receive but rather the quality.So how would you get only informed voters if not for a test?
It's like that one lady that stated she was going to get Obama money, or the woman that said everybody gets an Obama phone. These are voters who are so separated from how our country works it's almost entertaining if not for being so sad.
Don't they have to memorize all the state Capitol in 8th grade? Or is that old school now?
Well we do take a stupid drivers test every 20 years or so that a moron could pass at 100 percentNo, just things they should know about before voting. Like who is the VP? What party do they represent? Is our country in debt? If so, how much? Who is the Speaker of the House? What party do they represent? Our spending comes from what branch of government?
Just simple things that any voter should know, and we can even make them multiple choice with five potential answers. Nothing partisan like "Do we need green energy" or "does man control the climate" or any shit like that. A totally bipartisan test that no party could complain about or nothing that could be considered ambiguous.
I think most voters today are very well informed compared 10 or 20 years ago, particularly on issues that directly effect them. 80% of adults have cellphones and that means 24 hour a day news feeds. The constant barrage of political news is unprecedent. And with social media, we live in a partisan echo change. The problem is not the quantity of information voters receive but rather the quality.
Well we do take a stupid drivers test every 20 years or so that a moron could pass at 100 percent
I made a mistake I had to take a written one in Idaho when I lost my drivers license ( I had a south Carolina one)Really? What state is this in? A drivers test every 20 years? I never heard of that before.
I made a mistake I had to take a written one in Idaho when I lost my drivers license ( I had a south Carolina one)
I dont know if you do anymore
But I remember an episode of my three sons when the dad had to take another one and failed ( he was using an old study book)
No, SS retirement is not now and has not been paid out of treasury operating funds since 1940 when the SS trust funds were created. Payroll taxes flow into the trust fund accounts when received by the treasury. Interest on treasury bills are credited to these trust fund accounts. The actual checks are deposited in the New York Federal Reserve Bank. Beneficiaries are paid out of these account. Treasury bills are bought with excess funds in these accounts monthly and Treasury bills are sold back to the treasury when needed to pay benefits or when they mature and are credited to the trust fund accounts.Which was basically my point - SS is paid for from the general fund and always has been. The treasury bonds are nothing more than an accounting gimmick.
It is a liability on the overall tax receipts of the nation and the idea that the trust fund will run dry and THEN there will be a problem is a rather inane idea. SS is ALREADY pulling from the general fund and if the trust fund disappeared tomorrow, it would be immaterial to anything. It would not change anything whatsoever unless the government decided that was an excuse to stop paying benefits and such an excuse would be specious at best.
There is no real reason that they should stop benefits as those payments happen from the same source of money with the same total amounts with or without the bonds the government issues to itself and holds itself.
The entire idea is nonsensical.
Right, the Social Security trust fund contains treasury bills and cash which are it's assets. Beneficiaries are paid monthly out of payroll taxes and interest with excess funds invested in treasury bills and deficiencies covered by redeeming those bills.No they are not. SS beneficiaries have zero bonds in their name.
You know that as well. Now you are just trying to wiggle out of your own claims.
Show me ONE SS bond that is carried by the 'beneficiary.'
Right, the Social Security rust fund ...
Actually the fund has about 2.8 trillion dollars. The fund will be depleted in about 12 or 13 years. At that time one or more of several things will happen:
What we should be doing now is increasing retirement age by 1 or 2 year and increase payroll taxes by .4% to bring it up to 7%. This will add at least 10 or 15 more years of life to the fund and when interest rates go up as they must eventually, it will extend the life of the fund even further. Congress will decide on a combination of the above, hopefully sooner and not later.
- Social Security checks will go down by 25% so contribution will be equal to payouts.
- Employee and Employer payroll taxes will increase
- Retirement ages goes up
- Some benefits such as survivor benefits or disability decreases
- Government makes up the shortfall by paying it out of mandatory operating funds requiring a tax increase.
The high inflation which is forcing S.S to pay a high COAs while treasury interest rates are in toilet is draining the fund such that it might not even last 12 years.
I agree. I corrected it. It is no long the Social Security Rust FundOkay. I try really, really hard not to jump on typos or misspellings. It's cheap. And petty. But this is pretty funny ...
If the only thing that interest them in the election is a candidate that agrees with them on abortion or taxes, or a bond issue to build a new high school, what difference does it make whose the Speaker of the House or how much the national debt is. Essential all adults should have a voice in how their government is run, particularly on issues or candidates that they have interest.No, just things they should know about before voting. Like who is the VP? What party do they represent? Is our country in debt? If so, how much? Who is the Speaker of the House? What party do they represent? Our spending comes from what branch of government?
Just simple things that any voter should know, and we can even make them multiple choice with five potential answers. Nothing partisan like "Do we need green energy" or "does man control the climate" or any shit like that. A totally bipartisan test that no party could complain about or nothing that could be considered ambiguous.
If the only thing that interest them in the election is a candidate that agrees with them on abortion or taxes, or a bond issue to build a new high school, what difference does it make whose the Speaker of the House or how much the national debt is. Essential all adults should have a voice in how their government is run, particularly on issues or candidates that they have interest.
It would be great if voters were knowledgeable of the candidates, the issues, politics, and government but many if not most voters are not and that is no reason to take away their right to vote.
And where, again, do the funds from the redeemed bonds come from?No, SS retirement is not now and has not been paid out of treasury operating funds since 1940 when the SS trust funds were created. Payroll taxes flow into the trust fund accounts when received by the treasury. Interest on treasury bills are credited to these trust fund accounts. The actual checks are deposited in the New York Federal Reserve Bank. Beneficiaries are paid out of these account. Treasury bills are bought with excess funds in these accounts monthly and Treasury bills are sold back to the treasury when needed to pay benefits or when they mature and are credited to the trust fund accounts.
What is being payed out of operating funds is SSI, Supplemental Social Security Income which provides a benefit for those so badly disabled that they can not work. Although this program carries the name Social Security and is administered by social security it has been funned out of the general fund since 1974. Unlike the Social Security retirement system and Disability Insurance, SSI is a welfare program. It replaced the federal-state adult assistance programs.
The Social Security funds are trust funds which are legal entities governed by the trust documents from the1940 legislation, not to be confused with various goverment accounting funds such as the Operating Fund, Emergency Fund, etc. These trust funds are administered by a board of trustees, 4 are cabinet secretaries and 2 appointed by the president and approved by congress.
The 6.6% S.S. payroll taxes and matching funds from employers plus treasury bond interest is the sole source of funding of both of the Social Security Retirement Fund and the Disability Insurance Fund. SS is required by law to invests account balances in treasury bills monthly and redeem them when money is needed to pay benefits or when they mature.
Yes, assets held by one section of the government and liabilities held by another section of government.Right, the Social Security trust fund contains treasury bills and cash which are it's assets. Beneficiaries are paid monthly out of payroll taxes and interest with excess funds invested in treasury bills and deficiencies covered by redeeming those bills.
It's a different class entirelyIt’s still income
Sure lol
Yes IF they choose to take advantage of them.Lol. Everyone?
WHaaaaaaPlease read the Propublica series I linked above. Are you aware many billionaires have paid zero to almost nothing in income taxes for many years? If you think this is just fine, you’re crazy.
Are you aware money buys political power? If you aren’t, please get informed before posting again.
