A special message of thanks for our President

Dear Mr. President,

Over the weekend I signed up for Social Security. I figured that, since I paid into this racket scheme for many years, I'd better get some of my money back before the fund is bankrupt. So, I didn't wait until I'm 70; In fact, I didn't wait until I'm 65.

I really hope you'll find a way to top up the pot and help put gas in my coach and my boat for the foreseeable future.

Oh, a little word on efficiency ......

I signed up online - an OK, but lengthy process. When I finished, I was told to hand deliver some "evidence" to a SSA office, which I duly did yesterday. Today I received a phone call from efficient Penelope at my nearest SSA office; She informed me I needed to "deliver evidence" to her office. I explained that I did that yesterday, and she responded with "it must be in my box, but I haven't checked it today".

I thanked Penelope, and also explained that, since I wasn't allowed to make an appointment (apparently a no-no if you sign up online), I really didn't mind waiting in line for over an hour staring at photos of yourself and the VP, and was especially grateful for the chairs. I also appreciated the "entertainment" when a local florist delivered a bouquet of roses to an employee; Everything stopped while the guard checked out the delivery guy, then called the lady, then physically went to get her and bring her to the lobby.

I had to ask "is this your birthday, or your anniversary?" She replied "my birthday". I wanted to lead the dozens of folks in the lobby in a rendition of "happy birthday to you", but figured that folks were already stressed out with the wait, so I just said out loud "congratulations".

Again, thank you for giving some of my hard earned money back, and please increase taxes so I can continue to enjoy retirement.

At this point, if we were still in the UK and writing to the Queen, I'd sign off with "thank you your Majesty, I remain your loyal slave subject".

Having been on the Australian pension since '99 I can assure you that you got them on a good day. Enjoy having such a good outcome, it isn't always like that LOL

And I can just imagine all those happy faces as you led them into a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday - NOT.

LOL Ian. One regret is that I didn't continue paying into the UK state pension after we fled from the KingQueendom. Heck, I might have been able to afford a new RV.

Tom, on behalf of President Barack Obama I want to thank you for your patience and understanding.

we also are amazed that we are receiving monthly checks from the SS funds that we paid into for 50 years.  when LBJ and the spendthrift congress decided to move all of the SS trust fund money into the "general fund" and issue IOU T=Bills to the SSA, I thought that we would never see a dime.  It may not last very long but enjoy it whiile you can.

no more incumbents, every again.

So much for "no political discussions" on the RV Forum?  C'mon now, guys. 

Politics and religion ... nobody ever wins when these diiscussions are held anywhere else than political/religion forums.  I might agree with you and others, Tom, and I might voice my opinion somewhere else on a forum with a different format.  But here ... on the RV Forum devoted to RV related issues?  No way!

Margi

Since we all acknowledge the system is insolvent unless we decrease benefits or increase taxes, which do you choose? 

As a young professional who has capped out on SS payroll taxes for the last several years, I believe I have as much of a stake in the system as anyone, yet I have no pretense in expecting the system will be available to me in my retirement and frankly, I don't believe it should be.  It was originally proposed and designed to keep poverty stricken elderly from destitution and homelessness during the Great Depression, not as a "retirement supplement" for the upper middle class (or middle class for that matter). 

The mere fact that the system pays benefits to solvent seniors with other retirement funds is the problem.  Paying into the system is not a guarantee of a supplemented retirement.  It is not a pensioner system.  It is a social contract promising that you will not have to suffer the humility of dying on the streets in your old age or if you suffer a disabling condition.  The sooner we, as a society, get past our expectation of entitlement, the better and the sooner we can get back to fiduciary responsibility as a nation.

If you are going to write a thank you note, you should write to Former President Mr. Walker (since apparently addressing folks by their middle name is so de rigueur) and thank him for not having the political wherewithal to push through his plan to privatize the system.  If you think the system is bankrupt now...let's sit and ponder where it would be if half the funds where in the market this last year.

I know this breaks the "no politics" rule, but since your brought it up...

I vividly remember in 1981, the special committee(a distinguished bipartisan panel BTW) to "save SS" issued their report and it said that if we would accept a massive increase in SS taxes, one of the largest tax increases in US history, then SS would be on a sound financial foundation forever.  Then LBJ and Congress decided to spend the SS "trust" fund and subsequent administrations and congressional bugeteers continued the practice.  Anywhere else, they would have gone to jail for fraud and fiduciary malfeasance.  Say what you want today... we can find trillions to bail out banks, insurance companies, invade other countries, buy automobile companies, support two wars, etc, etc, etc but when it comes to returning some of the taxes we agreed to in the early 1980's to fund SS forever, no way.  Well, maybe that's the way it is going to go but I'll never vote for an incumbent again, never.  I don't care who they are.  And, I predict, there will be a revolution when it goes under, if it does.

sorry for the rant but this is really sad and unjustified, IMHO.

My post was just my attempt at a lighthearted recap of parts of my last couple of days, and the celebration of a personal milestone. Quite honestly, I hadn't expected the system to be paying out by the time I got there. Why folks would interpret this as "political" is beyond my comprehension (sigh).

This was my first visit to a SSA office, and something of an entertaining experience. The flower delivery helped break the monotony, as did a few other "events", although some folks in the lobby apparently didn't see it that way.

I was genuinely pleased that the application process was online, and it was a good test of my record keeping from another life; I passed, and Chris is now a little more understanding of why I've kept a lot of that "stuff", some of which I haven't looked at for nearly 30 years. When she said she had no idea where her records from the prior life would be, I was able to say "I kept them too".

I could understand needing to provide hard copy "evidence", although I didn't understand why photocopies are not allowed, while the lady I gave them to immediately headed to the copy machine. I also didn't understand why the online application disqualified me from making an appointment. But, all in all, a relatively painless experience, not unlike visiting the DMV nowadays, a huge improvement from CA DMV visits of the 80's.

    No need to show up with any hard copy when I applied on line to my Canada Pension.  I guess our various computer systems talk to each other better than yours making proof redundant.  Of course, does that mean "big brother" is keeping track of us  ??? or that there is more room for fraudulent pension claims :-\

I doubt that any computer systems in North America talk to the pre-computer hand-written books at UK local registrars of births, deaths, and marriages. I was amazed to find they still write in those books by hand when we recorded the death of a close relative a couple of years ago.

OTOH there's no real excuse for not being able to find a computer record of my naturalization. Fortunately, I keep our naturalization certificates in a safe place, along with our 'personalized' welcome letters from then President Reagan. It's illegal to copy these certs, but I guess someone didn't tell the gal at the SSA office.

Anytime you go to a government office, appointment or not, take a book, preferably a long book, as you'll have plenty of time to read.  When I applied in person for SS in Prescott, AZ, without an appointment, I didn't take a book, but I did take Don Miller

I took my iPod loaded with podcasts. Turns out there was plenty of intrinsic entertainment, and I could probably have left the iPod at home.

Some people read, some watch the clock, and I observe. It was interesting to see folks, obviously not of retirement age, when their number was called, limp and struggle with their disability. Then, when they'd signed up, they made it out the door faster than I could.

Glad I don't live west of the fault line.  I don't think Jo or I spent more than 30 minutes in our local office when we signed up just prior to age 62.  The person we talked to was knowledgeable (of course we weren't and they could have fooled us) and had us out in less then 30 minutes tops.  Can't remember about the on line thing or not.  It was 3.5 years ago.

Tom said:

My post was just my attempt at a lighthearted recap of parts of my last couple of days, and the celebration of a personal milestone. Quite honestly, I hadn't expected the system to be paying out by the time I got there. Why folks would interpret this as "political" is beyond my comprehension (sigh).

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I took this as a political thread because of the title and the line about paying into this racket. I fail to see what the President has to do with any of this. But it's your forum, you can post anything you want.

Tom, on behalf of President -------, I want to thank you for your patience and understanding.

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Lou, I thought I enjoyed your sense of humor here in the RV Forum but I find this statement pretty offensive.  Maybe it's just me.    
[edit]Removed name from quote.[/edit]

[quote author=seilerbird]I took this as a political thread because of the title and the line about paying into this racket. [/quote]

To use one of your sayings, you really need to read my posts more carefully. There's nothing political in what I wrote. Apologies if you misread my words or misinterpreted my intent.

The only decoration on the walls of the lobby I sat in were a clock and photos of 3 guys, two of which were the current President and VP. In another time, thanks to term limits, they'd have been (and will later be), different photos, but that wouldn't change their titles or the subject of this topic. I didn't recognize the guy in the third photo, or I might have mentioned/thanked him instead.

I've been hearing and reading about the fund running dry for almost 30 years, irrespective who was in office or which political party was in the majority.

Substitute whatever you want into the subject line, and someone would find it objectionable.

rsalhus said:

Lou, I thought I enjoyed your sense of humor here in the RV Forum but I find this statement pretty offensive.  Maybe it's just me.   

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I found it very offensive.

rsalhus said:

Lou, I thought I enjoyed your sense of humor here in the RV Forum but I find this statement pretty offensive.  Maybe it's just me.   

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Rolf, I admit the comment was tasteless.  I've edited it to be politically correct.

Please don't blame my sense of humor, sometimes that's the only sense I have.

OMG! Maybe it was the later hour, or maybe I was too focused on my response to other messages, but I read a completely different connotation in Lou's remark. Thanks for the edit Lou.