Social Security

[Guest guest]

This must be a campaign issue in 2004. Keep it going. SOCIAL SECURITY: (This is worth the read. It's short and to the point.) Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years. OurSenators and Congressmen do not pay into Social Security. Many years agothey voted in their own benefit plan. In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need to change it. For all practical purposes theirplan works like this: When they retire, they continue to draw the samepay until they die, except it may increase from time to time for cost ofliving adjustments. For example, former Senator Byrd and Congressman Whiteandtheir wives may expect to draw $7,800,000 - that's Seven Million, EightHundred Thousand), with their wives drawing $275,000.00 during the lastyears of their lives. This is calculated on an average life span for each.Their cost for this excellent plan is $00.00. This little perk they votedfor themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the GeneralFund--our tax dollars at work! >From our own Social Security Plan, which youand I pay (or have paid) into --every payday until we retire (which amountis matched by our employer) --we can expect to get an average $1,000 permonth after retirement. Or, in other words, we would have to collect ouraverage of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one month to equalSenator Bill Bradley's benefits! Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made. Andthat change would be to jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan withthe rest of us and then watch how fast they would fix it.If enough people receive this, maybe a seed ofawareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve. WE, each oneof us... can make adifference. How many people can YOU send this to?