Both political parties like to use SS as a cudgel against the other party. So the only way the politicians will ever do anything to fix the problem is if they are all locked in a room with lots of food and drink and no bathroom facilities. I expect it would only take them a month or two to come up with a real solution that observers on the outside would agree would work.

A couple things, SSI is already drawing from the so-called trust fund. The 2034 figure is when that trust fund will be depleted.

Why should any fix require future generations to pay for promises made by past generations to themselves?

There are way too many people in this country who hardly worked and draw a check of some sort and I know a few.Sad how broken this system is.

What's the going "match" in your employer sponsored 401K? 2%? 3%? so you're putting 4-6% of your annual wage into your retirement account.
This money is yours in actual dollars (minus the income tax owed) and can be spend or left as you see fit.
when you pass the money will go to beneficiaries.
If you pay all your working life into SS, and retire and live only long enough to collect for one month it's all gone..
how much money do you suppose you'd have if you could have your SS contributions into a retirement account rather than ponsi scheme it to the gov't?
(There would have to be an income insurance or something similar in lieu of what is now SS disability.)
I'm afraid that when SS went into effect, there were people who paid in nothing but collected, and when it ends there will be people who paid in for years and collect nothing.

You have that backwards. The illegals pay into SS but get no benefits. Fake SSNs.

Yeah too many lazy people on welfare.

Nice test steven. Ponzi schemes always fail.

Contrary to popular belief, Social security does not have its own pot of gold. When the time to do budgeting comes its all about allocating money to what obligations. This will mean tighter budgets for certain departments. When I was in middle school they were telling us that social security would "run out" by 2020.

Yup

That would be SSDI social security disability insurance) and I strongly agree that its a very abused system that needs to tighten up. If you can play video games all day or be a keyboard warrior... You can work

I'm glad I'm not the only one understanding this. Thanks Dan.

So when I got disabled at 50 years old after paying taxes my whole life, I worked on the books since I was 14. 36 years you think I should go on welfare? And not collect what I paid into? To quote Buzzy, you sir are a "suckhole"

Why should you care what government tit your check comes from? Many on disability can do some form of work. I refused disability 10 years ago....Why? This suckhole has PRIDE and knows how to make money with my experience and knowledge, just don't use my back anymore than I have to. Now back to you, you claim disability at 50 years old. Yet you run a trap line, trap beaver at that. Then lets refer to your posting as recent as 8-21-21 #7328224, Mark Junes "Obesity a real health threat". In that thread you claim to be, 6 foot tall, 300 # and very active!! You then thank the good lord for your good health everyday!! So before calling someone a Suckhole, You maybe should thank them for still working hard paying into a government system, that you sir seem to be sucking the tit of. Your posting history is not the picture of a disabled person, unable to earn a income in some form. 40 years of work must make you feel entitled. I passed 40 years of work 5 years ago and am still working and plan to work for another 10 or more.

My question is what happened to the money saved by having over 500,000 people over 65 that died of COVID. If they averaged $1000 a month that would be $500,000,000.00 a month in savings. Hmmmm!!! Just asking?

FDR was correct. Secure votes forever more with cash.

Did we think they were sitting at a vineyard sipping wine and smoking cigars worried about Fred and Susie and how Fred and Susie were gonna make ends meet and wanted to help 'em out of that pickle?

From a dumb young age, based on all I could see happening around me with sex, drugs, and rock and roll being the pleasures of the day....
I figured my virtues better be >>>> keep my head down, zipper up, work hard, stash cash, eat right, drive safe, be home early, get up early, do things right...,
and not depend on the masses who live their lives partying like it was 1999.

My grandpa owned an orchard and was pretty perceptive (see the above list of virtues).
Thanks gramps!

95% of Americans are financially enslaved meaning they do not have the means to make the choices they'd make if they had the bucks.
In the richest nation ever in human history....
almost all are enslaved.

FDR and JB and the ones to come next ALL KNOW THIS.
And spend the people's $$$$ (and much more) accordingly.
"Vote for me and I'll set you free!"
Ah yes, that old song by the Temptations.
How true.

Well done.

Instead of tighter budgets for some departments, they should be eliminated all together. I'd start with the biggest waste of money, the Department of Education.

No. The total net worth of all combined millionaires and billionaires in the US is about 1.5 trillion. The Gubmint goes in debt more than 1.5 trillion annually. It's unfathomable how much money a trillion dollars is.

We're handing off a different Federal balance sheet to our grandkids than grandma and grandpa handed us.

I would take that also....I have saved and planned like Soc. Sec. never existed. Many ways to earn a living if one wants to use their head.