Of COURSE not. SS is something we all paid into our whole working life. It's OUR MONEY not the government's. It's not an entitlement.

Yes, it should be phased out. Why throw money into something that is going belly up and your not going to get your money back anyway. That's insanity. It's the highest tax I pay.
As for federal workers losing their jobs, welcome to the real world. Some years back politicians had an idea to "encourage" lenders to lend money to anybody and everybody so they could get a home, even if they couldn't afford it. At the time a construction company I had been with for some time was training me to be a superintendent. Unfortunately, the politicians everyone own a house bubble burst and I lost my job through no fault of my own. I guess it's time for the public sector to feel what the private sector has had to deal with for some time. It sucks, and I hate it for the folks who really don't deserve it because they are truly doing worthwhile work. Life at always easy.

So Steve, do you have the same attitude with the U.S. military...? En E-7 with 12 years in gets told, even with excellent annual reviews, "Sorry, we have to cut back, just go away and thank you for your service." Is that how it goes with you..?

Tell us how long you've been in your longest private sector job and if you think you didn't deserve to finish out a career there if you did a good job for the company and general society and really liked doing what you did and thought you made a difference? I suspect not.

If that what's really counts, there's no allegiance to any social construct, if not a legal construct, then were all just mercenaries, and the only real limits are who has the power over the other based on any means. That's not a world I choose to live in, but yeah, if we all what to live that way, then bring it on and we can all go down swing away at each other. I'm not afraid of dying...

I've never seen entitlement on display like this before.

I was always at my employers wishes, that's why I went into business for myself.

Would SSA be going belly up if there was no fraud and congress didn't dip into it?

It is pretty common for the military to make cut backs. Some times it is done by the job you do and other times by rank and when your hitch is up. I was in 20 years and ducked the cuts a few times, by dumb luck.
Think Congress took oath to the U.S. Constitution when they took the job, and look where that has got us. I can't say it has seemed to help any.

I guess we'll never know but at least it sent a man to the moon.
I wonder how the Pittman-Robertson fund has kept itself from being raided?

What makes you think it was never raided? I have faith that Congress is getting rich on side tax dollars.

Roger, I believe the military is an exception. It doesn't compare, But remember the scenario you listed happens every day in the private sector. Every day!

I've been in my current position for almost 25 years. There is no guarantee, my job is at some risk every day based on the decisions that i make, decision made by others that work under me, based on my crew and the company I work for is profitable, based on if we get the contract renewed, I could be replaced by someone who is better. If my company doesn't get awarded some bids this spring some people may lose jobs and it's like that every year.

After the melt down in 2008 alot of guys lost jobs at my company, my income was cut down by a third. During the Plan demic it was the same scenario. I


I understand that you are concerned and anxious about your job and the rest of your career and I feel for you and I get it I truly do. I also feel the same way about my friends that work at a company up here who is shutting their doors May 22. 420 jobs lost. I worked their 30 years ago and I have friends that have been there for 40 years.

Every private sector company goes through it, every one, they get bloated and then they trim the fat. When has the government ever trimmed the fat?

During the 2020 and 2021 pandemic fiasco I had many co workers whose income was dropped by 30 to 40 percent yoy because of less hours worked. I was lucky I was willing to travel to a different state to work so didn't see that same loss. I didn't see any of my government friends go through that. In fact lots got to "work" from home and made the same or more. Now many feel they shouldn't have to go in and they are as productive as before. I don't buy it

It's called capitalism and it's heartless. I don't "deserve" anything and I wouldn't have it any other way. I have built skills over a lifetime that transfer and if I lose my job in the morning, I'll have a new one within three phone calls and it could very well be a better job. Like you I would like to finish my career where I am at and I have passed opportunities because of it.

The social construct you speak of is the road to socialism, I'd prefer not to go down it.

Yes, eventually.

And it's a misconception that congress raided the SSA. It borrowed from the fund and has been paying that back with interest. Minimal interest but the rate they were paying ever other bond holder. At the rate we are going those borrowed monies will be paid back and then it's going to get interesting.

True. I'm sure the "them" that teaches sexual fluidity in the work force for the USFWS draws a check from those funds.

I think you missed the point. They will be lucky to trim employment by 25% The 100 billion is never going to happen. The math ( yes I have a math education ) tells you are pissing in the wind unless you deal with wealth transfer programs like SSI, Medicare, and Medicaid. By all means cut, but you could cut the entire discretionary budget where the government actually provides services for taxpayers and still be running a deficit. This is not a secret. This has been known for over 20 years.

What does taking an oath to the Constitution have to do with whether or not the government needs to be trimmed?

No I didn't miss the point and I know the point you are making very well.

The math is we are not going to ever balance the budget without increasing receipts.

I think you are well aware of my personal thoughts are of how this will all end.

The military is not a guaranteed employment plan. Only the length of your enlistment. Usually 4 years. If you don't make rank, dont maintain physical fitness requirements, you dont reenlist. Why should non military government jobs be any different?

It is certainly possible the dollar could collapse. It is a certainty that printing money needs slowed. 2-3% inflation is sustainable. What we have enjoyed the last few years is not.

IMO printing to much money, or in the modern world just adding to much money into the computer, is the driver of inflation. People accept the dollar has value. We all use it. If that changes it will be bedlam.

SS dollars are included in the Fed tax receipts this was done so politicians could get their hands on it to borrow and then pay a crappy rate back in. SS is self sustaining but not for long, many people keep saying the budget is out of control because of SS which is not true at least not yet. The increase in Medicaid is a result of Obama care, if memory serves 1 million people signed on to Medicaid from Ohio the first year after O care became law and now 20% or so are on it in the US. The only fix is raise SS and Medicare tax and push the retirement age back. We keep kicking the can down the road and we won't have a can or a road.

2019, the gov't spent 4.4 trillion. Last year they brought in 4.9 trillion in revenue.

If we get back, even close to the spending of 2019, with our revenue increase we'll surpass balanced.

Govt employment grew by 700,00 in 2023? Federal by 80,000+or-

https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2024/employment-in-government-rose-by-709000-in-2023.htm

Doesn't seem realistic but that's what the labor board has posted.

Medicaid includes disability and welfare. No cost or very little to disabled and welfare. Seniors have to pay for supplemental insurance or face huge medical bills. I believe a goal of 2-3% annual inflation is doable. Some unhappy people would be inevitable.

No, it would not. SS was originally designed to provide economic security for the elderly and reduce poverty for workers by paying benefits to retirees which would have been fine. However, legislators began tacking on amendments that altered the original intent of the program that were totally unrelated. That's why it always seems to be in financial trouble.