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In a bid to show voters his administration is concerned with reducing wasteful government spending, President Obama signed a bill aimed at cutting improper payments to individuals, organizations, and contractors.
The White House says payments made in the wrong amount, to the wrong person, or for the wrong reason totaled nearly $110 billion in 2009, the highest amount to date. The president noted that the $110 billion figure was more than the budgets of the Department of Education and the Small Business Administration combined, calling that "unacceptable."
The Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (IPERA) is aimed at cutting such payments by $50 billion between now at 2012, through increased recapture auditing and other payment monitoring.
"We have to challenge a status quo that accepts billions of dollars in waste as a cost of doing business and enables obsolete or under-performing programs to survive year after year simply because that's the way things have always been done," Obama said during brief remarks in the State Dining Room. "When we continue to spend as if deficits don't matter that means our kids and our grand kids may wind up saddled with debts that they'll never be able to repay."
Even as the slow pace of the economic recovery has raised concerns among businesses, investors and consumers, many in the halls of Congress and the White House have been engaged in a debate about whether more federal stimulus is needed or whether the government should instead focus on deficit reduction. The discussion has even gone global, with European governments -- notably the coalition government in the United Kingdom -- determined to slash spending and Obama arguing that too much focus on deficit reduction could hurt the global recovery.
The president has argued for more help for states facing budget shortfalls and to boost lending for small businesses, while also showing a commitment to getting the nation's fiscal house in order by establishing a bipartisan debt commission to look at ways to reduce the deficit and by calling for a three-year freeze on non-defense discretionary spending. Obama said the freeze would reduce such spending to its lowest level as a percentage of the economy in 50 years -- or, as he put it, to the "lowest level since JFK."
In naming Jacob Lew as his choice to replace outgoing budget chief Peter Orszag -- who sat in the front row at today's event, the president made a point of noting that Lew was the only head of the Office of Management and Budget in history to have presided over a budget surplus for three consecutive years, a comment he repeated today.
Among examples of the kinds of payments the new law aims to stop are the $180 million in benefits paid out over the past three years to some 20,000 dead Americans and more than $230 million in benefits paid out in the same period to roughly 14,000 fugitive felons or people in jail who were not eligible for benefits.
Also on hand for the remarks where Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Tom Carper (D-DE), as well as Reps. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) and Dina Titus (D-NV).
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So what was Ms. Sherrod's salary at the Ag. Dept.? I've seen it listed as high as $300,000.
If accurate (and given that it's the feds I'm guessing it is) what is being done about that? Here in Ca., in a little place called Bell (LA area) the city manager makes nearly $1 mill a year.
What about all the waste in inflated government salaries? Let's start there, it'd be real easy.
Give me that chain saw. I'll cut some costs.
Let's cut the salaries of people that do NOTHING, Congress, and the Senate and work our way down the food chain.
Absolutely agree!!! That is exactly the place to start!!! Politicians should get cuts to their salaries and benefits packages. Let Folks like congressmen and woman get social security etc.. like the rest of us rather than the packages that most Americans can never even dream of. Cut their vacation pay and demand a hell of a lot more work hours. Tie pay to productivity. Start that from the top, POTUS on down through out federal government. Then let's look at states goverments and do the same!!!! Sounds like the POTUS is just looking at finding waste with the small people rather then the over stuffed fat cats in the federal government. Then let's demand that Congress allow the post office to run like a normal business and let them be productive. Start with the BS retirement their forced to pay into for people who haven't even been born yet. Cut the salaries and benefits of the redundant fat cats at the top of USP, fire some of them and get rid of the deal that calls for an act of congress to allow the USPS to raise rates etc..!!!! Then let's get rid of some of the ridiculous grants the government gives for useless and unecessary studies like the mating habits of frogs etc.. Also the ridiculous spending for things like $600 hammers and $900 toliet seats!!! Politicians and government workers damn well do NOT need brand new desks and to have their offices redecorated on a regular basis!!!!
Didn't this time frame coincide greatly with the stimulus, at least for the second half of the year?
On the other hand, he says some good words about freezing non-defense discretionary spending. Just try getting anything meaningful on that front through this congress, though.
Richard-didn't the fuzzy math bother you?
Let's see-Obama admits that, since he took office in 2009, he had improperly paid out $110billion. His solution? By 2012, he will cut that amount to $50billion.
Who gets the extra $60billion? If not more.
Oh, yeah, that's our president-Mr. cool, calm, collected, competent. . .
in some other, alternate universe I don't happen to inhabit.
Yeah, the math is always fun. Actually he said he would cut it BY $50 billion by 2012, which is two years or $25 billion per year. That would also imply that the reduction is applicable to an annual baseline of $110 billion per year minus $25 billion, or the continuation of $85 billion in improper payments per year, average.
Actually since it would include 2010, it could mean that he could cut it BY $50 billion at a rate of $16.67 billion per year, leaving the baseline even higher.
Cutting it TO $50 billion is a different story.
You said something about "fuzzy" math?
Obama said during brief remarks in the State Dining Room. "When we continue to spend as if deficits don't matter that means our kids and our grand kids may wind up saddled with debts that they'll never be able to repay."
In this quote did obama become a conservative republican???
It was conservative Republican Ronald Reagan who said deficits don't matter. Obama knows that deficits DO matter. That is why he is pushing for this kind of legislation. It is called SENSIBLE deficit reduction.
Ron:
One does not have to be a conservative republican to believe that a huge deficit that our kids will have to pay for is not a good thing. Obama has known this all along even though being criticized by many on the right as being a big runaway spending socialist. The fact is Obama is more conservative or middle of the road on many issues than people may think. We hear mostly the criticism he gets from those on the right but there is a good number of people on the far left who are criticizing Obama for not being progressive enough. So you have folks on the right calling Obama a far left wing, socialist, commie and some on the far left calling Obama too conservative. Seems to me these folks can't have it both ways.
Dear CA. It's nice to see someone has noticed the reality of Obama. Obama is no liberal. That's not a judgement, it's a reality. The one issue no one mentions is that under the Obama administration, the U.S. deported more illegal immigrants in his first three years in office than did Bush in eight. Yet people keep saying how "soft" Obama is on illegals to get their vote. Another one is that taxes have actually been lower during Obama's first term than any other president since FDR. Doesn't sound all that liberal to me. You can go on and on but the truth is the GOP calls him a socialist to get votes.
John,
I hate to burst your bubble but Obama now counts all immegrants turned away at the border as being deported. It is like the unemployment numbers going up when the average hours worked is going down.. Did you know that in the US we need 150,000 new jobs per month to account for the new workers entering the workforce? but these are not counted as unemployeed because most never had a job. Did you know that if you took a part time job you not only fall off the unemployeed side but get put on the employeed side. If your benifits run out you are no longer counted as unemployeed.!
This is why i did not vote for Obama this time, no substance just smoke and mirrows, destractios from the real issues and he always blames the republicans . The leader is suppose to be just that, as the most powerful man in the world you would think he would find a way to work with the republicans. after all he is the commander in chief and since i now feel he is not up for the job, it is time to get someone who is!
Shawn--thank you--you beat me to the point on Obama supposedly deporting more illegals.
Also, I find it amusing that he is suddenly conscious of duplicate spending, when one of the first things he did upon taking office in 2009 was to appoint 30 'Czars', ALL of whom duplicated officials already in our government (many of them mandated by the constitition, and of course, as such, requiring congressional approval, and yet even with a majority control of BOTH houses of Congress, he felt the need to duplicate cabinet members that he did NOT have to get congressional approval of) and with EACH of those "Czars" comes not only duplication of the position, but also of office space, staff, equipment, and service packages, PLUS all the 'entitlements all those staffers mandate. ALL of which is duplication.
So, Mr. President, how about if you ELIMINATE all those Czars and their offices/staffs?
Facts will never sway the cool-aid drinkers who pray to dear leader...
Why don't we start with the 10 billion we send to Israel every year...why do we do that? is it a blackmail check? they certainly are not an impoverished country!
I agree, not only should we stop sending money to countries who clearly don't need it but we need to bill Iraq for the war. We should have as part of our turning the country back over to them made an agreement for increased oil delivery at a reduced price. They should pay in full the price for the war including payments to the servicemen and women familes who lost their lives in the war to set them free.
Why don't you ask why we are sending billions to the Muslim Brotherhood and to countries that hate us and want to see all Americans dead???
What puzzles me is why you would need to pass an "act" to do something that already should have been done.
You would think so, but common sense isn't common. This is another one of those cans kicked forward for decades. No one wanted to wade into the weeds.
Speaking of "common sense" every Republican campaign ad I have heard around here (Missouri) as of late has had the phrase "common sense policies", but there is never any description of any of these "common sense policies" that according to these candidates is sure to right the ship for all of us, then comes the part about taking our country back followed by various rants about how evil Obama is, the ads this year are unbelievably ridiculous and empty.
It's called, "enforcing the laws we already have".
To make the news.... That's why Oblunder does anything... in 2007, we were only spending $2.7 Trillion a year... cut our spending to that, and we won't add any more debt... no borrowing.. no money printing... just pay as you go.... oh course the public union payoffs, the green boondoggles, the majority of govt workers would have to go....
Just watching CNN, I caught a segment about 3,200,000 Job opening's across America. Maybe these job's are'nt in your neighborhood, but their there. Some, looking for job's may consider moving, if your circumstances permit. We all know some can't, but that does'nt mean you can't commute back & forth to these job's.
Alotta folk's want that 9-5, where they can be with thier kid's, family,etc. However these days, some will havta take what's out there & if that mean's leaving the confines of your comfortable surroundings for the sake of saving what your family Enjoy's now, so be it.
Business is picking up folk's!
You Betcha!
Yes, it is. I've been seeing more and more job ads.
I am glad you noticed. Where I live we have had construction of new houses going on for a couple of years. As soon as a house is completed someone moves right into it. We see the signs everywhere announcing stimulus projects and people working on them. We have companies expanding. One who makes solar collectors will double in size to well over 500 people within a few months. Silicon Valley is booming again. Yes, the recovery isn't happening over night but it IS happening.
Since Jan of this year my company has hired 5 full time employees and are looking to add 2-3 more positions before the end of the year!
PS: Off topic but did anyone else see the clip of Prime Minister Cameron complimenting President Obama on the tidiness of Malia & Sasha's bedrooms?
If that doesn't make you smile...
Rickey that is positive news, but there is no good reason that good paying jobs are not available where people have already settled, greed is the only reason they are gone in my area, that coupled with tax policies that promotes and rewards outsourcing overseas. My point is why should someone be forced to move or forgo enjoying their family so some wealthy bastard can get wealthier? Why is it in this recovery have the wealthy been allowed to maintain their lifestyles at the expense of the less fortunate? Says a lot about what this country has became.
Oh, yay-employment is picking up!
Only in those non-existent congressional districts to which we, the taxpayers, donated so many 'stimulous' funds.
I'll be sure the DNC knows you got the talking points out, but I have to ask: does it never occur to you that spewing this nonsense goes even further toward convincing the electorate that you think that they are idiots?
Yes NJALLBLOW,all one has to do is read Anything You post, to know that YOU are an IDIOT !
But since you're so gr8 with the Crystal Ball, Magic 8 Ball & all other Magical notions, such as Obama will resign in Disgrace, we expect as much from You!
Here's an idea "no joe blow", we should greatly reduce taxes on the wealthy but keep spending like drunken sailors, put enough loopholes in our corporate tax code so as to allow them to pay absolutely no taxes, deregulate everything because everyone knows that all the banking/Wall Street types can be trusted to "do the right thing" without any supervision, start a couple of un-funded nation building efforts (we can keep them off the books) pass a trillion dollar un-funded prescription drug program, and for sure we need to pass legislation that promotes sending all the well paying middle class jobs out of the country, then just kick back and see what happens, how does that sound no joe?
Oh wait a minute, after doing some research it would seem this plan was already implemented by the Republican party several years back, sorry for my oversight. How did it work out for you guys blow joe? Maybe it will work better next time.
The Democrats can run on that this year. "Unemployment is 10%, but look at all the job ads!"
All for temporary government jobs probably.
We all work temporarily for the government each year to pay our taxes. Temporary jobs , 3.2 million of them, should increase demand for products and services.
I wonder what has taken so long. It would seem to me that if the Republicans were so bent on cutting, cutting, cutting more and more that this would have already been done years ago. Yes, Repubs. we were paying entitlements to people who didn't deserve them like dead people or prisoners who are housed, clothed and fed by us in another way. And to think we did it without hurting regular hard working people who are just trying to obey our laws and to support their families.
Adler-did you miss the sentence that stated that this was the 'highest amount to date'?
The Obama administration has raised this level of incompetence to an art form.
No worries, though-They improperly paid out 'historic unprecedented' amounts, but they will cut it in less than half-in two years or so.
When he gets around to it. After those who are the 'truly needy', despite being dead or in jail, get theirs.
Not to mention those who will continue to receive unwarranted taxpayer funds.
Wonder how he'll find a way to blame Bush for it?
You go Joe!! And who is the mindless twit that is signing the checks that are being issued to the wrong people, in the wrong amount, etc????????? Obama (or someone else) needs to find that idiot immediately and shoot him/her/them!!!!
This idea was originated on the REPUBLICAN web site that asks all Amercians for ideas to save money and then vote on them and was probably stolen by the DEMOCRATS... but lo and behold all the people on the podium today when the President signed it into law were DEMOCRATS. Is not there a penalty for thief in the US or was this a smple slide of hand by the DEMOCRATS? If the DEMOCRATS would allow more of these money saving REPUBLICAN ideas to be voted on, then we would begin to see how much money savings the Republicans could introduce into Congress when they take back power. Great idea that was 100% voted on by House and Senate, but let's be honest about where it came from!
I guess Susan Collins (R) ME does not count as a Republician?
Really, she doesn't... she's a RINO and was part of the small group of RINOs that made Oblundercare possible.... just like her Maine compadre Olympia Snowe and like Ben Nelson (the Cornhusker kickback bribe guy)... the RINOs are slowly but surely getting replaced by people with principles... not those that will take a bribe to allow travesties......
To Fed up Senior,
I have to agree with you when so much has been said by this elect and so little can be trusted or believed in. When you consider his "tranparency retoric " and what has become a matter of fact, I am in total disbelief that he got reelcted and can now squander and lie for another 4 years. My Prayer, God help us undo all that he has screwed up. I'm sure he'll be able to thank his wife someday for supporting him after he is finally out of office. I'm thinking now that is why she is trying so hard to get something going before he is finally thrown out. Just what future awaits this guy after 2016 is looking very grim.
Why is it whenever deficit reduction is mentioned the disclaimer "except defense spending" always is in there? When they say "defense spending" does that include the two nation building programs we have already wasted over a trillion on? It's ok to cut Social Security, Medicare, education, infrastructure, taxes on the wealthy anything "except defense spending", looks like a person needs to get into the defense business due to the apparent endless amount of money that can be spent on it, we will be spending hog wild on defense until there is nothing left to defend.
Defense just took the sequestration hit moron... and SS, Medicare, education, infr all got a pass.... guess you just blather without thinking....
You'd think this would already be the standard operating procedure for government. But no, no it is not.
Next up on the bill signing docket, a bill that says everyone should be happy!
Because we've all been SNOOKERED for longer than we know.
These elected Democrats are truely at work. Leaders are elected to work on behalf of those who elected them and not just to go and sit down in Washington and read the polls while waiting for another election time to arrive. For so long, Republicans have been used to going to Washington only to spend most of their time reading the polls.
The Democrat leaders have to work round the clock as they are doing to ensure that they fixed the mess left behind by Republicans. It takes time to clear a mess and we Americans should give these leaders more time to enable them complete the process of fixing the mess by electing them in November.
Sam,did you know that the House put forth a budget proposal EVERY year, as required? They sent it to the Senate, where they didn't even bring it up for a vote. They are REQUIRED every year to have a completed budget, and still have not under Obama's reign. How can you say the Democrats are hard at work? Obama, and his Democrats are spending more money than we actually have, while the Feds just keep on printing more money. They're playing a game, and you are being suckered in, hook, line and sinker.
Almost All the jobs in my area are less than 29 hours. Many people have to get multiple jobs to survive. Small companies here are still dropping off, people are still being laid off. I think it depends on where you live.
Bill 328037: You do realize that almost all of the above comments were made three years ago. I find it hard to believe anyone who made those comments have been waiting this long for your reply.
Bill putting forth a proposal means nothing. Why put out something that you know is no good and is not going to pass. That is just another republican talking point. They knew the crap that they proposed would never make it through the senate. The house republicans didn't work with the house Democrats to produce a compromised budget they just passed a totally partisan budget. It was passed for political purposes only and not for solving the problem of our country.
Hey at least the House voted on them... the Chickens**t Senate just shelves everything... Reid wants to give his cowardly Democrats political cover....
I think there are indeed jobs available, but it's a mixed bag. Some employment sectors are growing, while others are still stagnant. For example, the institute where I teach is experiencing record levels of enrollment (of international students--I teach ESL to college-bound students); thus, we are desperately looking for qualified teachers. It's hard, though, to find people with the right mix of education (master's in linguistics) and experience. I would encourage those who find themselves unemployed and are able to possibly take on a loan--consider getting training or education in a field that has a shortage of workers. It seems we never have enough nurses, for instance. Perhaps they could finish that master's or associate's or teaching certification or whatever they've been putting off. Or maybe someone could take an entry-level job in a field that has always interested them. My husband is loathe to change jobs, but he hates his (in IT--he hates the uncertainty of losing his job as his organization may change the way they do tech support). He'd love to be a librarian or a teacher. We've been exploring ways that we could afford for him to take some classes. We are in our mid-forties, so it's a little scary to think of changing careers right now, but we may be working for another 20 years....that's too long to stay in a job that one hates or feels constantly stressed by.
Dear Bethie. You may be correct about the situation in Texas, but it doesn't hold up in all states. At our school we had a half-time history teacher opening and after posting it, we had to go through 135 applications to narrow it down to a dozen or so. I'm in one of the smallest districts in Colorado. The larger districts are getting even more applicants than that. I would agree, however, that there are many jobs in Colorado. You see them everywhere. The problem when I ask people why they haven't filled those positions: Nobody applies and doesn't want to do that job.
More on topic--I hope that this initiative is successful in identifying and eliminating most if not all of the improper payments.
"When we continue to spend as if deficits don't matter that means our kids and our grand kids may wind up saddled with debts that they'll never be able to repay."
Although I'm all in favor of not paying out billions that shouldn't be paid, wouldn't it be better to not keep increasing the deficit? How about reducing spending...
Hows that big goverment thing working out,Barry. Think maybe a few community organizers and communist radicals running the big show might not be a good idea?like maybe cons could vote and get tarp money for a jail cell .opps I meant house?Or illegal aliens who make 14000 a year could get a $300,000 housing loan with no paper work,no ss# !gee I wonder where they are now?I guess that Harvard Law thing did'nt include commonsence! No wonder you hid your grades! According to NSNBC your IQ was 125 which would barely get you in to Officers Canidate School!I guess working at Baskin Robbins when you were a kid and giving other peoples money away and being a"AVERAGE Lawyer" and a lousy state sen. who voted present 90% of the time and being buds with Resko and the other Chi. Town Crooks is just not the same as being above your paygrade.Did'nt George tell you destroying country was going to be hard?Well enjoy your vacation!
Had it been that the previous generations decided not to borrow and spend in fear of leaving us their children and grand children (the present generation) with debts, we the children and grand children would not be having the kind of things that we have at present. They had to spend heavily on research and development projects, construction of roads, railway lines, schools, hospitals, education, economic recovery, fighting wars, etc. Even though they left us with debts that we have always continued to pay, we were privileged to inherit all that they made available for us through spending.
The government has to spend because by spending, we are preparing the country for the future generation (the children and grand children) so that they may inherit from us better things and better standard of living than what we have at present. We have to borrow and spend so that we are able to continue making lots of things available for our children and grand children which they will not have to struggle to make themselves from the beginning.
This mess has been created in our generation and we are obliged to fix it without leaving it for our children and grand children. We may have to spend in order for us to fix it. If we do not spend now to save the economy for our children and grand children and just leave everything to collapse, what kind of America do we want these children and grand children to inherit.
What Republicans are saying is this; 'we Republicans created this huge mess, yes we did, but you know it will be very expensive for this mess to be fixed. It can never be fixed for free. Fixing it definitely requires borrowing and spending but if we leave our opponents (Democrats) to borrow and spend, they will succeed in fixing it and we do not want that to happen. We can not let them fix it because that will make people to like them and make it difficult for us to win again. Because spending is what will help fix the mess, we republicans must tell them to stop spending. So let us all shout together---stop spending, stop spending, because spending will make you fix the mess, stop spendiiiiiiing.'
Sam, yeah, let's look at the America we are leaving our children. I used to live in the Los Angeles area as a kid, and it was a clean, comfortable, safe place. Now, I can't even drive through it. It's full of gangs, shootings, crimes. I used to live in New York, outside the city. I drove through one day, came to a traffic light (red), and stopped. A man walked up to my car, looked in the windows, holding a large pipe, ready to bust the window if he saw anything he wanted. I went through every red light in that city. When I see an area with steel bars covering windows, doors, I leave.
Our government has become more for special interest groups than the American public - more wasteful spending, less accomplishments. It's not the repairing of our roads we need, it's the repairing of our people. We have hyphenated Americans, more concerned about THEIR needs, than we as a whole. We have morals disintegrating daily, churches giving up their teachings to "accomodate the masses", families becoming extinct. We have generally become entitled, greedy, selfish and uncompassionate. We now must be "politically correct", and are not allowed to say what we think, because we might "offend" others.
Christians are reluctant to say ANYTHING, because we will be called "hateful bigots, Bible - thumpers, homophobes, gun - toting right - wing religious zealots". We can't have the freedoms we have always had under the Constitution.
Totally agree with you Bill. Nicely stated!!!! This is exactly the kind of thing I've been saying as well.More people need to stop being afraid or intimidated by the BS PC crowd and just speak up and s ay what they really think and damned if we care what some snotty brainwashed liberal has to say in response. Many of them are so fond of calling people idiots, morons, religious zealots etc... Many need to start to wake up, smell the coffee and take a good hard look at the deterioration of this country!!!! Know exactly what you mean about once great neighborhoods being places to avoid if you value your life and it's only going to get worse if we continue to turn a blind eye to people illegally entering our country and turning our cities into the American version of their third world homes.
Sam, I absolutely agree that our government borrowed to spend on infrastructure that benefitted ALL Americans (even if they don't know it, when you improve Highways, you make better food delivery possible, for instance, when you build schools, you provide future DOCTORS, etc.)
That, however is NOT the same as deficit spending to provide so called 'entitlements' to people who have not ever, nor WILL ever be likely to be of any benefit to anyone.
Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social
Security (FICA) Program. He promised:
1.) That participation in the Program would be
Completely voluntary,
No longer Voluntary
2.) That the participants would only have to pay
1% of the first $1,400 of their annual
Incomes into the Program,
Now 7.65%
on the first $90,000
3.) That the money the participants elected to put
into the Program would be deductible from
their income for tax purposes each year,
No longer tax deductible
4.) That the money the participants put into the
independent 'Trust Fund' rather than into the
general operating fund, and therefore, would
only be used to fund the Social Security
Retirement Program, and no other
Government program, and,
Under Johnson the money was moved to
The General Fund and Spent
5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income.
Under Clinton & Gore
Up to 85% of your Social Security can be Taxed
Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are
now receiving a Social Security check every month --
and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of
the money we paid to the Federal government to 'put
away' -- you may be interested in the following:
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ----
Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the
independent 'Trust Fund' and put it into the
general fund so that Congress could spend it?
A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the democratically
controlled House and Senate.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --
Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax
deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?
A: The Democratic Party.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -----
Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social
Security annuities?
A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the
'tie-breaking' deciding vote as President of the
Senate, while he was Vice President of the US
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
Q: Which Political Party decided to start
giving annuity payments to immigrants?
AND MY FAVORITE:
A: That's right!
Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party.
Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65,
began to receive Social Security payments! The
Democratic Party gave these payments to them,
even though they never paid a dime into it!
------------ -- ------------ --------- ----- ------------ --------- ---------
Then, after violating the original contract (FICA),
the Democrats turn around and tell you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away!
Neal O - You are either a liar or seriously misinformed. Which is it?
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/03/fdrs-voluntary-social-security/
Social Security has never been voluntary and taxes paid to support it have never been deductible from federal income taxes. A widely e-mailed "history lesson" gets nearly all its facts wrong.
Dear Neal O. Okay, if S.S. and the way it has been handled over the years is so unpopular with the GOP, why didn't they change it when they were in power? The truth is, they didn't do a thing. So, either they actually support the changes or too cowardice to do it. The real truth is is that the vast majority of Americans like the program. In closing, some of your remarks are incorrect. Clinton tried, to put the funds from S.S. in a trust or "lock box," and the Republicans blocked it.
Please people, read the actual article; it isn't that long. The Act gives the government more power to recover payments that were incorrect. Period. And don't give me this is worse now because a Democrat is in office. This has been going on for decades.
Dear Neal O. "You are entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts." Your comments show exactly why people are getting sick of the Right. Do some research and you'll see that very little of what you wrote is true. Oh, that's right, no one bothers with facts anymore.
To bad you don't get or bother with the fact that dems are just as "guilty" of all the same things you blame entirely on the right!!!!!
John colorado: or comment DATES either!!!!!!!
For Odumbo, talk is cheap and actions are little. This classical pseudo politician and community organizer is a faux President for history. Where was his leadership in the first 4 years, why didnt a lot of this cut in spending happen in the first 4 years, where was his great leadership ideas for change in the first 4 years. He is an idiot and a fake. His supporters are ignorant voters who are waiting for the handouts and hopefully these beggars will not be as guillible for other politicians of the same character or lack thereof.
Odumbo is the laughing stock of the world and America should be ashamed to have him as their leader. He is bringing America into a new age of socialism and that defeats what our forefathers worked for.
Odumbo and his merry band of losers. His supporters are losers, he is a loser, his wife is a loser, his political supporters are losers. This President is writing his legacy as a loser.
Jimmy Carter thanks you Odumbo, he is looking better every day you are in office.
So I guess before this bill, it was legal to pay the wrong person, the wrong company or make illegal payments.
Isn't this the same as outlawing welfare which is giving money to people who don't do anything
Sam you are truly full of crap. I'd bet your eyes are just as brown as they can be( as well as your nose!!!!) How a person with any intelligence at all could believe your nonsense is beyond me. Democrats are NO better than republicans. They don't work any harder and many of them are bigger screw ups then plenty of repubs. Attitudes like yours don't help a single thing. All your doing is contributing negativity to an already severely divided nation. Grow up!!!!
I signed a bill into law in my house and posted it on the fridge. Now that my family has been warned that waste is illegal...it will stop:)