Did the government make a Social Security goof?

Not to worry. Built into ObamaCare are health care limitations (rationing - called "reductions in cost"). That will kill a bunch of old people. And the death panels really are there, just not by that name. ObamaCare will likely follow the British Liverpool Death Protocol and send all the consumers to the US equivalent. 

How about putting accountability where it belongs!  Who was it the "foisted" this crap nonsense 401k retirement program on the general public and "removed" the once widely accepted "defined benefit" retirement????  It was our corrupt US congress at the behest of the Corporate State who is their "puppet master."  

A "defined benefit" program was supposed to be available to loyal corporate employees in conjunction with a 401k - not "instead of" a 401k.  The Corporate State needed more profits to pay the elite their outrageous executive wages, so they took away our defined retirement and shoved this 401k crap down our throats. The Corporate State "sold us out" so the greedy CEO class could get paid like professional athletes and movie stars. The Corporate State "robbed" us of a decent retirement and now they are pushing to steal social security, too. Greed by the most overpaid, under performing, and under taxed group of CEOs on the planet Earth!!!  

Having spent more time reading comments than I should have, I think we are in for a long, bitter slog before the politicians in Washington DC, take the proper corrective action.  The reason I say this is because just here on this comment blog, there are so many different opinions about what went wrong and who is to blame. 

We need first, a national discussion or seminar or something, to simply educate people on how SS was supposed to work, and how we got into this fix.  And keep the politicians OUT of it, because most of them, past and present, belong at the defendant's table in my opinion. 

Personally, as one who is close to collecting, but not quite there, I think the system should be scrapped for younger people, say below age 45 because long term, it is not sustainable unless we suddenly get a lot of younger workers paying in.  But if younger people won't get the benefit, then they shouldn't pay in either, so I do not have a solution for how the benefits will be paid to those already retired and those close to it.   The money collected once-upon-a-time is gone.  It was spent by Congress.  There is no where to "get it back" from unless the Treasury dept. sells bonds and turns the money over to the SS Admin.  All this does is add to our debt which is at  $16+  trillion.

I live off the Texas Municipal Retirement System. I retired early and thus am not bringing in big retirement money. I have a decent sum in a deferred compensation account and lucky to have no bills. Under SS, I am to get $350 per month when I turn 65 because I have enough quarters working and paying into the SS syatem before my municipal employment.. I will be penalized on the amount due to receiving a pension, but that's the whole idea.

SS was created to be a supplement to your personal retirement account that YOU created and funded. Those who expect to live on SS  alone should have understood how/what SS actually is. My fathert worked 12 years before SS was founded. He only got $800 per month. due to the low amount he paid in. If not for his military pension, he would have been financially screwed.

Retirement planning is the responsibility of every working person. Those who do not plan,may be forced to work until they die. That's how it was a feww decades ago.  

The ignorance of the american people is astounding. The facts are that SS is not sustainable in it's current format. Some reform is necessary in order for it to remain sustainable. Yet, the minute anyone mentions reform, the vast majority of the liberal politicians stand up and claim that whoever is proposing reform is actually trying to eliminate it or take it away from the elderly. The result of that, is that nothing is done and we continue marching toward insolvency of SS.

It's time that the educated and reasonable among us stand up and say, enough is enough and demand congress begin an open and reasonable debate on SS. I have several ideas on what could be done, but, based on the fiscal cliff negotiations, I don't think anything meaningful or productive will be done.

I believe the liberals are intentionally doing nothing, waiting for the system to be on the verge of collapse and use the excuse that action must be taken immediately to prevent millions of people from starving/dying/being​ kicked out on the street/etc. They will continue to used class warfare to divide us and the less informed masses will fall in line with whatever the benevolent politicians  come up with. Ultimately, the plan will involve taxing the so called rich even more.

Please comment on my plan below:

1. Starting in 2014, the age to begin withdrawing SS is moved to 65.5 years of age. for the next 9 years, 6 months is added to that age, until the age becomes 70.

2. Starting in 2014,  transition all funding for non retirement items to another distinct, easily identifiable budget line item with separate funding not part of the SS with-holding.

3. Starting in 2014, all new Federal employees begin contributing to SS in the same percentage as the private sector. There will be no more pensions for new Federal employees. This part will be very hard.

4. Starting is 2014, all current Federal employees will begin contributing 1% of their income to SS, once their contribution equals the percentage the private sector is paying in, they will transition over and begin collecting SS. The Federal Gov't will contribute to SS the amount that would have been paid in pensions. This way, the money that would have been paid is pensions would simply move from one agency to another. This part will be very hard.

5. Since each state handles pensions independently from SS, Federal mandates to the states can't be made, we will have to pressure our elected representatives to transition other public sector pensions to SS in the same manner. This part will be very hard.

6. The military pensions will also be transitioned to contributing to the SS system.

7. Ultimately, the above rules will apply to everyone, there will be no special treatment for politicians, teachers, fire fighters, soldiers, or any other group of people.

Let me know what you think!