This from my USAF Auxiliary Squadron's X.O., 1LT "Sky" King:

SOCIAL SECURITY NOW CALLED "FEDERAL BENEFIT PAYMENT"/ENTITLEMENT!

Have you noticed, your Social Security check is now referred to as a "Federal Benefit Payment"?

I'll be part of the one percent to forward this.

The government is now referring to our Social Security checks as a Federal Benefit Payment.
This isnt a benefit its earned income! Not only did we all contribute to Social Security but our employers did too.

It totaled 15% of our income before taxes. If you averaged $30K per year over your working life, that's close to $180,000 invested in Social Security. If you calculate the future value of your monthly investment in social security ($375/month, including both your and your employers contributions) at a meager 1% interest rate compounded monthly, after 40 years of working you 'd have more than $1.3+ million dollars saved! This is your personal investment.

Upon retirement, if you took out only 3% per year, you'd receive $39,318 per year, or $3,277 per month.

That's almost three times more than today's average Social Security benefit of $1,230 per month, according to the Social Security Administration (Google it - its a fact).

And your retirement fund would last more than 33 years (until you're 98 if you retire at age 65)!

I can only imagine how much better most average-income people could live in retirement if our government had just invested our money in low-risk interest-earning accounts.

Instead, the folks in Washington pulled off a bigger Ponzi scheme than Bernie Madoff ever did. They took our money and used it elsewhere. They forgot that it was OUR money they were taking. They didnt have a referendum to ask us if we wanted to lend the money to them. And they didn't pay interest on the debt they assumed. And recently, they've told us that the money wont support us for very much longer.

But is it our fault they misused our investments?

And now, to add insult to injury, they're calling it a benefit, as if we never worked to earn every penny of it. Just because they borrowed the money, doesn't mean that our investments were a charity!

Lets take a stand.

We have earned our right to Social Security and Medicare. Demand that our legislators bring some sense into our government Find a way to keep Social Security and Medicare going, for the sake of that 92% of our population who need it.

Then call it what it is:

Our Earned Retirement Income.

For those of you who just about to queue up at your friendly S. S. administration office, and who still find it necessary to work despite receiving this pathetic return of your contributions, be advised that:

(1) Until your full retirement age (66-67 years for recent "retirees"), every $2 you earn from work will reduce your S. S. payment by $1. That means at approximately $30-40,000 you wipe the "benefits" out.

(2) You will have to pay taxes on 80% of your SS income.

(3) But do not worry because they will allow you to withhold so the tax bite won't be so bad. (Double..even triple taxation comes to mind.)

(4) You still must pay into Social Security yet your benefits stay pegged at what they were when you started S. S.

..and, to follow up on what "Sky" said above, this sure smells like a Ponzi scheme -- or at least some bad scam -- except you wonder how the bastards in D. C. allowed this thing to go broke.

Oh well then, I guess I have answered my own question.

-30-

Gun Rights and common sense from another perspective..

"This isn't a black versus white issue; a democrat versus Republican issue; this is common sense.."

Abso-freaking-lutely correct. I support this man's right under our Constitution to defend himself from any asshole of any color.

-30-

..ain't that a kick in the head?

From my cop friend, Rick:

As I get a bit older and have a bit more time, I occasionally create opportunities to keep my deductive reasoning skills sharp.

After shoveling snow , I sat down and had a couple of Rum  and Cokes.

The day was gorgeous, and the drinks facilitated some deep thinking on various topics...

I thought about an age old question: "Is giving birth more painful than getting kicked in the nuts? "

Most women maintain that giving birth is way more painful than a guy getting kicked in the nuts, but still I wondered.

Well, after another Rum  and Coke, and some heavy thinking, I've come up with the answer...

Getting kicked in the nuts is more painful than having a baby! Here's the reasoning:

A year or so after giving birth, women often decide, "It might be time to have another baby."

On the other hand, you'll never hear a guy say, "You know, I think I'm ready for another kick in the nuts."

I rest my case . . . still sharp as a tack.

-73-

Sabbatical..

The guy's an asshole.  (Guess who you think I am talking about?) They're all assholes and their money-wasting Kabuki sucks. And I am bored with politics. (Besides, we're all doomed.)

..anyway, I am over here having fun:

Be advised that it's NO POLITICS NONE OF THE TIME. So, come on over and -- if you are an amateur radio operator -- have some fun. If you are not, then guaranteed it will bore the living skippy out of you.

-30-