(This is worth reading. It's short and to the point.)
Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years.
Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do no collect from it.
You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt that they should have a special plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan.
In more recent years, no congress person has felt the need to change it. Afterall, it is a great plan.
For all practical purposes, their plan works like this:
When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die.
Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments.
For example, former Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000.00 (that's seven million, eight hundred thousand dollars), with their wives drawing $275,000.00 during the last years of their lives.
This is calculated on an average lifespan for each of those two Dignitaries.
Younger Dignitaries who retire at a younger age, will recieve much more during the rest of their lives.
Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00 NADA ZILCH
This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds;
"OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK!"
From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into, -every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer)- we can expect to get an average of $1,000 a month after retirement.
Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one month to equal Senator Bill Bradly's benefits!
Social Security could be good if only one small change were made.
That plan would be to jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us. Then sit back and watch how fast they would fix it.
Keep people visiting this site until the 2004 election. We need to be heard!