Archive 2017-2019 Political Thread

[David in SW Blount]

It's hard to lower debt, as Mr. Trump has promised, when you don't reform/reduce/eliminate entitlements (when they account for nearly half, if not more of the federal budget).

Social Security and Medicare are pretty much untouchable. Over 6% of your gross income is deducted for SS and 1.45% is deducted for Medicare. So, yeah, people expect those benefits when they retire.

I often wonder if I had been able to privately invest the almost 14% of my gross income that goes to SS and the state teacher's retirement system, what my 401K (403B) might look like right now after many years of working in the Alabama education system!

 

[ghost]

Interesting speech by Trump tonight. He definitely played the populist and nationalist cards tonight. Many things appealing to his Republican/conservative bases. But there were a few things he supported that sounded like they came straight from the Democrats/liberals. If he cuts corporate and individual taxes like he says, I don't know how he's going to pay for all this. Lots of stuff for lots of people

 

[KoD]

Social Security and Medicare are pretty much untouchable. Over 6% of your gross income is deducted for SS and 1.45% is deducted for Medicare. So, yeah, people expect those benefits when they retire.

I often wonder if I had been able to privately invest the almost 14% of my gross income that goes to SS and the state teacher's retirement system, what my 401K (403B) might look like right now after many years of working in the Alabama education system!

I put away 15% towards Roth IRA for awhile and it was great. If I was able to add the % taken out for SS and invest that, I don't see how I'd ever need Medicare or SS at all when I'm older. Unfortunately for most, they don't make enough money, aren't as fortunate to have zero debt out of college or don't manage their money well.
Since my living conditions have changed recently (complete independence plus now a dependent to finance) I can barely put away 6%.. after taxes, I can afford to have a roof over my head, cable, pets, insurances and food but practically nothing left for any kind of leisure spending (clothes, movies, gifts). And that's with one of the better paying jobs you can get as a newer grad. I just don't see how other young people make it day to day, let alone save for the future. But I guess that's the point of the programs.. everyone throws in their money to save for the future of everyone. Just kinda bites when you don't even know the fate of the program and have doubts to whether you'll even get to benefit from what's left of it decades down the road.

 

[Kory]

Some top leadership of the Dem party remained seated while the rest of Congress stood up and honored slain Navy Seal William Owens. That includes the mentally decrepit Sanders, Wasserman-Schultz, and Pelosi. Now had that been a transgender man who fought to use the women's restroom.....they'd would've been over there kissing feet.

 

[David in SW Blount]

Interesting speech by Trump tonight. He definitely played the populist and nationalist cards tonight. Many things appealing to his Republican/conservative bases. But there were a few things he supported that sounded like they came straight from the Democrats/liberals. If he cuts corporate and individual taxes like he says, I don't know how he's going to pay for all this. Lots of stuff for lots of people

I think Trump wants to be liked. If he would get rid of filth like Brandon and Miller and surround himself with decent policy makers, he might actually do a good job. Assuming, of course, he's not really going down over Russia.

Sent from my Pixel using TalkWeather mobile app

 

[David in SW Blount]

I put away 15% towards Roth IRA for awhile and it was great. If I was able to add the % taken out for SS and invest that, I don't see how I'd ever need Medicare or SS at all when I'm older. Unfortunately for most, they don't make enough money, aren't as fortunate to have zero debt out of college or don't manage their money well.
Since my living conditions have changed recently (complete independence plus now a dependent to finance) I can barely put away 6%.. after taxes, I can afford to have a roof over my head, cable, pets, insurances and food but practically nothing left for any kind of leisure spending (clothes, movies, gifts). And that's with one of the better paying jobs you can get as a newer grad. I just don't see how other young people make it day to day, let alone save for the future. But I guess that's the point of the programs.. everyone throws in their money to save for the future of everyone. Just kinda bites when you don't even know the fate of the program and have doubts to whether you'll even get to benefit from what's left of it decades down the road.

Yep, and it's crazy to think poorly educated people who can barely read or do math could manage private retirement investments or Obamacare replacements like Health Savings Accounts. They can't do it.

Sent from my Pixel using TalkWeather mobile app

 

[ARCC]

I know I wish I could stash away my SS deductions into my State retirement.

 

[Kory]

Is there any particular reason why Republicans are refusing to let the Obamacare replacement/repeal draft go public? Thank you Rand Paul for exposing this behind the door BS. Isn't this the exact same thing Democrats did? Nancy Pelosi famously said, "you'll know what's in it after you pass it."

WE NEED TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT. END. OF. STORY.

 

[Matt]

Is there any particular reason why Republicans are refusing to let the Obamacare replacement/repeal draft go public? Thank you Rand Paul for exposing this behind the door BS. Isn't this the exact same thing Democrats did? Nancy Pelosi famously said, "you'll know what's in it after you pass it."

WE NEED TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT. END. OF. STORY.

Most Republicans in Congress need to go just as badly as the dimocrats!

 

[Evan]

Is there any particular reason why Republicans are refusing to let the Obamacare replacement/repeal draft go public? Thank you Rand Paul for exposing this behind the door BS. Isn't this the exact same thing Democrats did? Nancy Pelosi famously said, "you'll know what's in it after you pass it."

WE NEED TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT. END. OF. STORY.

Actually, Pelosi wants the draft to be available in public. She's on the same side as Rand Paul on this one. It is nothing more than political grandstanding. Rand Paul knows a Senator has no more right to see a draft House bill than does a DC Taxi drive.

It is a DRAFT piece of legislation, and they simply aren't required to reveal it or provide it to anyone they don't want to outside of House rules.

The Senate does the same thing as does Rand Paul, himself. If I showed up to his office this week and demanded his aides show me draft legislation they are crafting do you think they would?

This isn't about transparency. It it was, Paul could introduce a bill that requires House & Senate legislation to have X number of public review days before passage (with caveats/exceptions).

Paul likes to politically grandstand. He's a very ineffective Senator. I tried very hard to think of legislation that he's passed or significantly influenced, and I couldn't think of a whole lot. It is very easy to be the guy who says I can't get my stuff passed because it is so good the Congress doesn't want to do it.

That said, the reported repeal and replace plans leave a LOT to be desired. The GOP is finding out it is very easy to point out all the bad things about the ACA, but much harder to actually come up with workable solutions that don't add to the debt, lead to more uninsured, and don't put upward pressure on insurance rates.

 

[Evan]

Yep, and it's crazy to think poorly educated people who can barely read or do math could manage private retirement investments or Obamacare replacements like Health Savings Accounts. They can't do it.

Sent from my Pixel using TalkWeather mobile app

I'm a huge fan of HSAs and private retirement accounts that replace or largely supplement SS. The point about people being unable to manage their own investments is definitely something that scares a lot of people, but there are solutions.

When Bush proposed to privatize SS to an extent, it was largely modeled on the Federal Thrift Savings Plan. Democrats went absolutely berserk saying people would blow their retirement money on risky investments and stocks, but the Thrift Savings Plan doesn't allow that. It is very comparable to conservative 401k plans in which investment options are limited to a dozen or so well vetted funds, including government bonds, fixed income, broad stock indices, and age appropriate mixed investment funds.

Here's a link discussing the Federal TSP: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrift_Savings_Plan

After the financial crisis, talking about the privatization of SS was more or less a 3rd rail in politics. Ironically, had we started to transition people to the TSP or a similar clone, Social Security would be in MUCH better shape, and for those near retirement age, the losses around 2007-2008 were largely made up (or even saw an increase in value) after 1-3 years.

https://www.tsp.gov/InvestmentFunds/FundPerformance/annualReturns.html

By putting in age restrictions (limiting the amount allowable to be invested in stocks or riskier investments past a certain age to the excess of an account's value in relation to what their Social Security benefit would have been) you could all but eliminate anyone "losing" their retirement because they'd have to keep an amount equal to what their projected SS benefit would have been in the government bond/fixed income funds. So, even if the market crashed and they were about to retire, their account would still have more than enough to pay them what their projected SS benefit would have been before privatization, and any excess that was in riskier funds could simply be left alone until the market recovers.

Been a long time since Bush's proposal, and I don't know if it included those age based restrictions, but there's no reason why such a plan couldn't be proposed today as a way to reform Social Security. Something similar could be done with HSAs as they already require you to have a high-deductible insurance plan to use them.

We could actually create a system for 18 year olds that would give them much more control over their own retirement and healthcare than anything on the table, but the political will is lacking, and special interests always try to block this stuff. AARP doesn't want ANY reform done to SS unless it results in more money for the current system.

Reforming SS isn't easy, but with plans modeled on the TSP, age restrictions, and phase-ins to privatization based on age, you could absolutely make Social Security stronger, better, and more flexible with very little downside. Same goes for HSAs with HDHPs...98% of 18 year olds would end up with a huge chunk of investment money growing and growing that would not only cover their own healthcare, but provide funds for a non-working spouse, children, etc. And for those that are healthy and do the right things that HSA can grow to not only cover their future medical costs but also serve as a retirement vehicle that gives them even more retirement savings.

Just like with Social Security, you could offer age based phase-ins and age based investment restrictions on HSAs based off of the projected Medicare benefit for someone. Instead of the government being on the hook, the person with the HSA might be sitting on 200-300k in an HSA, backed up by a HDHP, and would never ever need Medicare. Their health plan would benefit from having a young worker who makes limited to no claims (while paying an appropriate premium) while Medicare would continue to be funded by a payroll tax AND an account value tax on their HSA payable by accounts that have a value of over X amount. It wouldn't be much of a tax, but it would be the small boost Medicare needs, and it wouldn't be coming out of their paycheck. It is exactly how insurance is supposed to work. If you are young and healthy and able to save a ton in your HSA, a very tiny amount is taxed to supplement Medicare.

Not mentioned is that we should also remove the FICA cap on those making over 102k or whatever the cap is these days.

All of these ideas have been proposed by think tanks and various solution based groups before, but Baby Boomers hate anything that even purports to address Medicare and Social Security. Their philosophy is simple: you pay for all of my stuff because I was promised that's how it would be. I don't care what happens to you. Take that up with the government. Younger people don't vote, so what the Baby Boomers want is what they get.

 

[Evan]

The tolerant anti-Christians on the left are doing an excellent job destroying an innocent woman in Henagar. No respect for polite religious beliefs or the rights of business owners. She is being threatened with ruin and physical harm on social media for having sincere beliefs (which I actually disagree with).

 

[KoD]

I guess Trump is giving the whole fake news thing a try, again.

 

[David in SW Blount]

I guess Trump is giving the whole fake news thing a try, again.

Unreal. What kind of Bizarro world have we entered when Republicans are in a love fest with a President they elected who's in bed with the Russians. And Christians claiming God chose a serial adulterer and shameless money hoarder to be our leader.

Sent from my Pixel using TalkWeather mobile app

 

[KoD]

It really is amazing. Trump is embarrassing himself, his party and the country. His recent baseless claims that he was the victim of wiretapping makes him look like a complete fool after touting "fake news" constantly. Even if it was true, then he looks like a criminal if a judge authorized wiretapping.
Any Trump supporters getting buyers remorse yet?

 

[Arcadia]

I actually think there is something going on with this wiretapping claim. But I'm gonna hold my cards on this as it's only a gut feeling and have nothing to go on. But I wouldn't be surprised if something actually comes of it. Something smells fishy.

 

[Matt]

I have no doubt Obama and his minions are doing any and everything to undermine Trump. I would bet there are many Republicans doing so as well. Trump has upset their apple cart and threatens their comfy lifestyle.

 

[PerryW]

I actually think there is something going on with this wiretapping claim. But I'm gonna hold my cards on this as it's only a gut feeling and have nothing to go on. But I wouldn't be surprised if something actually comes of it. Something smells fishy.

Agree 100% Arcadia

 

[KoD]

Seems to me like it's another Trump Twitter rant from a lie he heard originating from Brietbart. No evidence and days later the only new information is officials testifying against it. White house responds: You're wrong we're right.
Still no evidence. Sure would be nice if there was something though, then the distraction from the real political things going on the past few days would have been worth it.
I think that's probably all this is, a well placed purposeful distraction.

I have no doubt Obama and his minions are doing any and everything to undermine Trump. I would bet there are many Republicans doing so as well. Trump has upset their apple cart and threatens their comfy lifestyle.

Yeah for sure. Billionaire Trump threatens Obama and his rich corporate cohorts with tax relief and relaxed industrial regulation. Their comfy lifestyle is about to hit the FAN! I will feel really bad for them when Trump, in a display of incredible leadership and glory, unites Congressional divisions and spearheads legislation imposing term limits on Congress. It'll happen, just give him a chance.

 

[Kory]

The recent flurry of marches, demonstrations and even riots, along with the Democratic Party’s spiteful reaction to the Trump presidency, exposes what modern liberalism has become: a politics shrouded in pathos. Unlike the civil-rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s, when protesters wore their Sunday best and carried themselves with heroic dignity, today’s liberal marches are marked by incoherence and downright lunacy—hats designed to evoke sexual organs, poems that scream in anger yet have no point to make, and an hysterical anti-Americanism.

When America became stigmatized in the ’60s as racist, sexist and militaristic, it wanted moral authority above all else. Subsequently the American left reconstituted itself as the keeper of America’s moral legitimacy. (Conservatism, focused on freedom and wealth, had little moral clout.) From that followed today’s markers of white guilt—political correctness, identity politics, environmental orthodoxy, the diversity cult and so on.

Today’s liberalism is an anachronism. It has no understanding, really, of what poverty is and how it has to be overcome. It has no grip whatever on what American exceptionalism is and what it means at home and especially abroad.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-exhaustion-of-american-liberalism-1488751826