Soc. Sec. benefit tilt

Reader comment on: Ross Douthat

Submitted by J.Johnson (United States), Jul 12, 2010 15:28

Maybe someone should tell Mr. Boehner that Soc. Sec. benefits are already 'means tested,' in that, according to the actuary's reports in recent years, persons who pay the maximum Soc. Sec. tax every year will receive, relative to what they've paid in, a smaller percentage in benefits (i.e. payout) than persons who pay in less than the maximum tax, and the payout vs. payin ratio becomes more and more skewed as you go down the income ladder. And, of course, this does not take into account SSI payments, which are essentially pure welfare income and are supported entirely by payments from higher income earners. The new 3.8% tax on certain 'unearned' income has received almost no coverage in the Obama-dominated media for obvious reasons. Hopefully, this will change if, and when, the stock market recovers.


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Title By Date
⇒ Soc. Sec. benefit tilt [135 words]J.JohnsonJul 12, 2010 15:28
SS is strongly tilted to the low earner [48 words]LyleJul 12, 2010 21:18

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