The "Big Spend Party"

Up to Same Old Tricks

by D. J. Herda

Some food for thought that recently crossed my desk.

Just in case some of you haven't been following the behind-the-scenes political maneuvering that's been going on for decades, check this out.  Whether you're a Democrat or Republican doesn't matter.  Facts are Facts.

1. Social Security Cards up until the 1980s expressly stated that the number and card were not to be used for identification purposes ever.  (Remember?)  Since nearly everyone in the United States now has a number, it has become expedient to use it anyway; so Social Security removed the message, NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION, from the card.

2. Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social Security (FICA) Program to the nation, promising the following:

a.) That participation in the Program would be completely voluntary.  (It isn't.)

b.) That the participants would only have to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual incomes into the Program.  (Today it's 7.65% on the first $90,000.) 

c.) That the money the participants elected to put into the Program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year.  (It's not.)

d.) That the money would be put into the independent "Trust Fund" rather than into the general operating fund and therefore would only be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program and no other Government programs.  (The money was removed from the "Trust Fund" and placed in the General Fund by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson; it's been raided by Congress ever since.)

e.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income.  (The Democratic Clinton administration made up to 85% of your Social Security taxable.) 

Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are now receiving a Social Security check each month--only to find that we're getting taxed on 85% of the money we paid to the Federal government, you may be interested in the following Q & A's: 

Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding? 

A: The Democratic Party. 

Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social Security annuities? 

A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the "tie-breaking" deciding vote as President of the Senate while he was Vice President of the  U.S. under Clinton. 

Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving annuity payments to immigrants? 

A: That's right!  Your favorite and mine, Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party.  

Under Carter, immigrants who moved into this country began receiving Social Security payments at age 65.  The Democratic Party gave these payments to them even though they never paid a dime into the fund in their lives! 

Then, after violating the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turned around and told the nation that the Republicans want to take away our Social Security benefits! 

Some food for thought about the "Big Spend Party" throughout American history?  You tell me.

And I…am D. J. Herda.

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D. J. Herda is President of the American Society of Authors and Writers (http://amsaw.org), an organization made up of authors, writers, editors, publishers, agents, directors, producers, and other media professionals who rely upon the printed word in the creation of quality literature and entertainment.  He is a member of the Author's Guild, a former member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and a former member of the National Press Club.  He has published more than 80 books and several hundred thousand articles, short stories, columns, interviews, plays, and scripts.
 

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