Great idea, Alisande, thanks for posting that number. even if you yourself are not receiving Social Security checks or on Medicare, someone you know or love IS. Your parents, a disabled child, a person on kidney dialysis (like me). I appreciate you posting this and I urge everyone to make a call. This is not a political issue, It's a humanitarian issue. A nation is judged by the way it treats its' old people.

I am not opposed to cutting Social Security and Medicare...provided that the cuts are achieved by the elimination of fraud, waste and abuse. With the current technology, I cannot imagine that our government cannot identify abuse. We have all known, or known of, people who are abusing the system. Maybe financial rewards to those who "tattle" on abusers would work, if the government is unable to handle it on its own (which, again, bewilders me in this age of computers).

I wholeheartedly agree that there should be no benefit cuts for legitimate beneficiaries.

I agree, Wanda. Sometimes I think our govt. has just grown so whopping big that it is unwieldy and unmanagable. There must be millions of dollars of fraud.

Thanks for posting the phone numbers. I made calls to each of my senators.

Thanks Susan. I called both Senators and forwarded your post to several people who I thought might also want to weigh in.

Everyone should post it on facebook too.

For those who want to share it on Facebook, you can post a link to my blog:

Speak Out Against S/S and Medicare Cuts

or just copy and past this link:

http://sweetrocket.blogspot.com/2011/07/speak-out-against-ss-and-medicare-cuts.html

Thank you, Susan!

Thank you, Susan. I have posted it to my Facebook status.

Dolores

anyone get the preprinted letters to your senators? i did..signed all 3 and made a small donation to aarp...

wonder if congress would be in such a hurry to cut their benefits...oh that's right! they don't have ss to worry about...

I worked for the Social Security Administration for over 30 years. Social Security does a hell of a lot of good. I know personally because Medicare pays for my kidney dialysis. If anyone is worried about waste and fraud, you can report it by calling 1 800 772 1213 or going online on www SSA gov and look for the "report fraud" button, leading to the Office of the Inspector General. Examples of fraud would be someone buying or selling Social Security cards, working while disabled (a guy who collects Disability who can cut his lawn and play golf doesn't count), not reporting a death and cashing that person's Social Security checks afterwards, and receiving mothers/father checks for a child under 18 who doesn't have custody are examples. And don't blame Seniors or Social Security employees for the cheaters.

I wish they would privatize it already. It's frustrating that paying for it is mandatory yet there's absolutely no guarantee or right that it will exist when younger generations need it. I expect it will collapse relatively soon and I'm pretty sure there won't be refunds for everyone who paid into it without any returns, lol. I don't blame people who need and use it because that's the design but I think the structure is ridiculously unfair.

I do hope people who rely on the income are able to get it. This election posturing is infuriating.

Actually, the more **immediate** problem is "raising the debt ceiling". That needs to be done NOW, so that the USA can pay its bills on its current obligations. If we don't pay the bills that will come due, we fall into default.

It's like if you buy something on your credit card, don't pay the bill, they slap you with a higher interest rate, you can no longer find a bank that will lend you money nor get new credit and you fall deeper into debt @ a faster pace.

Telling your Congressman & Senators to "raise the debt limit, NOW" is the message that should be sent, imho. Medicare/SS are separate issues, that also need attention, but that's for a different discussion.

Already e-mailed my senators, repesentative AND the president last week. You know what they say--"when mama ain't happy....." and mama ain't!

I rather doubt that the 800 number would work from here.

And we don't have zip codes.

Looks like a not-worker, in this case.

But I'm about to make a post sort of partly related to this issue.

ole joyful.

I'm not worried. In the end they will meet the deadline and then give themselves the joyess pat on the back saying "look what we did". After stressing out the American people for how many weeks?

I know folks here disagree with me but....politicians are going to do what ever they want because in the long run it normally doesn't affect them.

Perfect example: They don't worry about paying for health insurance like everyone else.

SamKaren
your resident DJ