I would be in favor of an exhaustible lifetime benefit. If you are not disabled, you draw on your benefit whenever you want. The more you draw during your working years, the less you draw in retirement (e.g., social security benefits reduced by lifetime drawdown). Something to give people some ownership and stake.
What is the lowest point we are willing to accept in our society?
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I would be in favor of an exhaustible lifetime benefit. If you are not disabled, you draw on your benefit whenever you want. The more you draw during your working years, the less you draw in retirement (e.g., social security benefits reduced by lifetime drawdown). Something to give people some ownership and stake.
Deacsfan27
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What happens if somebody uses it all by 45? No more ever?
ImTheCaptain
I disagree with you
JH is an expert at exhausting patience
The current social security system requires people to work to pay in. That seems to work well.
We could set a baseline poverty avoidance standard, but the notion that an able-bodied person couldn't find work in half of a century seems to be a reasonable opportunity to do one's part.
Louis Gossett Jr
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Wasn't there a recent article that showed 1 in 5 have less than 1000 saved for retirement, and 3 in 5 less than 10,000. We really would need death panels since im sure the people that would need to dip into their quota during working years would be responsible savers for retirement.
Wakeforest22890
Snowpom
Who is "Doufus?"
ImTheCaptain
I disagree with you
doofus' french cousin
lbE08
Stegosaurus are bush league
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:laugh:
demondeacfreak
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I can only think about this by personalizing it. I have a close relative who is very poor and is the primary caregiver for her disabled brother. Although both she and the brother do not work, I am going to mainly talk about her because the brother actually is physically unable to work but there is nothing physically wrong with her. I would not expect society to provide anything that I myself would not be willing to provide, so here's my list.
She does not have health insurance and is not eligible for Obamacare subsidies because she has no income. My wife's brother is able to provide her with housing (he had a vacant renter home on his property that she has moved into) and my wife and I help with some expenses to keep her clothed and fed. The house is not extravagant, but it does have central heating and air, a refrigerator, a working kitchen, and a washer and dryer. We really cannot afford to pay for any serious medical bills and we cannot afford to pay health insurance premiums for her right now. In her case, even if my wife and I could afford to I do not think we would just give her a bunch of money because she has poor financial judgment and has a tendency to blow a lot of money. By way of example, she gave tens of thousands of dollars to a boyfriend for him to purchase a house in his name only, then broke up with him.
She and her brother have Direct TV, an internet connection, and smoke a lot of cigarettes. She likes to read so we give her books as well. She has a car, and of course that needs gas. I don't personally monitor her spending of course, but as far as I am aware that is more or less the extent of it. Most of her food, the television, the internet, the cigarettes, and her gas money come out of the brother's disability check. I think if he was not around I would be willing to pay for food, gas and associated car maintenance, and either cable or internet but not both, and I would not pay for cigarettes.
So to sum up, our family is paying for housing with basic appliances and utilities, food, clothing, and some entertainment. I think when we can afford it we will probably try to get her a catastrophic health insurance policy. She's got bad teeth too, so maybe a dental insurance policy as well.
So I think that's my lowest acceptable point because that is the living condition I am willing to accept for family.
It does make me feel guilty though. My wife and I live in a nicer home, we eat nicer food, sometimes we travel a little bit, and we have health insurance even though this relative does not. Maybe that makes me a bad person, I'm not sure. But at least she has most of her basic needs cared for.
She does not have health insurance and is not eligible for Obamacare subsidies because she has no income. My wife's brother is able to provide her with housing (he had a vacant renter home on his property that she has moved into) and my wife and I help with some expenses to keep her clothed and fed. The house is not extravagant, but it does have central heating and air, a refrigerator, a working kitchen, and a washer and dryer. We really cannot afford to pay for any serious medical bills and we cannot afford to pay health insurance premiums for her right now. In her case, even if my wife and I could afford to I do not think we would just give her a bunch of money because she has poor financial judgment and has a tendency to blow a lot of money. By way of example, she gave tens of thousands of dollars to a boyfriend for him to purchase a house in his name only, then broke up with him.
She and her brother have Direct TV, an internet connection, and smoke a lot of cigarettes. She likes to read so we give her books as well. She has a car, and of course that needs gas. I don't personally monitor her spending of course, but as far as I am aware that is more or less the extent of it. Most of her food, the television, the internet, the cigarettes, and her gas money come out of the brother's disability check. I think if he was not around I would be willing to pay for food, gas and associated car maintenance, and either cable or internet but not both, and I would not pay for cigarettes.
So to sum up, our family is paying for housing with basic appliances and utilities, food, clothing, and some entertainment. I think when we can afford it we will probably try to get her a catastrophic health insurance policy. She's got bad teeth too, so maybe a dental insurance policy as well.
So I think that's my lowest acceptable point because that is the living condition I am willing to accept for family.
It does make me feel guilty though. My wife and I live in a nicer home, we eat nicer food, sometimes we travel a little bit, and we have health insurance even though this relative does not. Maybe that makes me a bad person, I'm not sure. But at least she has most of her basic needs cared for.
Milhouse
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Deacfreak07
Ain't played nobody, PAWL!
Yes I do. I think our current system is inadequate rather than excessive.
I understand you mean inadequately funded, which is a reasoned opinion that does not touch on my objections to it. Again, it's not a funding issue, it's a wisdom issue. I would rather spend more money on a system that works, than cut the funding for one that traps people in it. IDGAS about the top line number if it fails to produce the results intended.
I think our current system is inadequately designed. What I would like to see is the creation and clearing of pathways off of the system. Where are they in the current regime?
Deacfreak07
Ain't played nobody, PAWL!
Are there jobs paying a living wage out there unable to be filled?
DeacWatcher
Ricky Peral
You're a good man trying to do the right thing. I may be in that boat one day caring for a relative who is unable to make correct decisions just to stay alive.
The safety net is there to protect millions who need help.
I believe is a statement that goes something like this - Bad cases make bad law.
Along those lines, it doesn't make sense to penalize millions of people, including and especially millions of kids, over the actions of a tiny minority who abuse the system. It is a very, very, very tiny minority regardless of what RWers want you to believe.
I believe is a statement that goes something like this - Bad cases make bad law.
Along those lines, it doesn't make sense to penalize millions of people, including and especially millions of kids, over the actions of a tiny minority who abuse the system. It is a very, very, very tiny minority regardless of what RWers want you to believe.