tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post7887010698537167347..comments2024-03-29T08:01:26.952-05:00Comments on Bayou Renaissance Man: Highly recommended readingPeterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10595089829300831372noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-54290525551275035452016-08-24T15:34:08.132-05:002016-08-24T15:34:08.132-05:00^^ dirtbag^^ ah hates auto-spell, too.....^^ dirtbag^^ ah hates auto-spell, too.....JohninMd.(HELP?!??)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-44815346061597324222016-08-24T15:31:10.368-05:002016-08-24T15:31:10.368-05:00I realise you're an ordained minister, but you...I realise you're an ordained minister, but you're also a practical soldier in a past life..... Is it too late to just cap Soros, and put him out of our misery, or would his minions just carry on with the program for Dr. Evil, minus his guiding hand? Do you think his evil would carry on without him? What's your best guess? Just an academic question, I have no means, nor desire to go to prison for a further like him. JohninMd.(HELP?!??)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-43356325176834730732016-08-24T04:17:22.216-05:002016-08-24T04:17:22.216-05:00RE: Social Insecurity - a not-so-simple solution, ...RE: Social Insecurity - a not-so-simple solution, politically impossible to implement: Cap it by age, eliminate mandatory contributions (the so-called "lockbox" was always a fraud, SS is being paid out of general funds). Establish an age floor, below which no one will receive SS benefits. Ever. Establish maximum dollar payouts per recipient, with no adjustments for inflation. Ever. Eliminate all taxation on investments of any kind. <br /><br />That sets a maximum limit on dollar payout and sunsets SS, making planning much easier; when the last eligible recipient dies the SS system ends - including all administrative expenses (read: government employees to run SS, rent on the buildings they occupy, etc.). In the meantime since investments return percentages tax free each is responsible for his/her own retirement funding.<br /><br />Will idiots screw up their lives by spending their investment money on toys? Sure. Idiots <i>always</i> screw it up. Not my problem. Act smart or starve, your choice. Yes, the stupid will die early. Again, not my problem.<br /><br />As I said, impossible to implement, at least until we suffer an economic catastrophe so severe that it kills off 1/3 off the population and we're forced into bartering for life necessities with tomatoes and 14-year-old daughters. <br /><br />In other news, completely unrelated, I noted the other day that a Canadian sniper now holds the distance record: 2,707 yards. 1.538 miles. <br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-4657132564000134432016-08-23T12:44:29.981-05:002016-08-23T12:44:29.981-05:00I know there's a lot of angst about pension pr...I know there's a lot of angst about pension programs, but aside from state employees (fire/police/etc.) how many workers actually get a guaranteed pension? I started working in the early 1970s and only the "biggest, best" companies paid a pension. Is the "pension crisis" something the unions invented to get taxpayers to pay for money they were guaranteeing to pay? <br /><br />I retired at the end of last year. My last 20 years were spent at the only company I'd encountered in my industry that had a defined benefit pension. They offer retiree's health insurance (which they can drop any time). The insurance premium eats up over 50% of my pension. The remainder after paying my health insurance won't even pay my electric bill this time of year. So while it would be inconvenient to lose the pension, it would be much more inconvenient to lose the health insurance. <br /><br />Re: the social security "infinite horizon" number, that's a very squishy number. It assumes straight line extrapolation with nothing else figured in. It's like saying it was 80 on my front porch at 6AM, and 90 at noon, so it will be 100 at 6 PM - and 120 tomorrow at 6AM. With minor changes to eligibility and retirement ages, it seems quite manageable. As has been said over and over, we were mandated to pay into that account under threat of prison or worse (and if anyone tells you employers paid half of it, congratulate them for being economic idiots). Why is it now optional? Because congress mismanaged the fund? Why is this even questioned? <br /><br /><br />SiGraybeardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.com