Social Security “fixes” are our responsibility not Hillary or Obama’s…

Obama’s suggestion of a tax hike to shore up Social Security is a typical democratic and moderate republican answer to the SS short fall. Raising the retirement age is what Hillary is suggesting as a way to shore up the system. All of the political answers to “saving” Social Security have two things in common; you will retire with less money, and you will not be able to retire when you want.

Having the politicians control your retirement benefits means they control when you retire and the amount of money you have available to retire with. Most people know today that they must save for themselves if they expect to retire in any sort of comfort but I ask; why let the government decide any aspect of your retirement?

If you put the same amount in your own account that SS takes from your paycheck, you could retire both comfortably and on your schedule. Why do we assume that SS is better left in Hillary’s or Obama’s, or George Bush’s hands? Why can’t we say it is our retirement and we will handle it ourselves? The short answer you hear from politicians is most people will not save unless forced to do so. I say, shame on us. But if that is truly the case, then have the government take out a percentage of pay but put it in our personal account that they can’t touch.

A small percentage should be shifted to help the truly disabled and handicapped but also put in their names, not to be touched by our politicians. Why is it that politicians have access to our SS money if it is truly a retirement savings account for us as individuals? If that was truly their intent, there would be no reason for them to touch our money. But we know better, it is about power over you. If they control your money, they control your vote; period.

If I were truly convinced I would receive the benefits promised through SS, I would retire at 55 and use my personal retirement to bridge the gap to 65 and start collecting SS then. But I know better. I will need every penny I save to supplement the money that has been confiscated from me to supplement my SS, and to let me retire when I want, not when the government decides I can.

We have allowed too much control of our lives to be shifted from us to our politicians and government. I just don’t get how we just merrily accept these premises as fact. We have the power to change things and we should. We need to shift the premise of the argument from how to “save” SS, to how do we get the politicians hands off our money. Would we allow them access to our checking or savings account to do with it what they would like? I would think the answer is no but I’m not sure anymore.

Let’s start taking back the things we should be controlling like our retirement and healthcare choices. I promise you, most of us could handle it without Hillary, Obama, or George Bush’s help. Just a thought…