Entitlements
For those of you who think Congress decides on 100% of the federal budget-you are wrong! Entitlements account for almost 70% of the budget. These are programs already in place-federal obligations that do not require budget authority from our elected officials.
Entitlements include social security pensions, food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans’ pensions, select forms of housing assistance, disability benefits, unemployment, energy assistance and the list goes on.
The government does not consider entitlements handouts and for the most part that is true. When an individual reaches 65 he/she automatically qualifies for Social Security. Hard working citizens pay into Social Security all their working lives and are thus rewarded with a form of retirement income.
If your income is below a certain level you are ENTITLED to food stamps. A high percentage of those benefitting from entitlements like this are children whose parent(s) meet income guidelines. Children do not choose to live below the poverty level. The federal government has an obligation to them.
An entitlement like social security is a safety net for us all. We are encouraged to invest, save and buy into company retirement plans. In this day and age though company retirement plans can go sour and so do investments. Social security is going to be there-we hope.
Young people today are paying 20 times more Social Security taxes than their grandparents did 50 years ago, and that is after inflation. I often wonder what my kids and grandchildren will be paying in-possibly 20 times what we are paying from what our grandparents paid.
If there is one entitlement the federal government must strive to keep in place it is Social Security. Hard working people have paid in and are deserving of this monthly benefit. Government needs to keep their hands out of the fund to finance present overspending.
Hands off, federal government. I am proud to be able to pay in to help benefit our senior citizens today. The next generation should feel the same way about us.
Entitlement is a good definition for Social Security. I’m not sure about a few of the other categories, but who am I to be the judge.
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