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They hosed Social Security, so now they want my 401k?

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/capital-commerce/2008/10/23/would-obama-dems-kill-401k-plans.html

House Democrats recently invited Teresa Ghilarducci, a professor at the New School of Social Research, to testify before a subcommittee on her idea to eliminate the preferential tax treatment of the popular retirement plans. In place of 401(k) plans, she would have workers transfer their dough into government-created "guaranteed retirement accounts" for every worker. The government would deposit $600 (inflation indexed) every year into the GRAs. Each worker would also have to save 5 percent of pay into the accounts, to which the government would pay a measly 3 percent return. Rep. Jim McDermott, a Democrat from Washington and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee's Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, said that since "the savings rate isn't going up for the investment of $80 billion [in 401(k) tax breaks], we have to start to think about whether or not we want to continue to invest that $80 billion for a policy that's not generating what we now say it should."

Study history a bit. The reason Social Security is hosed, is because #1, it's a Ponsi - anyone else wanting to do this would be arrested. (remember back in the 80's the "airplanes"?) But it's also hosed because the government saw fit to raid the social security "lock box" whenever they saw fit - and never has a nickle been paid back to it.

So now the dem's are actually wanting to seize our hard earned 401K's to do the same thing? With the promise of 3 friggin percent?? I think not.

created by billy on Nov 07, 2008 at 08:39:52 am     Comments: 14

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Comments ... #

I don't think they are implementing any actions to seize 401(k) accounts. Teresa was invited to testify, not implement her plans. Personally, I think it's a good to listen to people with varied ideas before coming to a conclusion.

posted by UM on Nov 07, 2008 at 09:10:52 am     #  

Relax, Billy, The One (copyright Oprah Winfrey) will save us all. Have faith.

posted by Darkseid on Nov 07, 2008 at 10:01:25 am     #  

Mine has been put "out of their reach".

posted by CharlieA-Z on Nov 07, 2008 at 12:06:25 pm     #  

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have."

Thomas Jefferson

posted by rickreed on Nov 07, 2008 at 03:58:33 pm     #  

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.

That's actually a quote from Ford, not Jefferson

posted by UM on Nov 07, 2008 at 04:04:29 pm     #  

Thanks for the correction UM.

posted by rickreed on Nov 07, 2008 at 04:27:36 pm     #  

Sure. Still a good quote.

posted by UM on Nov 07, 2008 at 04:31:48 pm     #  

Google the quote. It was Jefferson. Ford was quoting hime

posted by billy on Nov 07, 2008 at 09:34:18 pm     #  

Well, if google states it, then it must be correct!
As with all your research billy, that too is flawed. Please find me the source where Thomas Jefferson states this line. Jefferson has written "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." Thomas Jefferson, letter to E. Carrington, May 27, 1788 but never this quote.
Don't reply unless you find the article where Jefferson has written the quote because I'm annoyed that you follow me around the boards and protest to my posts like my own personal troll. Get a life.

posted by UM on Nov 08, 2008 at 10:05:36 am     #  

OOPS! I apologize billy! I quickly read your name and thought babbleman, who has been trolling me! I am sincerely sorry! Please disregard my attitude, as it was misdirected.

But, the quote is not Jefferson's.

posted by UM on Nov 08, 2008 at 10:09:03 am     #  

No coffee yet, so my brain isn't able to make the correct connections. Again, I apologize for my misappropriation of names.

posted by UM on Nov 08, 2008 at 10:10:38 am     #  

Dont give it a thought.

posted by billy on Nov 08, 2008 at 01:33:34 pm     #  

well if he did say it, it would probably be in here. Sorry didn't have the time to look for it myself.

http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/

posted by lfrost2125 on Nov 08, 2008 at 02:48:39 pm     #  

As for WHO hosed your Social Security, look to Mr. Nixon, a fine Republican president if there ever was one, who said it was OK by him to begin using the interest from Social Security. Apparently, he had never heard of the Baby Boom and didn't realize that money would be needed someday.

As for Ms. Ghilarducci's idea, it is very similar to the way Ohio's State Teachers and Public Employees retirement systems work. The state kicks in a percentage, employees kick in a percentage, and when you retire, you have a pension for life.

I'd prefer this to a 401(k) any day. In case you haven't noticed, the stock market has lost quite a bit of ground, and there's no guarantee it will bounce back enough to make up for what we've lost by the time retirement hits.

Ok, go back to arguing about who said what about big government.

posted by Anniecski on Nov 11, 2008 at 12:31:03 pm     #  

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