HEADLINES: 2026

[Shiftless2]

This article is old (2009) but the situation has only gotten worse since it was first published

Social Security and Medicare: Trying to Tackle Two 800-pound Gorillas

While many people worry about the billions of dollars spent bailing out banks, auto makers and other sectors, shortfalls in Medicare and Social Security are what could ultimately sink efforts to revive the U.S. economy. As 78 million baby boomers begin to retire, funding for the government's two...

knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu

 

[Rigby5]

This article is old (2009) but the situation has only gotten worse since it was first published

Social Security and Medicare: Trying to Tackle Two 800-pound Gorillas

While many people worry about the billions of dollars spent bailing out banks, auto makers and other sectors, shortfalls in Medicare and Social Security are what could ultimately sink efforts to revive the U.S. economy. As 78 million baby boomers begin to retire, funding for the government's two...

knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu

Two points to consider.
One is that this article was in 2009, which was right during the 2008 recession Obama was desperately trying to deal with.
That recession was caused by irresponsible real estate deals financed by short term loans with balloon payments.
And it was car makers who needed bailing out the most.
The only complaint I had against Obama's strategy is that he bailed out mortgage lenders instead mortgage buyers.
The cost would have been the same, but would have avoided the evictions.
The other point is that the Boomer generation with its large demographic started around 1950, so then obviously would then impact SS around 70 years later, in 2020.
So the article was anticipating a theoretical, which is now 5 years into this being actual.
And it does not look so bad any more, in my opinion.
We have not had a SS shortfall of significance yet, one is not estimated until 2033, and should only last 5 years or so.
So I am not too worried.
I think it is going to just be a short and small blip.

 

[Shiftless2]

When did you qualify as an actuary?

For the record, you're wrong on all counts.

The Social Security Trustees Report is available on line.

https://www.ssa.gov/oact/trsum/

The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund will be able to pay 100 percent of total scheduled benefits until the fourth quarter of 2032, one quarter earlier than projected last year. At that time, the fund’s reserves will become depleted and continuing program income will be sufficient to pay 78 percent of total scheduled benefits.

 

[Rigby5]

When did you qualify as an actuary?

For the record, you're wrong on all counts.

The Social Security Trustees Report is available on line.

https://www.ssa.gov/oact/trsum/

Wrong in my opinion.
Having to supplement 22% of SS payments for 5 years is not a deal breaker.
We saved a hundred times that by using the SS surplus to finance the national debt for almost a century.

 

[sear]

Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2019 killing of his landlord​

A Virginia man found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 2019 killing fled the United States on a one-way flight to Tajikistan while on an approved 48-hour pass from a state mental health facility, according to court records.
Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda left the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute (NVMHI) on July 6 for an authorized 48-hour pass. He was required to return two days later, but he never did, FOX 5 reported, citing court documents.

Virginia man acquitted by insanity in killing flees US during 48-hour mental hospital pass

Court records show Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda failed to return from an authorized 48-hour pass and instead boarded a one-way flight to Tajikistan.

www.foxnews.com

Systemic failure?
How many safeguards failed here?

Was he wearing an ankle monitor?
Did he use a passport to board the one-way flight?
Did he forfeit bond?
How do we know his real name isn't Abdulloi Toshpulodsoda ?

 

[Shiftless2]

Wrong in my opinion.
Having to supplement 22% of SS payments for 5 years is not a deal breaker.
We saved a hundred times that by using the SS surplus to finance the national debt for almost a century.

In your opinion? Tell us when you qualified as an actuary. When you've earned your designation you can come back and we can talk.

Depending on your mathematical background and how hard you're willing to work it shouldn't take you more than eight to ten years to do so.

Be An Actuary

www.beanactuary.org

 

[sear]

"Having to supplement 22% of SS payments for 5 years is not a deal breaker.
We saved a hundred times that by using the SS surplus to finance the national debt for almost a century." R5 #364

R5,
please pardon my simple-minded intrusion.
I reduce this issue to mathematical simplicity.

Ratio of Social Security Covered Workers to Beneficiaries Calendar Years 1940 - 2013

According to ht tps://www.ssa.gov/history/ratios.html
in 1940 the ratio was over 150.
It reached 4 by 1965.
By 2013 it was at 2.8

Recognize the trend? Check the link, the chart is a breeze to review, from an authoritative source.
"Ponzi"

 

[Shiftless2]

And that ratio is expected to decline to 2 to 1 in the very near future.

 

[sear]

"And that ratio is expected to decline to 2 to 1 in the very near future." S2 #368

yeah !
Up yours horatio !
right ?

 

[Rigby5]

Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2019 killing of his landlord​

A Virginia man found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 2019 killing fled the United States on a one-way flight to Tajikistan while on an approved 48-hour pass from a state mental health facility, according to court records.
Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda left the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute (NVMHI) on July 6 for an authorized 48-hour pass. He was required to return two days later, but he never did, FOX 5 reported, citing court documents.

Virginia man acquitted by insanity in killing flees US during 48-hour mental hospital pass

Court records show Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda failed to return from an authorized 48-hour pass and instead boarded a one-way flight to Tajikistan.

www.foxnews.com

Systemic failure?
How many safeguards failed here?

Was he wearing an ankle monitor?
Did he use a passport to board the one-way flight?
Did he forfeit bond?
How do we know his real name isn't Abdulloi Toshpulodsoda ?

Surprised they let someone who committed a murder, out for 48 hours?
They said he already got the passport earlier.
After being found insane, there likely no longer was a bond.

 

[Rigby5]

In your opinion? Tell us when you qualified as an actuary. When you've earned your designation you can come back and we can talk.

Depending on your mathematical background and how hard you're willing to work it shouldn't take you more than eight to ten years to do so.

Be An Actuary

www.beanactuary.org

Social Security is not complex and does not require certification to understand.
It is just tax deferred income for retirement.
It is essentially just your own money.
If they did not pay any interest back at all, it would still be worth it.

 

[Rigby5]

R5,
please pardon my simple-minded intrusion.
I reduce this issue to mathematical simplicity.

Ratio of Social Security Covered Workers to Beneficiaries Calendar Years 1940 - 2013

According to ht tps://www.ssa.gov/history/ratios.html
in 1940 the ratio was over 150.
It reached 4 by 1965.
By 2013 it was at 2.8

Recognize the trend? Check the link, the chart is a breeze to review, from an authoritative source.
"Ponzi"

I disagree.
If you start your career around age 20 and do not retire until around 72, that is 52 years of paying in.
Average life expectancy in the US for males in 76.
So that means SS only has to pay out on the average, for 4 years.
Which means that SS will get to keep the vast amount of pay-ins and never pay-out nearly as much as paid-in.
And that does not even include all the money SS saves or earns by being able to invest in interest bearing things like treasury bonds.

What you are referring to is just liquidity of immediate pay-ins being able to cover immediate pay-outs.
And that shortfall is only expected to be less than 20% and last less than a decade.

Overall, SS is a huge money maker for the government.

 

[sear]

"I disagree." R5 #372

Check the link.
The statistical trend is unmistakable.
Occasionally in statistics there can be a deviation, one data point that is not consistent with the general trend.
I don't see that in the chart displayed at: https://www.ssa.gov/history/ratios.html

"I disagree." R5 #372

Then you disagree with facts, public information, bipartisan agreement.

 

[Rigby5]

Check the link.
The statistical trend is unmistakable.
Occasionally in statistics there can be a deviation, one data point that is not consistent with the general trend.
I don't see that in the chart displayed at: https://www.ssa.gov/history/ratios.html


Then you disagree with facts, public information, bipartisan agreement.

You miss the point.
Which that the ratio of people paying into SS does not really at all matter.
SS is useful and balanced even if you only got paid back exactly what you paid in and no more.
A one to one ratio is still perfectly successful, valid, useful, and sufficient.
The only reason you would like more than a one to one ratio is if there is high inflation and longer lifespans

Think about what happens if a person pays into SS all their life but then dies before applying for any SS payout?
Their heirs get nothing.
SS just keeps all that money paid in.

Remember that that actual purpose of SS is just to allow you to defer some taxes for awhile.
That really should be all your money they retain out of every paycheck, and if they gave you all of it back, no one else has to be taxed for you at all.

 

[Shiftless2]

You miss the point.
Which that the ratio of people paying into SS does not really at all matter.
SS is useful and balanced even if you only got paid back exactly what you paid in and no more.
A one to one ratio is still perfectly successful, valid, useful, and sufficient.
The only reason you would like more than a one to one ratio is if there is high inflation and longer lifespans

Think about what happens if a person pays into SS all their life but then dies before applying for any SS payout?
Their heirs get nothing.
SS just keeps all that money paid in.

Remember that that actual purpose of SS is just to allow you to defer some taxes for awhile.
That really should be all your money they retain out of every paycheck, and if they gave you all of it back, no one else has to be taxed for you at all.

Everything you've said about SS so far is wrong.

I've asked before - when did you qualify as an actuary because so far all you've managed to do is demonstrate that you know nothing about Social Security and pensions in general.

 

[Rigby5]

Everything you've said about SS so far is wrong.

I've asked before - when did you qualify as an actuary because so far all you've managed to do is demonstrate that you know nothing about Social Security and pensions in general.

I have to know something about Social Security after getting its checks for 8 years, since I took early retirement at the age of 67.
I actually get more from my 401k than I do from Social Security.
I probably know more about the subject than an actuary does because I put my retirement investments into real estate instead of the stock market the actuaries suggest.

 

[Shiftless2]

Social Security is not complex and does not require certification to understand.

Sorry but it's not simple and the fact that you don't understand that is disconcerting.

But you might want to read this (it's an analysis of the 2024 Trustees Report)

https://actuary.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IssueBrief_2024_SS_TrusteesReport.pdf

 

[Rigby5]

Sorry but it's not simple and the fact that you don't understand that is disconcerting.

But you might want to read this (it's an analysis of the 2024 Trustees Report)

https://actuary.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IssueBrief_2024_SS_TrusteesReport.pdf

What the report says is that there are sufficient incoming payments for SS to remain solvent until 2035.
After that, there will only be a 17% shortfall, which can easily be made up from all that national debt interest that SS avoided having for the government to have paid.
And by 2045, the shortfall will be over since the boomers will have passed on.

{...

Possible Solutions​

Congress could address the shortfall by:

• Raising the payroll tax rate or the income limit for Social Security tax.
• Increasing the full retirement age.
• Adjusting benefit formulas or eligibility rules.
• Increasing federal income tax on Social Security benefits.

Bottom line: If no action is taken, the Social Security trust fund shortfall will last at least another decade, with benefits cut significantly by the mid-2030s. The exact date depends on demographic trends, policy changes, and legislative decisions.
...}

 

[Shiftless2]

A coordinated legal campaign backed by the Becket Fund, a Christian nationalist legal organization, is simultaneously filing lawsuits in Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Florida to establish the first taxpayer-funded religious charter schools in US history. Ben Gamla, a Hebrew-language Florida school backed by the Becket Fund, filed a federal lawsuit after its charter application was rejected, challenging Florida's requirement that charter schools remain nonreligious. In Tennessee, Wilberforce Academy of Knoxville filed a lawsuit before even submitting a charter application, arguing the state's nonreligious charter requirement is unconstitutional. Americans United for Separation of Church and State has intervened in the Tennessee case on behalf of local taxpayers, parents, and clergy.

The Supreme Court's 2025 deadlock on Oklahoma's Catholic charter school left the constitutional question unresolved, creating the opening all three states are now exploiting. Ohio's school choice audit found four in five eligible scholarship organizations exclusively awarded funds to religious schools, confirming the voucher system is already functioning as a public subsidy for religious education. Legal analysts warn the Supreme Court cannot avoid this question much longer, and with its current 6-3 conservative supermajority, advocates for church-state separation fear the ruling that comes will permanently redraw the constitutional line.

Sources: Americans United for Separation of Church and State, ACLU, March to August 2026

SOURCE with comments

 

[sear]

The first sentence in the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights says:

B.O. R. ARTICLE #1: Ratified December 15, 1791
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion ..."

"... first publicly funded religious public school ..." #379

ARTICLE 2. SECTION 1.7
Before he [POTUS] enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:-
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm)that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

ARTICLE 2. SECTION 3. He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment,he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

President Trump should be impeached again, this time for perjuring his oath of office.