Oregon cities rank high on social security dependence
Four Oregon cities rank in the top 40 on a list ranking the number of households receiving social security checks.
Of the 942 metro areas included in a Business Journal On Numbers analysis:
- Brookings ranked No. 10, with 46.3 percent of households receiving social security checks and an annual social security income of $16,195.
- Grants Pass ranked No. 26, with 43 percent of households receiving social security checks and an annual social security income of $15,333.
- Coos Bay ranked No. 34, with 42 percent of households receiving social security checks and an annual social security income of $15,625.
- Roseburg ranked No. 38, with 41.2 percent of households receiving social security checks and an annual social security income of $15,707.
- Portland ranked No. 857, with 23.1 percent of household receiving social security checks and an annual social security income of $15,961.
More than 31 million households receive Social Security income, accounting for 27.5 percent of all American homes. The median payment is $15,495 per year.
The Portland Business Journal is a news partner with KATU.com
"More than 31 million households receive Social Security income, accounting for 27.5 percent of all American homes. The median payment is $15,495 per year."
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Over 1/4 of the US households are getting SS!!!! And there are folks who say that the SS trust fund is doing fine. Obviously those folks don't understand finances.
Stuff related to the integrity  of Social Security that you should know:
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http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/social-security-agreement-with-mexico-released-after-3-12-year-freedom-of-information-act-battle-57235757.html
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Stable income without layoffs. Good for budget planning.
Everyone should familiarize themselves with Flemming vs Nestor, a US Supreme Court case:
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flemming_v._Nestor
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"The Court ruled that no such contract exists [between an individual and the government], and that there is no contractual right to receive Social Security payments. Payments due under Social Security are not âpropertyâ rights and are not protected by the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment. The interest of a beneficiary of Social Security is protected only by the Due Process Clause."
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So one day it could all just not be there. Then what are you going to do? Riot and loot?
 @Unknown You're right about Flemming vs Nestor. Most people don't realize that Social Security is not a right or guaranteed, even though they have paid into it. So, if it goes broke and stops, all the government has to to is say, "Oh well."
 @Unknown Remember what Gerald Ford said; "A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have." Social Security is just one of the easiest thing to take.
definition of entitlement, courtesy of Google: The fact of having a right to something.
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Damn straight they have a right to the money THEY PAID INTO IT.
 @starshadow You may want to review US Supreme Court case, Flemming vs Nestor.
 @starshadow Just think how much more money they'd been receiving if they'd paid into a conservative stock & bond portfolio like employees of Galveston, TX did in their 1981 opt out of Social Security move.
 @Unknown  @starshadow Odd part of that is that would make us dependent on the dreaded 1%. Could it be that corporations and private industry are not all bad?
Why is that the folks receiving the benefit somehow never seem to see it as an entitlement? Â Why is that?
 @Festivus You mean as in the sense of them having paid into it for all their lives, and now they're "entitled" to take advantage of the purpose for which it was created?
@Mikey That reminds me of people who get pulled over by the police and then use the line âI pay your salaryâ. Just because you paid something doesnât mean that it is guaranteed to behave the way you think it should. Thatâs especially true with a system that is broken like Social Security. By the most liberal estimates in 2033 the whole thing is borked, and that ignores all the taxes that are needed to pay back the IOUâs between now and then.
 @JTesla The fact that it's being abused by politicians as a funding source for their shenanigans still doesn't explain it being an "entitlement" for those actually receiving it as a benefit. Unless you mean that politicians think they're entitled to use it as a slush fund.
 @JTesla And especially the Post Office. I'm talking about the actual office workers. They suck The mail deliverers are cool to me. The service does well too.
Well, you know all those small government folks in those old timber downs down south, in the best Craig T. Nelson tradition:
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"I've been on foodstamps and welfare, did anyone help me out? No."
The story would have been more interesting if it was about the list of top welfare/foodstamp cities. Or perhaps tie the story to how much money the federal government has siphoned off from SS in the last 40 years, what projects the money went to and who the responsible parties were.
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I've no problem with people retiring and getting the money that they deserve from SS. I do have a problem with the fraud and theft (both from the individual and the government) that has left SS virtually insolvent.
@Finally   Yes, and BHO did not do anyone any favors by cutting the SS taxes from payroll by 2%. He will have the system totally broke before we know it.
 @wondering Oh, so now cutting taxes is a BAD thing. I get it now.
 @on shing dao @wondering In that case, yes... When you have a program that is already facing issues and cut the funding further, it will increase the rate at which that program fails. However, the foolish public only sees "he cut my taxes" until they go to use the program and then it'll be "hey where did my program go??"
Curious, though the next step is to look at the break down between disability and old age and survivors.
 @ChrisJ82 The government wants you dead before 60. That's why they subsidize all the unhealthy crap.
 @ChrisJ82  71% - Retired workers
 3% - Dependans of Retirees
15%Disabled Workers
1%Dependants of Disable Workers
10%Survivor Benefits
 @oh4FS Are those the numbers for the Oregon cities, or just social security in general? Either way, I was just curious because the disability trust fund is trending towards running out in the next few years.
@ChrisJ82  I don't think there is data published at that granular a level.  But....looking at the cities listed, it is probably pretty close to the National numbers. Those towns are filled with retirees.
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I began working at 16...babysitting after school, whatever a teen in the 60's could get. I continued working, and in the years was able to progress to a decent income. Then...I got divorced...then....the economy went south. Three companies I had worked for all went bankrupt in about 6 years time. Steadily my income went down...first to "save the business and we'd get it all back when things got better...then they didn't survive  and minimum wage jobs at less than full time was all I could find. So against my wishes, I took early social security because I just wasnt' making it. I won't get the full benefit for another 2 .5 years. And I'm still not making it. Like everyone else is asking....what is the point of this article? I've worked and paid my dues and I'm still trying to work and still paying dues. I deserve what I've paid into. And I'm taking every dime I can. So again....what's the point of the article?
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 @Bewitchin1 Who asked for your life story? It's not like you're the only who has done this.
@on shing dao Then why did you read it?
 @Bewitchin1 You won't ever get the full benefit. When you draw SS early, you lock in that reduced amount for good....except for cost of living increases. You will never get the full benefit.Â
@KKStJohn @Bewitchin1Â Â Without going into my personal affairs....I will get more on reaching full retirement because I'll then be able to switch to my ex-husband's Railroad Retirement.Â
@KKStJohn @Bewitchin1 - exactly. However, most people who take it early end up with more SS money in the long run... do the calculations... the difference isn't going to move anybody up the food chain substantially.
@Bewitchin1  I feel for your situation. My family too has suffered through this recession but I would like to point out that not everyone drawing Social Security has "worked and paid dues". The Social Security program is broken and there is serious doubt that there will be any money left to draw from for those of us that have "paid our dues" all of our working lives.   We have created a society fo entitlement that believes that the government will prvide for all out needs. This is unsustainable.
 @scared_citizen SS is an entitlement program. Durrrrrrrr.
 @Bewitchin1 I don't know their point, but part of me wants to figure how much I am likely to take out of the systen vs how much I have paid in over the years. Part of me doesn't!
@randola   Trust me, IF there is still money left, you will get far more out that you put in. Next time you get your SS statement, you can easily see how much you have contributed over your lifetime and easily calculate your estimated annual payments.
 @DrivingMsPatty  @ChrisJ82  @wondering I get it. The solution is to die young.
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 @DrivingMsPatty  @ChrisJ82  @wondering Correct on it being dependent on several factors, but on average we've stopped breaking even on our portion of the payroll tax, and who knows how longs it's been since we got a fair shake of the employer side of it.
@ChrisJ82 @wondering -that's not true... there are several factors... age and longevity being the 2 major ones... most everyone will reap way more than they sewed.
 @wondering Not true at all. People currently retiring on average will lose money against what they paid with their portion of the payroll tax (ie. excluding the employer side).
"Oregon cities rank high on social security dependence"
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So what is the point of the story ? Â The people who PAID into Social Security have a RIGHT to live off the fruits of their labor - to the country - Social Security is part of that promise from the early 1930's FDR's time.
@bat54  I have new for you. Not everyone drawing Social Security PAID into Social Security and those of us who have are worried that when it is our time to do so that there wont be any money left.
@bat54 Promise? Promise by whom? Oh right, politicians. Yeah I have some bad news regarding promises made by politicians...
 @JTesla  @bat54 People are/were  FORCED by the government to contribute to Social Security - 7.5% Payroll / Employer the other 7.5%.... So if you are suggestions the rules be changed now - to people that have already paid in -- unlikely...but future people --YES....Â
 @bat54 The "employer match" is a fallacy. It simply results in lower wages and salaries for the employee. All employees are viewed as a COST by a business, because that is what they are. What your employer has to pay in the "employer match" is factored into your cost of employment.
@bat54 Let me double check what I typed... yeah no suggestion there at all. Wait, that is not true, there is a suggestion hidden in there. The suggestion I made was not to trust the promises made by politicians. Other than that, I made no suggestion regarding rule changes.
Didn't see the real story being posted, here is the break down:
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âAbout half don't earn enough money for a household of their size to owe income tax. For example, a family of four earning less than $26,400 would owe no taxes using the standard exemptions and deductions.
âAbout 22 percent get tax breaks for senior citizens that offset their income.
âAbout 15 percent get tax breaks for the working poor or low-income parents.
âAlmost 3 percent get tax breaks for college tuition or other education expenses.
Who they are:
âThe vast majority have below-average earnings: Among all who don't owe, 9 out of 10 make $50,000 or less.
âBut some of the wealthy escape taxes, including about 4,000 households earning more than $1 million a year.
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So the poor working class, seniors, students, and soldiers are going to be 1 out of 2. Â Sounds right to me.
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We work like there will be no Social Security to have in our future. Everyone should. It's a goner.Â
Who cares!! So those are the places where people retire or is it where the most scam artists are?
How can you say it's an entitlement when we, the retired, have paid in all of our working lives..I guess ignorance IS bliss for some of you....just sayin'
 @lfiswhtumkeit you paid into it, you're entitled to part of it as well. Is that not simple enough. Why is it such a bad word in this illustrious KATU community?
 @lfiswhtumkeit Exactly! Some entitlement. That money was taken out of my pay for the past 50 years, since age 15. I'm entitled to get that back in SS. And that's exactly what I'm doing. The Oregonian had an article not long ago that said "Boomers are gobbling up Social Security benefits." Making it look like the Boomers are glutting themselves at everyone's expense. Yet the boomers paid into the system for 30, 40, 50 years!Â
@lfiswhtumkeit   I have new for you. Not everyone drawing Social Security PAID into Social Security and those of us who have are worried that when it is our time to do so that there wont be any money left.
 @lfiswhtumkeit Actually ignorance is bliss, you didn't pay into anything. It's a ponzi scheme and YOUR money is long gone, what you are talking about now is robbing the next generation to fulfill the false promises that were made to you.
 @ChrisJ82  @lfiswhtumkeit Which is exactly how the system was designed to work.  Hard to call it a Ponzi scheme when everyone knew the rules going in.
 @Festivus I wish I was asked IF I wanted to enroll in the ponzi scheme. However, in this "free" country, I am not free to opt out of Social Security.
 @shek069 It still was ponzi scheme back then, and the looming problem of trust fund depletion would still be there. The major difference is that when the payroll taxes are insufficient to cover payouts (like they are now), we have to either print money or convert the SS debt into general treasury debt.
 @Festivus  @ChrisJ82  @lfiswhtumkeit It wasn't a Ponzi scheme to start with. It wasn't until Lyndon Johnson, a democrat, allowed the Feds to start borrowing from it that it turned into one. Had the borrowing never been allowed, people like me who are still working, aren't going to be dependent on those still working to pay into it so I can get what I paid into it, out of it.
 @Festivus  @lfiswhtumkeit 1.) How can you claim that everyone knows the rules? There are countless people like ifishwtumkeit who clearly don't know the rules and they keep spouting off non-sense because they are ignorant. 2.) I'm not sure pointing out that there isn't supposed to be fraud involved helps your case from a right-wrong stand point. In most people's moral systems force is much worse than fraud. 3.) All of that ignores that ponzi schemes are actually illegal because they are unsustainable, and that simply removing the fraud doesn't fix what makes it unsustainable.
From Merriam-Webster.
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Entitlement:
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1a : the state or condition of being entitled : right b : a right to benefits specified especially by law or contract 2: a government program providing benefits to members of a specified group; also : funds supporting or distributed by such a program
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Social Security is the very definition of entitlement. The word has been hijacked by political forces to take on a negative connotation.
 @lfiswhtumkeit Ya the article was not the best...if they actually wanted to have some real reporting done they would have reported how many people were dependent on that income as their main source of retirement income vs just getting back a slice of what they put into the system. How many getting it because of disability as opposed to retirement etc...
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My understanding is most of the people like me that are 10 years from retirement will only get back a small fraction of what we've paid into the system at best. So not only is it not an entitlement it's more like highway robbery...