Social Security and Medicare “entitlements”

1.        Social Security and Medicare are being called “entitlements” in the current “CLIFF” discussions.  I am “entitled” to these due to me and my employers paying into these funds for decades.

The current talk is to make these seem like the Government is giving to us and not returning the funds as is the agreement.  Again, I paid into these funds.

2.        I would say 60 Minutes last night showed an area that can be corrected, what I would call “cramming” beds in hospitals and there are other areas that need correction.

3.      Now they are saying that the Cost of Living Adjustment should be reduced to eliminate the "Cliff".

Yeh!!! That 1.75% COLA will really reduce the debt!?!?!?

4.      Social Security is OWED about 2.5 Trillion dollars from the General Fund!!!  It is solvent until 2033!

5.      These are the latest figures (in millions) I could find (2010).

Country	Economic Assistance FY 2010, $US millions	Military Assistance FY2010, $US millions	U.S. Total Economic and Military FY2010, $US millions
Afghanistan	4,646.50	6,800.30	11,446.80
Pakistan	1,939.60	913.9	2,853.50
Israel	36.3	2,799.50	2,835.80
Iraq	1,081.90	1,006.00	2,087.90
Egypt	397	1,301.90	1,698.90
Haiti	1,406.30	1.8	1,408.10
Ethiopia	981.5	0.3	981.8
Sudan	870.9	104.9	975.9
Colombia	677.9	185.8	863.7
Kenya	816.2	2.5	818.7
Jordan	463.3	303.8	767.1
Mexico	622.3	96	718.2
Senegal	698.4	3.7	702.1
West Bank/Gaza	693.1		693.1
South Africa	566.1	1.6	567.8
Tanzania	553.7	20.3	554.8
Russia	379.1	126.8	505.9
Uganda	451.1	36.3	487.4
Nigeria	456.1	2.9	459
Georgia	420	17.8	437.8
Mozambique	403.9	0.5	404.4
Congo (Kinshasa)	358.9	30	388.9
Indonesia	312.7	25.4	338
Zambia	331.4	0.4	331.8
Kazakhstan	304.5	17.2	321.7
TOTAL FOR THESE 25				33,649.10

6.      The “entitlements” that are being brought up are actually Earned Benefits (SS & Medicare)

7.      The definition of entitlements is being changed so let’s call it Earned Benefits (SS & Medicare).