A History Lesson

Our View

A History Lesson

With this presidential election being one of the most continuous and controversial in recent history it is absolutely critical that the voters are educated enough to factually know the issues, clearly understand the situation this country is in and the political positions of the candidates, which includes the liberal, conservative and independent viewpoints.

Here is a little history lesson regarding Social Security we found to be very appropriate for both young and old votes to comprehend and clearly understand before making any final decision on the candidates seeking the highest office in the country.

Social Security cards up until the 1980s expressly stated the number and card were not to be used for identification purposes. Since nearly everyone in the United States now has a number it became convenient to use it anyway and the message, Not For Identification, was removed.

Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social Security (FICA) Program. He promised: 1. That participation in the Program would be completely voluntary. No longer is it voluntary.

2. That the participants would only have to pay 1 percent of the first $1,400 of their annual incomes into the program. Now 7.66 percent on the first $90,000.

3. That the money the participants elected to put into the program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year. No longer tax deductible.

4. That the money the participants put into the independent “Trust Fund” rather than into the general operating fund and therefore, would ONLY be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program, and no other government program, and under President Lyndon Johnson, a Democrat, the money was moved to The General Fund and spent.

5. That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income. Under Arkansas’ own Bill Clinton, and Al Gore, up to 85 percent of the money we paid to the Federal government to “put away.”

Q: Which political party took Social Security from the independent “Trust Fund” and put into the general fund so that Congress could spend it.

A:The Democratic Party.

Q: Which political party eliminated the income tax deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding.

A: The Democratic Party.

Q:Which political party started taxing Social Security annuities?

A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the “tie-breaking” deciding vote as President of the Senate, while he was vice president.

Q: Which political party decided to start giving annuity payments to immigrants.

A: President Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party.

Immigrants move into the United States and at the age of 65 begin to receive Social Security payments.

The Democratic Party gave these payments to them, even though they never paid a single dime into it.

Then, after violating the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and say that it is the Republicans who want to take your Social Security away.

And the worst part about all this is uninformed voters believe it and veteran liberal Democratic lawmakers get elected and re-elected time after time by these voters who know very little to nothing about the actual facts or the candidates they are voting for.