Post Scripts: Congressional Perks

I am indebted to former Gallatin resident Bob McClelland for this enlightening information relating to Social Security.

It seems we are asking the wrong questions during this election year. Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they will not collect from it. You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan. Since then no congressional person has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a wonderful plan. In essence, their plan works like this:

When they retire they continue to draw the same pay until they die. Except … it may increase from time to time for "cost of living" adjustments. For example, former Senator Byrd and Congressman White, and their wives, may expect to draw $7,800,000, with their wives, as survivors, drawing $275,000 during the last years of their lives.

The actual sum is calculated on the average life span for each of those two dignitaries. Younger dignitaries who retire at an early age will, of course, draw much more during the rest of their lives. Their cost for this wonderful plan is $000000 – Nada, Zilch!

This little perk they voted for themselves is absolutely free to them. You and I pick up the tab. The funding for this plan comes directly from Uncle Sam’s general fund. This is a great example of your tax dollars "at work."

From our own Social Security Plan, which all of us pay or have paid into every payday until we retire (matched by our employer) we can expect to get, on average, $1,000 per month after retirement. In other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 a month for 68 years and one month, to equal Senator Bill Bradley’s benefits.

Social Security could be very good if only one change could be made. That change would be to jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them under the Social Security plan with the rest of us … then sit back and how fast they would fix it.

According to Bob’s E-mail, if enough people receive this information, perhaps the seeds of awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve. I’m doing my bit by sharing his E-mail data for the consideration of my good ‘ole North Missourian readers.

McClelland has also supplied his E-mail friends with a splendid accounting of how pharmaceuticals and various medications are vastly over-priced. It is simply astounding how the drug companies (not the local pharmacies) are fleecing America these days by inflating manufacturing costs to astounding levels. Somebody in Washington should care!