It's NOT Entitlements, Stupid!

Social Security is not an entitlement program, and neither is Medicare. Working Americans pay into that system so that when they are older and no longer able to work, they will have a pension and medical coverage. The real entitlements programs are not even mentioned.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Food Stamps, Medicaid, these are ALL entitlement programs that are funded through the federal government, to provide assistance to those in need. When these programs were started, it was for the temporary support of those that were in crisis, and needed to handle their financial affairs until they were able to return to work and support themselevs.

And these programs are paid for through the debit spending of Congress, because they certainly do not take in adequate tax dollars to cover them. In fact, they have bred a generation who are educated to "work the system" so they don't have to support themselves, instead, rely on the government (our tax dollars and the increasing national debt) to keep them freeloading.

Social Security and Medicare need to be left alone. The funds that Americans paid into these programs must not be used for other programs, such as the real entitlements given to non-working Americans as well as illegal aliens, who usually do work for less than minimum wages, and their employers do not withhold taxes, from their wages, therefore they too are freeloading.

It is past time for the Republicans to stop referring to Social Security and Medicare as entitlements, and start looking at the real causes of rising debt. The fact that Congress has its own pension and health care plans is one good place to start. I do not feel that ANY elected representative has the right to their own plans, when they are legislating and mandating for all of us while they hold themselves above those laws. And the audacity they display in voting themselves raises really galls the hell out of me. Where else can you tell your employer that you and the rest of the workers voted yourselves raises and get them?