Joe Miller: No Social Security For Future Generations

Alaska Republican Senate candidate Joe Miller repeated his view Wednesday that the United States needs to fundamentally rethink Social Security.

"Longer term, there has got to be a move outside of that system," Miller told CNN's John King. "Ultimately we want to transfer the power back to the states so that states can take up the mantle of those programs if they so desire."

Miller previously said that the U.S. should "transition out of the Social Security arrangement."

King, noting that Miller's position is something Democrats have pounced on, asked Miller to make himself perfectly clear -- that he wouldn't take away Social Security checks from the people who currently count on them, but that he'd like to do away with the program for future generations. King asked: "Would [a person born the day Miller was sworn in] perhaps grow up in an America where there is not a federal Social Security program if you got your way?"

"Absolutely," Miller said.

Miller, who upset incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary this week, previously suggested that unemployment insurance, part of the Social Security Act of 1935, is unconstitutional. "The Supreme Court has already ruled on the Social Security Act. There was a case in 1937," said Nancy Altman, author of a book on Social Security. "Joe Miller's in a time machine."

When it comes to old-age insurance Miller focuses on Social Security's solvency: "I think most Americans recognize that that system is broken and they understand that there has got to be a change longer term to bring back some fiscal sanity and to ensure that you can actually have something when you do retire rather than depend on these IOUs that when we go insolvent aren't going to be worth much."

Social Security's actuaries estimate that the program is fully solvent until 2037, at which point it would begin paying a 25 percent reduced benefit if nothing is done.

The progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated in August that Social Security keeps some 20 million people out of poverty. Prior to the creation of Social Security, old folks who couldn't afford to take care of themselves sometimes spent their final days as "inmates" in squalid poor houses.

Comments

[BravoCharlie]

03:51 PM on 09/17/2010

Now that the Dems find themselves behind with little more than 6 weeks until election day they somehow care about the homeless again. After all their record spending (more than a Trillion dollars) they so how managed to grow the poverty rate, unemployment and destroy the future for our children. Way to go Owebama, Pelosi and Reid.

[rainkitty]

04:23 PM on 09/16/2010

Social Security is in no immediate danger of going broke.
http://www.aarp.org/work/social-security/info-08-2009/keeping_Social_Security_strong.html

[abbykr]

12:22 PM on 09/14/2010

View this about Joe Miller:
http://jobkillerus.wordpress.com/

[bleubunny]

09:29 AM on 09/05/2010

Yeah the economy is bad and people are having a hard time. Lets make it worse by all means.

[maxwelldog]

02:09 PM on 09/04/2010

I thought Miller was the Teabagger Party?
This is why I think it's a big put on, actually.
The two have similar ideologies, and seem intent on taking Social Security to further their own goals.
And the recession swallowing up the United States right now is not helping.
But then...the GOP seems absolutely on course with Limbaugh's nonsense after January of last year. Wants to see the USA fail.
The GOP wants to see the country fail because that will get them back in power. As in, is that all they want?
MORONS! Every last one of them. The elected officials of this country are NOT the leaders. And they simply don't seem able to get that through their thick skulls.
WE are the leaders! Their only concern is to make the movement into the future smooth.
Instead they spend every waking moment waging war, like the entire Bush family , Dodd, Lieberman...
If it isn't war, it's helping those with money keep all they have like McConnell, Bayh, and Ellsworth.
Or making oppressive laws MORE oppressive like Feinstein, Brewer, McCain, and Palin.
WE NEED an end to this malicious behavior!
We are in charge of them, and the sooner they get that figured out, the smoother things will be.

[agathacallie]

11:28 AM on 09/04/2010

"I think most Americans recognize that that system is broken and they understand that there has got to be a change longer term to bring back some fiscal sanity..."

Well, maybe we could start by not having the DOD hoover up 61% of tax revenue just so god can keep us safe from terrorists while these super patriots "misplace" $9 billion in cash and 200 of them get away with using our tax dollars to download kiddie porn.

[TedEjr]

09:44 AM on 09/04/2010

So, people born after Miller is sworn in, under Herr Miller's plan, would not receive social security. But, Herr Miller, who was born before that, would?

Miller, thy name is hypocrite. And also transparent as h*ll.

If you want to get rid of SS, I have an alternate suggestion. Start slowly. Like, maybe, the day you are sworn in, remove members of Congress from SS eligibility. Then graduate to the rest of us after you expire.

[kamachanda]

08:55 AM on 09/04/2010

"Because Mr. Miller is married and has eight children, his family is eligible to receive 10 dividend checks each year from the Alaska Permanent Fund, an account that pays dividends from state oil revenues to residents of Alaska. The amount changes yearly and is often between $1,000 and $2,000. In 2008, the last full year Ms. Palin was governor, she pushed through a one-time increase to $3,269. That would have meant more than $32,000 for Mr. Miller’s family."
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/04/us/politics/04alaska.html?th&emc=th

Hey Joe, why don't we put that money back into the government coffers first?

Last time it was Joe the Plumber, now we get Joe the Dumber.

[markas214]

01:38 AM on 09/04/2010

The guy is a complete sociopath. He has no empathy for those less fortunate. Can you imagine the nation if he had his way?

[snowballinhell]

11:37 PM on 09/03/2010

How about this: anyone wanting to opt out of SS and Medcare can do so provided they can show their investment income exceed the SS over the same time period. If not, or worse, if their investments are loosers, they will then have to pay all the equivalent amount of payments they would have made had they stayed in the SS system. When and only when they have paid back into the SS (with a small interest, shall we say) would they be eligible to draw SS benefits. Otherwise one could, as one can now, not only put money into SS and Medicare, but also in an individual investment account of your choice and thus have two - or more - backup accounts for your retirement. Seems fair to me. Sarcasm included.

[Time Before]

11:35 PM on 09/03/2010

The pension system is what this is. They can call entitlements - that is just pure propaganda. You and i paid for it. Taking it is no different than me taking your money out of your bank account.

This is an attack on the FDR's programs, the Great society idea. This has been the agenda since the 1960's: Privatize, the schools, the police, the fire department, the military, the post office. Sell off the national parks - everything.

but first,
you take all the money. That is what they want, look at Greece for your reality and South America. Austerity Measures?! All have to give up their gold and property except the rich!

Odd that the Right Wing Christian Nationalist are in bed with the corporate, banksters and the ruling elite ...maybe they will throw them a cookie! All they have to do is scream: GOD, Anti- Socialism and GO Capitalism!
This attack on the social system and economic system is no accident or lack of judgment – it has benefited the few at the price of the many, if not all…..the next thing is your minds!

When Fascism come to America it will be wrapped in flag carrying a cross and dollar bill sign....as it been said before

[rawww]

09:45 PM on 09/03/2010

Nina Simone "Sinnerman"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn5tiuZU4JI

[snowballinhell]

12:19 AM on 09/04/2010

Amen and Halelujah!

[rawww]

09:45 PM on 09/03/2010

Goodbye U.S.A.

We hardly knew you...

[chariotdrvr14]

08:48 PM on 09/03/2010

They'll do away with "entitlement" programs so that no one can get help from the gov't except corporations.

[MyDawg1967]

08:42 PM on 09/03/2010

Blah blah blah, more campaign rhetoric. The tea baggers will caucus with the rethuglicans. The same party that held both houses AND the white house 6 out of 8 years during GWB's reign. They had the opportunity to end Medicare, Social Security, Dept of Education, End the Fed, and all the twisted rhetoric coming from the far far wacked out right. THEY CHOSE TO DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.