Romney's 'put seniors back to work' economic plan.
By John Amato Monday Jan 28, 2008 12:02pm
Compassionate conservatism at it's finest. Romney talking to CNN's Anderson Cooper about his economic ideas for the future of America.
Cooper: If you were president, what additional steps would you take to try and avoid a recession?
Romney:... and finally one more thing. I think people sixty five and older should not have payroll taxes taken out of their wages to allow folks to stay in the work force and to keep more of their income. They've paid for social security already. Let's build up our work force and not go outside of the country to bring immigrants. Let's let our own people keep more of their money and stay in the work force.
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Part of Mitt Romney's long term economic growth plan would be to increase the size of the US work force by cutting the taxes from people 65 years old and higher to keep them working longer. You gotta raise the amount of Bill O'Reilly's demographic substantially in Romney's world to save our economy and beat back those pesky immigrants. Get off the couch, dammit! Aren't these people supposed to be collecting social security checks instead of pounding the pavement? List the jobs this new powerful work force would be able to harness....
"Mitt Romney: Live Longer---Work Harder."
This is the guy Limbaugh and FOX News is stumping for now. Geez. (h/t billw)
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Hey, someone has to greet you at Walmart, and since they can't afford to retire.....
Oh my god! He wants to make my grandmother go out and pick tomatoes!!!!!
I am personally real sick of Grandma freeloading, now she has no excuse and can get back to work.
this story isn't about compassionate conservatism it's about RACISM! these idiots want ANYBODY to have a job....just so long as the "evil" immigrants don't get them.
As much as I dislike Romney, I think its been taken a little out of context. I don't think he's saying that he wants 85 year olds slugging it out full time. People are living longer compared to 50 years ago. Therefore its 2 options, a longer retirement, or a longer career. I think given how a longer retirement means greater savings, it'd be expected financially that you'd have to work those few extra years and still get just as many good years of retirement as before.
F u Mitt u clueless a-hole. Spoken like someone who has never done any heavy lifting
Well, they gave Raygun credit for "saving" Social Security by raising the retirement age. Maybe Mittens wants to save everything else by having people work until they drop dead.
Didn't we all know that it was coming to this years ago? I've been told since I was a kid (35 now) that there's no retirement money for me. Democrats want to fix unfixable programs and repugs don't give a shit. All the while we have unelected officials running our economy... Why do we insist on trying to make our current system work? It's clearly broken beyond repair.
Well, to be frank, that's something of a mischaracterization of what he said. Certainly that's no plan to fill a labour gap, or to avoid a recession, but he's not going to "put seniors back to work." He's going to lower their taxes, which should really upset the rich folks who think only they should get breaks. FWIW, my parents are in their sixties, and chose to work. My dad substitute teaches and has his own business, and my mum does fill in executive assistant contracts at banks. They do it in the crappiest winter months, and use the money to enhance their travel. I suspect there are more and more seniors (or near too) willingly staying in the workforce to finance very active lives.
So to sum up: tax break, short sighted, not a solution; Romney's plan? tax break, not forcing anyone to work; seniors? leading more active lives, and choosing to work longer.
If he's talking about turning out the old folks homes for labor, of course that's just nuts.
But I know guys who have to punch out when they've worked X amount of hours because if they work more they lose benefits. Ain't fair, if it ain't fair to the individual, but turn it around and I'm sure the gov't. and their business overlords would mandate the forty hour work week for older workers.
So I don't know.
If I could, I would have voted for Mitt today or Guiliani. Just to play them.
Call it "physical therapy" instead of manual labor and you won't even have to pay the poor old geezers.
Everybody wins!
I know of some good paying jobs on freight docks for these seniors. If they can lift 75 lbs all day, they are hired.
They can replace those illegals that don't age like white people do.
My dearly departed Grandfather would have said this about Mitt Romney:
"I think this PUTZ's magic underwear is a little too tight".
LOL, my first thought too, put their asses to work. Might have to start planting the strawberries in wider rows to accomodate the scooters and walkers though. There are only so many of those greeter jobs available.
Seriously, though we should be pulling experienced seniors back into the workforce in mentor or consultant roles in companies if they still want to work.
I am sick of hearing about those 65 and older's retirement problems....its easy: work long enough to save enough to keep yourself going til your dead. No guarantees at 65 or any other age...ditto complaints about the high cost of prescription drugs....we all want the miracle pills, but no one wants to pay for them....well for many old farts, the alternative is that you'd be dead. Mitt is on to something here....bottom line: we need less whining from everyone about what is OWED to them.
No body is gonna hire these gomers. Companies don't want to get stuck with their costlier health care.
Health insurance premiums skyrocket in cost after 60, and in most cases, are not available after 65.
How does his party feel about gutting Medicare and "owning" health insurance private accounts? How will a senior draw from those accounts when no insurance is available, or costs more than a senior is able to earn in a month?
These goddam stinking republicans have to go.
All they peddle is snake oil.
because at GOP faux news every day is opposite day!
Gary @ 4:
I agree with your premise which is realistic. We should make the most of our human capital, however Romney ties this issue into limiting immigration which frankly, is ridiculous, and has little do do with letting qualified people work longer.
Yeah, I can read the advertisement: Do you drool? You're a perfect fit to lick our envelops.
Tim @ 7:
You only think the programs are unfixable because that's been pounded into our ears by the right wingers who have hated social programs and FDR's legacy since the beginning. Only the first 97K of earned income is subject to FICA. By adjusting that amount for inflation, SS would have no problems. There is a problem with Medicare, especially since the chimp added the prescription drug plan as a payoff to big pharma. But if we had universal health care, eliminate the HMOs, and told the gullible American public that there is no free lunch, meaning it has to be paid for by some form of tax, we would eliminate many of these "unfixable" problems.
Well I'm 53 and I certainly am not in the shape that I used to be. I still go to the gym, but I cannot bench like I did 20 years ago. I wouldn't even ATTEMPT to play an aggressive game of Ultimate frisbee (oh yeah? TRY it sometime!). My MCL is gone and I can literally walk on the side of my foot due to previously torn ligaments. Walking down the stairs first thing in the morning is always a joy. I consider Ibuprofen a food group. I cant's imagine how difficult work will be 17 years from now.
Gary @ 4:
I don't know that it's being taken out of context. I think that once we've been working for 50ish years we deserve to not have to work anymore. This is not a solution. The expectation is that once we're in our mid-60's, regardless of how long we live after that, we should be able to retire.
Hey Grammom and Gramps, you don't mind working till your ready for your grave do ya? Then vote for Gizzionaire Romney! He's got great plans for you!
Yeah, right. I'm gonna let my grandma mow your lawn for you. You're a fool.
I want some of those magic underpants he's wearing!
Romney's ideas sound like some sort of "means testing". In other words, keep older folks working, not for their benefit but because a Romney Government does not want to pay out the Social Security or Medicare to those (the baby boomers) that paid in. I bet the Bush Administration spend a good portion of the Social Security money, or what is left of it to fund their wars of aggression.
As a child I listen to the stories of how African Americans worked in the fields. When I visited the South I got to see people of all ages working in the fields and holding bags.
Living in the North was so much different then. I saw our country grown even with the struggles now Mitt has made his point that seniors should keep their tax dollars as they continue to work. Ask Mitt to check the want ad section is just a half page now. I do understand Mitt's point as he was raised to watch others work as his family was rich. Like George W. Bush, to them there are two Americans one for the Rich and the Others. We saw how the Katrina victims were treated and Barbara Bush spoke from her heart and what she has taught her children. Blacks and poor whites should be grateful for the crumbs they are given because that's the best they will have in the United States of America. Mitt will most likely pick a house black to push in front of the camera like the Bush family uses Connie Rice when necessary. I remember racist people would say " I have a black friend", as we found out they were racist. The Republicans have all idiots as candidates and each is a danger to this country. Looks like McCain will be the choice and then we will bomb Iran for nothing. Russia will give Iran Nukes to protect themselves against the evil enemy. I watched the 9/11 attack from New Jersey and I expect to see worse when we illegally bomb Iran. When we see America fall we have no one be blame but ourselves as we allowed it to happen and even cheered the President for destroying our country.
Weaseldog @ 11:
They could also be useful in helping guard our borders. Just give 'em guns and let 'em sit round the holes in the fence.
I'm 55 and in good health and would like to be able to stay in the work force as long as I'm able, but I don't want to be forced into it. Romney and Bush are cut from the same cloth, Bush is tickled pink that Americans work 2 or 3 jobs. He must be wearing magic underpants, too.
Che's Lounge @ 21:
...My gosh, I do resemble your remarks !...
Both my parents are over 65 and working. They receive SS payments and also pay into the system simultaneously. They are working not becuase they have to, but because they want to.
There are plenty of things to criticize Romney on, but I frankly don't get the criticism here (except for the blatant immigrant hating part). People over 65 have much that they can still contribute to the working world. We should be encouraging people who still want to work to do so, not telling them to go out to pasture. Studies show that those still engaged in rewarding work after 65 lead more healthy and active lives. That helps keep medicare prices in check.
how does eliminating payroll taxes for seniors become a "put seniors back to work" plan? Come on C&L, you're better than that. Because seniors are either working...or they're not working, and if they are he's saying lets not tax them- twisting that around is something that the GOP likes to do.
andrew @ 30:
Thats why they call it the golden years.
Wow, the great Walmart economy is here.
Am underwhelmed...
However, any plan to lower taxes for seniors is a good one - also, if seniors have to work in that situation, to make a living, they need all the help they can get...
So overall, thumbs up Mitt robot + the mysterious voice in his earpiece!
drshatterhand @ 15:
Those over 65 are covered by medicare.
Oh Yeah!!! That's what we want mitt ... I'm 70 years old, so i should go out into the workforce and do what? Wait tables? become a bricklayer?use my truck and become a furniture mover?
Sure is easy to tell people who never really had to work for a living.
But here is a clip of the young guy in France who messed up and lost his company 7 billion dollars. He's young, I'm sure you'll find this interesting.
r @ 14:
the only thing you missed was old people should be uthinised, know i spelled that wrong but you get the picture , actually death is much more preferable then liveing under another asshole like george w bush , heres my arm stick that needle in and get er done!
r @ 14:
Why should I listen to rich f@#ks whine about what is OWED to them. Taxes have been a fact of life for thousands of years. Nothing's owed to them.
Why should I listen to corporations whine about what is OWED to them and how they need tax breaks and incentives. Nothing's owed to them.
Why should I listen to politicians whine about how rich people and corporations are suffering under the weight of taxes. How what's good for them is good for everybody. Wrong, what's good for everyone is good for them.
Life is unfair, and life has been more than fair to these people. So stop whining.
Having said that, I think that Mitt has the beginnings of a decent idea. Don't need to throw the baby out with the bath water. I've seen many seniors working past 65. Many need to work to make ends meet, and this will help them. Many more work because they want to. And this is good for them as well.
People should stop acting like poor ole grandma is some fragile little thing that is going to get abused. Talk about stereotyping the elderly.
Forgot the clip http://motionographermedia.com/akama/akama_kk.mov
let me get this straight - so to fix social security, we'll encourage senior citizens to continue to work in jobs without paying into social security, keeping jobs from younger workers who would pay into the system. i took "new math" in school - this must be some sort of "new new math"...
Can't that moron see that there aren't enough jobs now and that oldsters aren't all that much wanted in the job market? I'm trying to find something that will stave off bankruptcy until I can access my retirement funds.
Just speaking as one who has been downsized under every Repugnant president since St. Reagan and twice now under Dumbo.
Mitt is insane if he thinks ideas like this one will get him votes.
We need another politician like him like we need a hole in the head. The guy has CEO Brain, can't understand what it's like down at the worker level, he just want's everything to look good for the Stockholders.
Typical Corporate
think.r @ 14:
Please don't feed the trolls. They receive plenty of crickets and grasshoppers to feed on under their bridges.
This from a guy who thinks "work" is sitting in a make-up chair for an hour.
Lollimom @ 43:
LOL!! Lots of roaches too.
You need to make a correction to the title of this article. Romney is not saying what you say he is saying. Currently, people who are over 65 and collecting SS benifits are expected to ALSO continue to pay into SS from the money they earn. Romney is saying that once you reach 65, you can stop contributing to SS.
And I'm not sure he's suggesting even that this will correct the immigration problem. But it might make it easier for those seniors WHO WANT to work to continue to do so. He's not saying that they HAVE TO work, at least not in the section of the quote you have above.
This would be a good thing for those seniors that want to work. It's a good idea. Though the fact that it helps "regular people" will doom the idea once his corporate handlers read about it.
Needless to say, I'm not a Romney supporter by any means. I prefer Edwards, Obama or Hillary, in that order. (Tho Gore is still my favorite.)
No surprises here. This is how rich bastards like romney and bush think.
IrresistibleB1tch @ 40:
or keeping jobs from illegals who pay in and never collect.
That's right Mitt. Lock up the God damn borders and then grandpa and grandma can wash dishes and pick fruit. This creep makes Bush seem compassionate.
r @ 14:
I know of some surgeons who work
I would like to know how old YOU are? But you'll probably lie anyway. Yes we know about "miracle pills". They are pushed upon us hour after hour by direct to consumer marketing.
"Old fart"? Want to see how fast this old fart could put YOU in a hopital?
And do you have employer provided health insurance? If so, you should give it back, you entitlement hypocrite. Or are you just a socialist at heart?
Just remember. You are enabling a guy who has the biggest entitlement/ health care package going today, because he had the MONEY to run for public office to obtain those benefits. Note that, sonny boy. You need the MONEY FIRST. Then you can work the system. Those who bust their butts for 35 years to retire on $1500/month are rubes.
Sorry the first line of my last response was not edited properly. Guess I'm getting too old for this.
Hillary Clinton in Florida despite agreeing not to campaign there. Sick. And no wonder people call her B****.
I am personally real sick of Grandma freeloading, now she has no excuse and can get back to work.
Actually, at 70, I would love to go back to work, but with Emphysema and Heart disease I'm not exactly an employers dream. Thankfully, although the body isn't what it used to be the mind is just about as sharp as it ever was.
Joementum @ 10:
heh :) Now I have to clean the tea off my monitor!
This actually sounds like *choke* a halfway-decent idea. From freakin' Romney, of all people. I can't believe it.
Joementum @ 48:
yup - you KNOW that's part of their calculation...
Re: Che Lounge rant: your dementia is setting in nicely....the threat was a nice touch too mixed in to your rambling argument. My age is irrelevant as is yours. Quit whining and acting like you are owed.
I gotta say, in a few posts, there's a bit of age-ism I find disturbing. Not all old people are stroller-riding, drooling feebs, and anyone who can work and wants to work, should.
What sucks is companies that have mandatory retirement ages, or let the costlier "experienced" staff go during lay offs, so older people find themselves competing for lesser jobs for lesser pay with younger people. It's why they wind up as greeters and fast food cashiers, mind-optional jobs that keep them from realizing a fuller potential so their brains start shutting off because nothing is required of them, and then SOME PEOPLE (ah, the Cavuto) assume all old people are brain-dead and worthless.
I'd like to hear how Mitt is going to "provide incentives" to American companies to not let go of their older work force before I assume he envisions a world of old people doing manual labor...
Of course, I'm not holding my breath on that, either.
Why stop with old people. China let's people work even if they haven't reached puberty yet.
Why not put children 8 and up into the workforce? In China and Mexico, kids this age are already enjoying the benefits of long hours gluing up shoes in toxic vapor filled factories. Why should our kids get a break?
Someone tell Romney it is time to put these slackers to work!
r @ 14:
Compassionate Conservative of the Day?
I think anderson Cooper's White Hair Confused the Mitt-flopper, and he thought he was talking to AARP, "I'll cut YOUR taxes, and your taxes, and my taxes, and your taxes..."
Pretty pathetic these Repugs. First, they wanted Rudy as their anointed Jesus Jihadist. When that started to look bleak, they turned to old Fred Thompson. Little did they realize that a houseplant has more charisma.
Now, all they have left is Mitt Romney because McCain and Huckabee are simply RINO's to them. The cookie-cutter candidate with a liberal background and a faith that is simply Unacceptable to the raw-meat-eating base.
So sit back and watch the GOP race, it will be comical and quite entertaining.
call me crazy but the issue is not what it appears to be.
the issue is not whether or not people over 65 want to work, it is whether people over 65 can choose not to work. yes, there are many people 65+ that do not want to stop working--i don't know, but i would go out on a limb and say that is the minority, but i dunno.
but what is the underlying message, or at least as i read it? unless you are in the top .1% of the population, there is no retirement, expect to work until you fall over dead--and uncle mitt is making it a bit less painful for us peons to work in order to pay the bills. all the while, rich fucks, like mitten, could retire whenever the fuck they want.
this discussion should be setting off alarm bells. we have fallen in to such a state where we are seriously talking about working into our 70s, 80s, 90s--which, if it is an indiv choice, good for you; but if it is because of economic necessity, because owners like mitt skewed the system to their advantage and your disadvantage (which is exactly what happened), then it is opposite of good.
mitt does a good job of selling his pre-packaged plague: the hair, the confidence, the perma-grin, etc. but, careful, don't get caught playing on their field with their ball. this is about the right's destruction of america's economic base, and instead of doing what we should be doing we are talking about making it "easier" for the elderly to work at mcdonald's.
this is the case just because we let the market fundamentalists take control of the economic levers.
The logic of this bewilders me. We're going to go to a workforce where labor participation is almost certainly at an all-time low (just do the math of the growth of the population vs. the nonexistent growth of jobs over the last 10 years) and try to get people who have retired to get back into it . . . why? To ensure that the younger generation has that much less access to good jobs and opportunities?
Romney is a fucking idiot!
Weaseldog @ 59:
"Nothing cures childhood obesity like an 18-hour shift at the mill."
-S. Colbert-
Now THAT's a troll! Well done, kid. No substance. Just attacks. Balloon juicers would be proud.
Here's a quarter.
Kudos on the screen shot. That look on AC's face is priceless!
Samson- @ 63:
Call me crazy but there aren't many over 65 that will end up working at McDonalds. Social Security is a regressive tax (capped at 90K), so a person over 65 is incentivized to just collect capital gains even if they are not rich. If you were to start a small business after 65 (which many boomers express that they want to do) they would be taxed on FICA at 17% - thats a serious chunk of change. Take away that 17% and that may be the difference between sitting on the couch all day and starting a small business. Who knows, maybe that small business might even have to hire a few young people.
WELL, Duh, what BUBBLEBUTT and FAUX NEWS consider "working" many seniors could, actually do...give me a freaking mic and I can pontificate all day long about MY OPINIONS!!!!
I'm all for it. lets have our 65 and up seniors pick our fruit and do our cleaning ,the new immigrant class!
Weaseldog @ 59:
now you're talking! all we need is a snazzy name for this (a la Clear Skies) ... how about "Happy Childhood Initiative" or "Leave No Enterprising Youth Behind"...
Sure, why not? Let's keep dividing the wealth in this country to further benefit the 1 percent so they can live out their golden years in peace and financial security while the rest of us can go to war for them, work for them without retirement, without health care, without financial security, without end.
Wages stagnate, jobs disappear, cost of living ascends beyond the capacity of two jobs, and our rights and freedoms are stifled while we are taxed to death to further enrich that 1 percent. Lather, rinse, repeat.
America is finished.
69 unfrozencaveman Says:
you crazy
:-)
and i would take you up on a bet:
there will be, on an order of magnitude, more senior citizens working in fast food, than there would be starting a small business. and this will NOT be due to choice, but necessity.
and as far as the 90k cap is concerned: get rid of it, cancel it, end it. (but provide for allowances for small biz)
I agree with Mitt Romney and the reich wingnut corporatists/free market apologists out there!
Lets do away with Social Security, everyone should work until they can't stand anymore on their own, even then...heck, lets slap'em in a wheelchair, because we can still use their arms...
Lets do away with child labor laws...if a family wants their 3 and 4 year olds to work in small places with moving parts or deadly chemicals....have at it!
No benefits, no health insurance, everyone will have to make their piece with God, except those deemed by God to Rule (you know...the GOP monarchy/Libertarian false gods) whatever happens, happens to you 'mythical little people'...
OSHA, HA! You'll stick your hand in there or else...you're fired. Don't like inhaling Asbestos, VX, etc....HA! If you want a 'safe workplace'....go to socialist europe!
40 hour work week GONE! You're working 24-7 baby, then you can go back to your Tom Delay (GOP approved) Marianas Island cage where bread crums and mercury poisoned water will sustain you until you're chewed up and spit out...
Paid Vacation! Ha! Forget that....you'll be lucky if you get any breaks...hell, if you take longer than 4 minutes in the restroom...FIRED!
Lunch break....LOL! No way....you'll eat at night when the night shift takes over, hey...16 hour shifts aren't so bad....
Free market, free market, free market! (later when meth wears off) Wow...what a nightmare....whew...its a good thing we can still do something about that and not let that happen here....
Free Market - Never-Never land....exact same thing.
World is flat/Fair tax - Tooth Fairy...exact same thing.
Deregulation is good - Up is down....exact same thing.
Regulated capitalism & Democracy can coexist....no tax hating libertarian or GOP mouthpiece can point to anytime in the history of the world...where that free market rules/corporatocracy ideology sustained a country, empire, etc....
Remember kids...its the government & 'regulation' keeping you down....not the inheritantly tyrannical organization structure of transnational corporations/neo-feudal kingdoms & their absolute pursuit of profit at all costs (all costs, no exclusions) that is making the world a worse place...
Malthus would nod. Dickens would shudder. Ebeneezer Romney?
Do all of you whining about those old geezers needing to 'pay their own ways,' how much money have you financial wizards been able to put away yet? You'll find saving for retirement isn't as easy nowadays as you think it is...wait until you actually start yourselves! Remember, you'll be old some day too...and they'll be plenty of young snots just like you now who never believe they'll get old and will resent you too and be ready to turn your ass into Soylent Green! Practice a little compassion now...you may need it yourself later!
What?! Payroll taxes are paid by employers, not by employees. Therefore, this is a tax break for employers, not the employees for whom their employer would not have to submit payroll taxes. What am I missing here? Seriously.
What this tax break would do is to make it more appealing to hire people who are 65 and over, but this would not put more money into the pockets of so-called seniors, other than by allowing some jobs which they might not otherwise get to become available to them.
Any way you look at this, it would be an unbelievable messy situation.
75 right wing hater
good post, thanks for that
Ok Samson, I'll take you up on that bet. Just don't sneak Walmart into that calculation, becuase that blows up my whole theory.
Romney's a bit "detached" from normal reality, but I actually think his proposal's a no-brainer - why charge payroll taxes to those who choose to work after the official retirement age?
Sometimes even a fool gets a good idea.
Samson- @ 79:
Thanks Samson....like your stuff as well.
Drives me crazy....the fact that this con of the con-servatives is accepted by those who stop when 'something sounds good' and don't look any further into it...
I thought all the seniors were already back to work, working as greeters at Walmart.
I think it's funny that whether in Communist or Capitalist societies the mantra among those in power is always, 'work until you drop!' No free rides. But whether you're a rich asshole like Romney, or the Party head-honcho, Vladimir Lenin, you're not worried about cleaining streets when you're in your 80s, so it sounds good to you!
right wing hater @ 75:
marry me.
Linda @ 78:
FICA taxes are split between employees and employers. Independent contractors and small business people get screwed and have to pick up the entire tab. Good point though as large businesses don't need this tax break.
I plan to work until I'm 70 and would love to not pay those taxes after 65. I actually like this idea of his.
Truth is, there are a lot of people over 65 already working, full-time & part-time.
Great - now Romney wants me to go back to work because my $6 a month SS increase doesn't cover the increase in my medigap insurance. I can't even bend over well enough to tie my shoes and I should displace a farm hand in the lettuce fields.
Whadda freakin' moron.
This must be Romneys Price of a Gallon of Milk moment
Can't wait to see those 70 year old window washers rappelling down the glass high rises in Baltimore or waiting to be picked up in a van as day laborers at 6 A.M
oh im sure if pushed he would say these workers would do cushy jobs like day care and after school tutoring, which has no illegals anyway and does nothing to stimulate the economy.
I swear the republicans as whole are completely out of touch with the middle class.
Many, many Social Security recipients do work out of necessity. It has become impossible for us to live on that check and maybe a pension. I know. I was one of those who had to return to work, just to survive.
GOP to America..."Work till' you die, slaves!"
I really don't understand why this kind of talk from a fasci...I mean, republican, is so surprising. Since they can't "get rid" of social security, the next best thing was to ruin the middle class so the baby boomers would have to work into their old age. And they've been doing a great job of it for the last 7 years, with more to come from , sorry to say.T
There's a kernel of genius in this. Here's my proposal: hire the elderly to enforce immigration law.
It's perfect. If there are too many illegal immigrants, there will be plenty of work to go around. If no one wants to do that work, well, then the illegals aren't taking jobs from anyone.
It's like the invisible hand of the free market. It'll just work by magic.
Why is social security going under is it because of more people on it or is it because the governmnet sees it as another source of revenue? I mean they take from the surplus and then write a IOU for the amount . The government isn't worried about those on SS but on the fact that there will not be a surplus and will have to raise taxes to fund bridges to nowhere.
Also, why is the limit set at $97,000 which gives those above that more money to invest for a retirement why not more.
Those at the bottom end ( even some in the middle) who have to pay this regressive tax will not seen a dime of SS because of lack of health care and other social problems
If you wanted increase the value of labor, wouldn't your goal be to decrease the labor pool? I know that's a stupid thing to point out, since Republicans are *always* most interested in devaluing labor, but still.
Yeah, this is about the sort of pitch I'd expect from the party of CEOs and trust fund babies. It basically amounts to, 'if we just work the serfs until they die, productivity will go up and everyone will make more money! Well... everyone worth mentioning, I mean!".
What could they do? They could be pilots, and fireman, and police, and acrobats, and football players, and brick layers, and carpenters, and surgeons, and ditch diggers, and they could run heavy equipment, plow snow, fight forest fires, join the army too. After all, who wouldn't want an 85 year old, half blind, shakey, demintia suffering surgeon doing your next bypass? I bet their rates would be low anyhow....
Poor Mittens, such a pathetic damned fool...
Another compassionate conservative in the flesh. Where did this moron come from and why does anybody pay any attention to him?
He wants to keep everybody working for minimum wage, or less, until they fall over dead with a spatula in their hands.
I suppose God told him to say that.
Mitt!! That God thing....That's just the voices in your head!! Not God!!! In case you didn't realize it, you're crazy!!
so, adding workers to a work force with high unemployment does just what governor brilecream?
is this sort sort of mutant economic derivative of "hit me on the head again, it feels good when you stop?"
Tom Belt @ 97:
He appeals to the "right" people, if you know what I mean. Comments like this are directed at that 5% who own most everything in this country. This stuff sounds great to them.
kuvasz @ 98:
Where is there high unemployment?
Retired people would also be more enclined to open up their own business since they wouldn't have to pay a 15% payroll tax. Who knows, there might be some more younger people who they end up employing.
Let's say this policy would actually work to keep some elders in the workforce.
Who would it keep the most? Blue collar workers who manufacture our products, or white collar workers, managers and engineers?
If you've worked on a factory floor your whole life, know that your life expectancy is 70 year tops, a tax cut on your salary is only marginally more attractive than collecting social security and pension for the remaining several years of your life - you've already earned both, so why should you spend 2-3 years extra NOT collecting either? Chances are, none of these workers would let themselves be swindled by such a bum deal.
If you're a manager or an engineer, you already have a lot of incentive to stay in the workforce, tax cuts or no tax cuts. It's been shown in MANY industries that people who refuse to retire actually hurt young workers trying to enter their fields. Many industries, let's say the legal field, sometimes the medical field, even the military actually enforce required retirement ages. You simply have to go! Do we want it to be MORE difficult for young people to find jobs as the future leaders and future high tech professionals? Neither do a lot of companies.
So, Romney, okay... let's screw over young professionals, companies who are trying to stay competitive by keeping their workforce young, and workers who could otherwise be collecting pensions and social security for a few years before they die. All in the name of a tax-cut to a demographic you're pandering to.
Everybody hates Mitt, even the people who interview him.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6lAFfLy05_Y
Many seniors work part-time now just to have some purpose in their life. I guess some people just don't appreciate how others can find joy in even performing a very basic job function for fairly low pay. Rode a shuttle bus the other day at an airport; the older gentleman driving was a true joy to be around. He did it to get out of house and because he loves people, even those who are more well off than him.
peaceful easy feeling @ 103:
The stated intention of this tax cut is to increase our workforce. Seniors already working part time because of financial difficulties a) already pay no taxes and b) wouldn't increase our workforce unless you plan on putting more of them in financial difficulty.
As if anybody can afford to retire at age 65 anymore.... after having their 401K's looted or made worthless by corporate theives, or losing their pensions because CEO's want more money in their own pockets, after their unuins have been busted, after their once high paying jobs were sent to China.
What an asshole. Thanks for nothing Bishop Romney.
Here's another idea: customer support calls. It's low-impact work, you can do it from the home and you can set your own hours if the labor pool is big enough.
And who better to help us retrieve lost passwords and configure our wireless routers than the Greatest Generation(tm)?
They beat Tojo and Hitler. Surely Linksys is no match for them!
This little clip exposes Romney for what he is. Elitist scum.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lAFfLy05_Y
JasonS @ 106:
Yeah, as long as the customers aren't using Macs.
Why not kill two birds?
Romney can give the retirees rifles & handcuffs and let them patrol the borders.
One of the few good ideas Mr Flip Flop Romney has had. Yes, anyone who chooses to work after 65 should not be paying ANY income taxes. But lets take it one step further and say that ANY income earned while collecting Social Security should not be deducted from your benefit check either, as it is now. There are SO MANY retirees who need just a little more than their checks, just to get by, and the gov. should not penalize them for trying to supplement their take home.
Why not put seniors to work? There are precious few ice flows left to stick them on.
Deploy aged WalMart greeters along the Mexican border. Nothing scares off the coyotes like blue vests and blue hair.
Nobody gets in without a receipt. NOBODY.
My company fired me two weeks after I returned from having a heart attack , yea right , Mutt , Good jobs , after the age of 60 ? , lets see what country to move to India , China , Mexico .
Who do I con-tact outsourcing inc ?
You guys gotta re-read what he said again- seriously, because if you're in disagreement you're basically saying you want seniors who are still working to be taxed.. am I right?
Trying to decide which work we can get seniors to do that immigrants now do....Roofing houses, heavy yard work, crop picking or cleaning a Wal-Mart store at 2 a.m. Is this Mitt's plan to save Social Security by working people to death?
Fleece @ 112:
Love it!
Rusty Shackleford @ 109:
Mac users don't need customer support. Everything on a Mac just works :)
Eric Almighty @ 7:
Couldn't sneak it past ya, could they?
tyree @ 38:
I've been paying the f'ing money IN since 1964. I want my f'ing money BACK, just as promised, in 2018. ANY other scenario is Theft.
I'm 69, still going strong and will keep going until I die, stroke out or some such. If If Romeny is saying that I get to keep I get to keep the 40% or now withheld for Federal and State taxes, social security and the like, thats's one Mitt proposal I won't laugh at. In Florida Mitt argues against regulation of greenhouse gasses and a whole bunch of other things he used to support and thereby shows how vunerable he would be against whichever democratc candidate in November. The republicans have backed themselves into unpopular positions where they are defending a whole lot of Bush stuff like staying in Iraq forever and coming down on popular programs that will reduce greenhouse gasses and the like. McCain distinguishes himself from the rest of the republicans by favoring at least some popular programs, but he is going to have explain why it's necessary to keep sending peoples' husbands, wives, brothers, dads and sons National Guard over to Iraq every year or two.
As one who is about to enter the world of retirement, I say to you Mitt Romney, a hearty fuck you too.
Well, it's obvious to me that I'm one of the older readers here. You know, not everyone wants to retire. In fact, I have more problem with the fact that you people want to consign us older folks to the sideline than I have with anything Romney said here. Don't get me wrong; you couldn't pay me to vote Republican, but I think his idea of eliminating taxes for older workers is a great idea. It's not like you people are going to let us geezers have any real jobs or anything...
Giving older workers a break on social security tax is about the first thing I've ever heard Mitt Romney say that I agree with. I'm going to turn 63 next month. I'll be working until I'm 72 to get my house paid for. If I could stop paying for social security after I turn 65 or so, it would be great! I've paid into social security since 1962 except for a half-dozen years in which I was raising children. When Romney says I'll have paid for my social security by retirement age, I tend to agree. Certainly the WWII generation didn't pay into social security for fifty years as I will have if I'm paying until I'm 72.
Gee, maybe they can get two or three jobs.
Gotta say, I am more worried about whether there will be a decent-paying job for my grandchildren when it is their turn to participate in the "American Dream". But, hey, don't start planning for the future. Let's keep limping along reacting to world pressures rather than looking for the solutions that will keep our economy good for the next generations. Same old, same old.
Let's just strap Grandma to the harvesting machine and she can pick lettuce and asparagus. And Grandpa can wash dishes at Pure. I guess if they don't have millions of dollars they are sucking at the public teat of entitlements (that they paid into all their working lives. You suck, Mitt!
I only read the first tier or responses, but it strikes me that he is speaking in code that is largely flying under the radar. Who is 65 and working? (Hint: not roofers or cooks). CEOs and more senior white collar types - zero income tax. If he gains a few popular votes from fools who think he's helping the older demographic, that is trivial compared to what he gains by throwing red meat to a narrow but powerful segment of his base.
Just a thought...
what makes people think that all these baby boomer's will be working at Walmart? i think they'll just hang onto their regular jobs thereby keeping younger people from promotions. i can't tell you how many over 65 workers were hired just at the Dept. of Homeland Security alone. these guys didn't need the money. most of them had military or law enforcement pensions. they are/were taking a job away from people that needed it. if a person is financially secure and wants to contribute to society after retirement, volunteer. there's plenty of those jobs around.
My Mom is 78 years old and still working. Not because she chooses to, but because she cannot live on her Social Security. So, since Social Secfurity is not funded adequately to allow people who have been working for 60 years to retire, I agree with old Mitt for once. Old people have paid their share and should not have to pay any more.
Better would be to fund Social Security and Medicare to a point where an old lady can stay home for once. And no crap about her not saving. Sh raised 5 kids with no help from our deadbeat father. He did fine for himself.
This sort of cynicism reminds me of the plaque the Nazis put on the gates to greet the Jews going into the death camps: "Work shall make you free."
Iron Gator @ 119:
That euthanized.
But in the case of the elderly maybe they should be youthenized.
Note that he said he thought they "should not have payroll taxes taken out of their wages". That simply means he's against payroll withholding, it doesn't mean he's against taxing us on those wages at the end of the year. Another hidden surprise, a play on words, by a Republican of course.
drshatterhand @ 16:
drshatterhand @ 16:
Wow! You mean there are companies out there that
still offer health care!?
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