Jeez-Louise!! I just posted the quarterly fustration I feel when I hit the EFTPS "send" button!! A little fantasy about better, more enjoyable ways to spend money that I make & the government takes......

But, since some people got upset, a little clarification:
If you work for someone else, you have 7.65% of you paycheck deducted & supposedly sent to the folks at the Social Security Administration, and your employer sends a matching amount; if you are self employed, you get to pay the 15+% all by yourself. In actuallyity, this money DOES go straight to the US Treasure and is NOT reserved for Social Security, which is why the politicians are always decrying the sysytem's solvency. Most people could better manage this money themselves, with a better return - heck - even a 3% savings account would beat the uncertainty of receiving SS in 20 years!
Since this money is being spent as we deliver it, why should I NOT be upset when, as a Student Financial Aid professional, I see people receiving Food Stamps, Medical Cards, HUD pays their rent & utilities, and they have minimal, if any, earned wages - yet they can afford cell phones & lap tops. Add all these benefits together and assign equal value to a WORKING family, and not only would they be struggling to pay bills, but they might not be fully eligible for the basic Federal Pell Grant to further thier education and improve their economic situation.

And, yeah, it's about time to move this thread to FOO.

PS - Pheard - yada yada yada. I have a son in the military, so don't Baghdad me.