Prentiss where exactly can I find the info regarding the fact that Mr. Romney is going to do away with SSI? Do you really believe that he wants to do away with these types of benefits for the disabled? This is the same person who lives out "the charity begins at home" philosophy and donated over 30% of his income to charity right?

Absolutely, he donates a huge amount to the Mormon church each year. That's a real charity and it qualifies for the exemption. I haven't looked into any other charities he may contribute to. As for plans to do away with specifically SSI I haven't heard a word about that. (My son's check isn't SSI, by the way) We do know the campaign's plans for Medicare though which is very abrupt and we know, taking him at his word, what he thinks of the 47%. Does that mean something for SSI? Possibly, considering the "Not taking responsibility for their own lives" comment.

Of course, after just a little analysis, I'm not sure Mr. Romney knows who the 47% he blithely writes off are are. How many Republican voters did he alienate in that 30 second comment?

It is refreshing to see a politician who is charitable with his own money rather than other people's money. Does the fact that he donates to his church surprise you? When you are a member of a church that is where a great deal of your charitable donations go. Did you know that people who regularly attend a church/house of worship are more charitable with their money and time than those who do not?
As far as the less fortunate are concerned I cannot place my hope in the current President. His policies and idealogies do not help an indiviual to rise up from their dire situations but only puts a bandaid on their current wound. There are so many people in this country doing with much less and struggling to survive. What exactly is being done other than spending money we do not have and amounting such enormous debt for your children and mine? Instead of be so embarrassed Prestiss maybe you could address this.

Social Security still has an air of legitimacy because what you get back bears some resemblance to what you paid in. As higher earners start to see diminished SS checks (means testing), and the government looks for higher earners to pay more without any additional benefit, it just becomes a youth-funded senior citizen welfare program.

Also, when Congress decided to fund disability out of the SS fund, they never increased the revenue to cover. It was just another "painless" benefit they decided to let future generations pay for.

Medicare is already there. No matter how much or little (the minimum lifetime earning level is very low), you pay in, you still get the same level of service. It's really just an add-on to the income tax to fund an entitlement program. That, and the fee for service model, is why it is going broke at a rapidly increasing rate. Unless our Congress and President finally and publicly acknowledge that, and agree it will take more than getting the rich to "pay their fair share" to fix it, the program is doomed.

Sorry if you believed all the lies you were told. And you can't say you weren't warned, but chose to listen to the pols who told you "everything will be alright, trust us." Conservatives have been saying that Medicare was unsustainable for decades, but were branded mean-spirited by Liberals and faux-Republicans. If you want something to be embarrassed about, I would start there.

I think you'll find most politicians are charitable individuals, as are most of Americans who are well off. I have no problem with that great American tradition. I do however think that the Affordable Care Act speaks directly to your question. Controlling the single most expensive need is key to providing everyone a fair shake. That includes expanding medicaid, and lowerin drug costs to seniors by 50%. Of course under his administration we expanded Pell grants so our kids can afford college, created the Consumer Financial protection Bureau (my personal favorite), signed the reform law that stops banks form making money by betting against their customers, got the START treat signed. There are hundreds of examples. Now if Congress wasn't so locked up there would be thousands.

There are plenty of things that have happened under this President that I don't like as well, but to say that all we are doing is spending money we don't have, is far too simplistic.

Oh I agree Stig, Healthcare is not "done." Not by any means. It's pretty obvious that the most cost efficient method to provide it is a single payer system. The current model being rolled out is a private/public partnership of sorts, we'll see how long it takes to come around.

When have you heard someone say "everything will be alright", was that in the last 10 years?

The President's charitable giving record prior to his entry to the big stage. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and his wife Michelle gave $10,772 of the $1.2 million they earned from 2000 through 2004 to charities, or less than 1 percent, according to tax returns for those years released today by his campaign.

The Obamas increased the amount they gave to charity when their income rose in 2005 and 2006 after the Illinois senator published a bestselling book. The $137,622 they gave over those two years amounted to more than 5 percent of their $2.6 million income.
Now it certainly seems like charity to the President is fine as long as it is with other people's money not his own!

And Prentiss rather than give 3 cheers for for expanded Pell grants you may want to question and direct outrage at the higher learning institutions themselves. The high cost of tuition is because these institutions are allowed to get away with the exorbitant fees and the bubble is soon to burst.

Just wondering if there is anything you are embarrassed about coming from the POTUS mouth? While you are certainly embarrassed by a substantial amount of things from Romney and the Republicans, is there anything you could say about the POTUS and the Dems that irks you? Try being a bit balanced, you make good points but they are definitely one sided and I question weather you are just a Rino (Republican in name only) given what I have read from you.

Sure, what about not closing Guantanamo bay prison facility, or killing a US citizen and his son in Yemen without any due process? What about continuing the Bush policies regarding domestic security enforcement? What about not standing up to congress and letting them get away with causing our credit rating to be downgraded?

PS. I have had enough of "Outrage," it gets us nowhere.

Here's something to be embarrassed about - http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81596.html?hp=r8

Why won't the President tell us what he thinks needs to be done. An obviously flustered Axelrod attacks a reporter for even asking about what the President would do.

More Obama/Reid/Pelosi doubletalk - I guess we'll have to "pass it before we'll know what's in it," again.

Please Vote the Ins out!

The author presents an unbalanced critique of a good man. This is a typical red herring strategy of haters on the left in order to distract from BHO's record of failure. 47mm on Foodstamps, 25 mm unemployed and 5 going on 6T in additional debt. There is no defense for BHO's incompetence so besmirch and attack by those who portray themselves as Republicans is an old ploy that some of those who do not choose to educate themselved may fall for.

"Haters on the left" misses the point. The idea here is to make sure the candidates we put forward are representative of our values. No one says mr. Romney isn't a "good man", the question is have we put up the candidate we intended? Is this a guy you want as president? No matter how you feel about the current administration is our party out to make things better or just win at all costs?

You may not share my disillusionment with the current form of the Republican Party, but I've hoped to and will continue to try to make it clear that this Grand Old Party is on its way to third class status. Unless we insist on better vetting of our candidates we'd better get used to that.

Stig what's embarrassing about proposing that the Social security cap be raised? I've never understood why citizens who make more than a hundred thousand suddenly stop having to pay for social security on income over that figure. But again that's not the point of being "embarrassed". We have to look at ourselves first and make sure we're on the higher ground.

PG, If we raise the tax cap on SS, will we also raise the pay out upon retirement for those who paid in more?

Raise the cap on Social Security? "I've never understood why citizens who make more than a hundred thousand suddenly stop having to pay for social security on income over that figure" So in essence this is another "tax" on the one-hundred-thousand-aires. Many people paying into this program do not believe it will be there when it is retirement age and are not banking on it for their future. Prentiss you do realize that people earning $100,000 are struggling to make ends meet in Morris County don't you? Yet you expect more money for a government program that in all likelihood will become bankrupt in the near future!

What about raising the FiCA/payroll tax cap but with a "middle class gap" in it? That is, everyone pays in at the regular rate up to, say, the first $90k or $100k of income. Then no tax on the next, say, $200k of income, then the tax kicks in again on every dollar earned over, say, $300k. And while we're at it, dedicate the "extra" $ from the wealthy to paying benefits to all those baby boomers who are starting to retire and strain the system.

Those are good questions! I guess it depends on how we think about the program is it a program that should give people who put more in more when it comes time to pay out? is it a program designed to be a egalitarian safety net? I don't see why it can't be both. As it is, the burden falls on those making less than 100,000 because it's a much larger percentage of what they make.

Would you support "means testing" for recipients, meaning if you already have "plenty" of income or savings for retirement you don't get the social security check. If something awful happens and you end up needing it, then you get it?

I have to admit it's very hard for me to feel sorry for someone in Morris county making a hundred grand a year or more, and that includes my family. This is a very expensive place to live, but most of us think it's worth it. Imagine how hard it is for someone making $60,000, $40,000 or $30,000 or $20,000.

P.s. Thanks for keeping this conversation civil, sounds like you're a grownup.

So my effective tax rate jumps because I am successful? If I take in more than the max, not sure, say $110k? then you uncap the tax so it rises in perpetuity? then on top of that you tell me I get no benefit because of means testing? On top of that we re-elect our current POTUS who will increase taxes even more? What type of tax bracket are we talking about for the higher wage earners 50-60-70% with no benefit at all from SS? Is that what is being proposed by some of you here?

The rate doesn't jump, you just don't get the break anymore. There are lots of ways of saying that but we are talking about taking the cap away. I think that the argument that gains from removing the cap and/or not sending wealthy retirees social checks won't solve the entire problem is fallacious. Even if it doesn't solve the whole problem it's a good start. There is more that needs to be done. Waste, fraud and ineffectiveness needs to be eliminated and a new understanding of the purpose of social security needs to be acted on. Maybe just sending out checks isn't enough to get the best value for our money.

It's a conversation that needs to happen. A calm, concerned conversation by the entire country.

Assume that Social Security is going to continue, because frankly it is. So if you don't like J's plan, what's yours? It's tempting to point out flaws and unfairness and then sit back thinking we're done, but we're not. How does it move forward? How do we solve the problem?

Romney says he wants people to take responsibility for their own lives, what does that mean? He said on 60 minutes that Americans can already go to the emergency room if they desparately need health care. Is this Mega-business man proposing that we stay with this hugely inefficient system? People who contributed to SS want what they paid for, no one wants to let someone who is too poor to put food on the table starve. "No" just won't cut it anymore, there are challenges to tackle here.

Okay, I get it. You apparently have given a lot of thought....exceedingly too much, to a statement made off the cuff at a fundraiser. Just who do you think would be at this fundraiser? Certainly not the deliveryman or babysitter or everyday Mac. They are there to raise money in order to fight socialism and get our country back on track. They need big donors. You are taking everything on too much of a personal basis.
You do not have to document your reasons. You should look at the BIG PICTURE...our NATION. our ECONOMY ...ALL OF OUR FUTURES. Don't be so insular and self-absorbed. You should be looking beyond yourself and stop finding fault and getting lost and side tracked by the minutia....it is just a red herring. Concentrate on the future and direction of our country. That is the most important thing that should consume your thoughts at this dire time.

I'm not concerned about taking our country back, I like it the way it is (without the recession). We are recovering and I'm looking forward to more government investment in our infrastructure. As for "an off the cuff remark," he was pandering to the donors, what infuriates me was that's apparently what they wanted to hear. Are we really supposed too think that almost half the people we see every day are leeches?

Good lord, are you for real? You like socialism and a dictator? That's what you have!
No recession....oh that is soooooooo funny. Have you shopped for food or clothing lately? We are in a recession and incurring hyperinflation. The data given has been skewed.....many essentials have been deleted from the equation. You are being lied to by this administration..."...it is going to hit the fan shortly. Bernake is printing money, the dollar value is plunging quickly, gas prices are purposely inflated, our borders are not protected, diseases like leprosy, and the plaque are running rampant,
Top secret information is being leaked, our Ambassador to Libya was tortured and killed and his body was dragged through the streets, other navy seals were murdered, our American flag burned.......just a "few bumps in the road" was the terminology used by our President, over 400 EPA agents are roaming all over the United States looking for property they want and handing out very high monetary fines for any of their "regulations" that they feel have not been met, over 500 dams have been destroyed in the USA because want over 50% of the land in the US to be WILDLANDS void of human habitation and water can not be restrained.....in some areas it is a crime to collect rainwater, etc, etc. Continued.

Farms are being destroyed and regulations are stopping farms from planting on their land with that comes food shortages, cattle are being slaughtered as farmers do not have the corn for feed as it went into ethanol production. Everything this administration is against the United States. Look behind what they say the reason for something is, because it is always detrimental to Americans. YOU LIKE THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE?? Open your glossed over eyes and see how foolish you have been.

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What a Dim Bulb you are! The country and our rights and freedoms are being destroyed, and you are opining about nails....appalling trivia!

Everyone voted for this idiot, now you see what you got, more companies closing their doors because of him and his insurance plan that you all thought was so good. Thats why there is thousands more out of work thats to nit wits like most of you here.

Conversations don't have to end. Dialogue and expressiveness are good and needed.
Sick of Trolls...it seems that you were Johnny on the Spot and quick to post your statement on such an old article. Could you be a Troll yourself? You seem more than a little obsessed with Vietnam Nam Vet.....he must have hit a nerve. So you really voted for Mr Zero? Guess you want to see our wonderful County destroyed by his oralist if agenda. great job! If there ever was anyone that deserved being called a MORON....It is YOU!

Above typo correction...SOCIALIST AGENDA of THIS ADMINISTRATION = UNITED NATIONS AGENDA 21

Sick, you really need to get a life!!