Whine, Whine, Whine

Blog Prompt: Today is Disobedience Day. If you could protest about something, what would it be?

I could whine all day long about how I feel about what are government has been doing the past few months, but I don’t think you guys have all day long.

I am going to post about something that is effecting our family and is effecting many others also.

My husband was a firefighter for 32 years and choose to participate in their pension program and not pay Social Security. BUT, he also worked in the private sector for over 12 years to make sure he had enough quarters for Social Security. Nowadays, you need more than a pension plan to make ends meet and Social Security was going to help in his golden years.

Now that he only has 2 years to go until he is 62, we recently found out that he may not qualify for all of his social security benefits. This is due to the Windfall Elimination Provision.

If you work for an employer who does not withhold Social Security taxes from your salary, such as a government agency, teachers, firefighters, policeman, etc., the pension you get based on at work may reduce your Social Security benefits. Even though you have paid into Social Security for years through part time jobs or from switching jobs, congress considered this, “Double Dipping”. You have to work 30 years or more in the private sector to not have any deductions from your social security. In my husbands case, because he didn’t work enough years, he will only receive HALF of his social security each month. He should receive what he has paid in!

I could not believe what I was reading and found out that just about 1 million people will be effected by this law! The provision was adopted back in 1983 because cuts needed to be made in Social Security. Also in the provision, the president and congress are exempt from this law!! Oh and lets not forget all the Social Security benefits given to illegal aliens. That’s where the cuts should be made, not from people that have worked hard for their Social Security benefits.

HOW DARE THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS PENALIZE HARD WORKING AMERICANS FROM THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY!! There are so many of these government employees that have to work part time jobs to make ends meet. I know a lot of teachers that do this too.

How can we fight back? You must write your Congressmen and sign the petition and maybe we can get this law repealed. There is legislature out there, but at the moment, it’s in limbo it seems. What’s new.

Please, if you are a government employee, your spouse, family member or friend, let them know about the Windfall Elimination Provision and how it may take big chunks out of your retirement years.

Everyone have a great July 4th and God Bless America,