Up date on DOGE- Department of Government Efficiency spending cuts ...

James Agresti, president of the nonprofit research institute Just Facts;

"Musk’s statement about Social Security being the world's biggest Ponzi scheme does have validity. A Ponzi scheme operates by taking money from new investors to pay current investors. That's the definition given by the SEC, and contrary to popular belief, that's exactly how Social Security operates."

"Back during the Obama administration, there was a stimulus, and the Obama administration sent out stimulus checks via Social Security numbers to 80,000 people who were dead, and about 70,000 of them, the Social Security Administration knew they were dead. So I don't know if they've remedied that situation since then, but clearly the system is not keeping up with the pace of current data, and that provides an opportunity for fraud."

Democrats have also made the case that Musk is attempting to strip away benefits that senior citizens have rightfully earned. 

"There's been a lot of misinformation about that as of late," Agresti said. "You know, when DOGE came in and suggested that the Social Security Administration cut, I think it was about 10,000 workers, Democrats erupted that this is going to weaken Social Security. But the fact of the matter is that Social Security pays those workers who are for administrative overhead from the Social Security trust fund. So, by cutting out the money that they're paying them, you actually strengthen the program financially."

@UNIMAN

Well said Goose  I tried telling people to look at trumpys life before he even entered politics.  The guy has been a total scumbag his whole entire life.  He uses people and then just discards them.  If people would just stop being afraid of this loud mouth bully, who thinks hes a tough guy which hes not.  If he didnt have security his entire life, i couldnt even count to, how many times his box ass would have gotten beat up.  Trumpy sent so many contractors to bankruptcy in new York, because of never paying them for the huge contracts they never got paid for.  Hopefully there is a very special place in hell for trumpy in hell, away from the other scumbags that will be there.

And as for muskrat, another piece of crap fraud who shouldnt even have a citizenship in our country due to his lies.  This guy who has more access to our govt, then cabinet members is insane.  On top that the guy is sky high everyday on horse tranquilizer, which is gonna catch up to him, same way it got matthew perry.

Whats really funny is how many hypocrite religious idiots fell for trumpy, like the guy was better then God.

I hasve come to the conclusion the real reason magas love trumpy so much and cant do anything wrong, is because 90 percent of them have the exact awful human traits that trumpy has, so they get to live their lives to trumpys eyes and when he shits on people, magas get all giddy and happy. I wont say the words i have for all these magas but they truly arent good people at heart.

cutting people and having it harder for anybody to reach social security, helps????? really stop using drugs, they have fried your mind.  Magas just cant see the forest thru the trees.  Living life with blinders on.  And yes if people dont get their checks, they wont be upset about that  lmfaooooooooooooooooooooooooo

@cd329

 I do not appreciate your insinuation that I use drugs. It is a violation of site rules and I am reporting it. 

And I currently receive social security and am very happy, thank you.

With all the so called fraud happening at social security, why hasnt muskrat had the federal cops arrest these people and put them on the news to show the country how good doge is at finding fraud. Magas have no common sense answer to this and just keep posting total bullshit.  Somebody is cashing these checks that muskrat says is fruad.  Not to hard to find these people. 

I once went to the ny lottery office and told them i won the mega millions and they said thats great and asked me to show them the ticket.  I said you dont need to see the ticket, just take my word for it.  I won now pay me. How fast was i kicked out of the office?

Magas are probably saying that sucks pal, you should have gotten paid

If a person is gonna run their mouth off about people committing fraud, then show the damn proof or just go take some more horse tranquilizer you drug addict muskrat.

wonder how many magas would have lost their minds if biden made his crackhead son head of the DEA?

Once again drug addict south african immigrant muskrat (shouldnt even be a usa citizen) trying to buy our democracy wsith his money.

Offering voters 100 bucks to vote for certain people. How is this guy not in jail yet?  Oh thats right, we cant arrest the own of our country.  One thing donating to A party its whole other thing saying you will pay voters.

Am sure the maga cult, will say nothing wrong with that

Magas musakrat is trying to ruin this country for your children, but its c lear most of you dont care about that and just live for their own selves

https://www.yahoo.com/news/musk-trying-sway-wisconsin-supreme-192832688.html

[Quote: Originally Posted by cd329]Quote Originally Posted by UNIMAN: James Agresti, president of the nonprofit research institute Just Facts;   "Musk’s statement about Social Security being the world's biggest Ponzi scheme does have validity. A Ponzi scheme operates by taking money from new investors to pay current investors. That's the definition given by the SEC, and contrary to popular belief, that's exactly how Social Security operates."     "Back during the Obama administration, there was a stimulus, and the Obama administration sent out stimulus checks via Social Security numbers to 80,000 people who were dead, and about 70,000 of them, the Social Security Administration knew they were dead. So I don't know if they've remedied that situation since then, but clearly the system is not keeping up with the pace of current data, and that provides an opportunity for fraud."     Democrats have also made the case that Musk is attempting to strip away benefits that senior citizens have rightfully earned.  "There's been a lot of misinformation about that as of late," Agresti said. "You know, when DOGE came in and suggested that the Social Security Administration cut, I think it was about 10,000 workers, Democrats erupted that this is going to weaken Social Security. But the fact of the matter is that Social Security pays those workers who are for administrative overhead from the Social Security trust fund. So, by cutting out the money that they're paying them, you actually strengthen the program financially."   cutting people and having it harder for anybody to reach social security, helps????? really stop using drugs, they have fried your mind.  Magas just cant see the forest thru the trees.  Living life with blinders on.  And yes if people dont get their checks, they wont be upset about that  lmfaooooooooooooooooooooooooo[/Quote]

So, we should hire/keep people employed just so they can have a job.

Let me guess.... you probably believe it's a human right for someone to have a job, too, right ? .  You liberals don't believe anyone has to earn anything..., which is just looney tunes.

yes only magas work and contribute to the country.  News flash for you genius, democrat states contribute more to the govt, then all the free loading maga states.

Middle class democrat union workers built this country pal.

If you think any person can just spend a few weeks looking over our govt and can come to the conclusion this amount of people should be let go, your just a cult member.  I would have more respect for magas if they said cutting these jobs were good for the country while not saying its okay to give the rich people a 4.7 trillion tax cut.  yeah 4.7 trillion.  who the fuck do you think is gonna pay for that?  musk with all his free loading govt contracts. Magas crack me up, they are all just mad at the world and they love seeing people get hurt.

No its not a right to have a job.  As the population grows of course you need more workers, cause in cause you didnt go to grade school. Its for "WE THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE"

YEAH I KNOW LARGE MAJORITY OF THE MAGA CULT DONT WANT ANY GOVT, THEY JUST WANT TO LIVE OFF THE LAND AND NOT HAVE LAWS AND RULES.  Truth is only fools would want to live like people lived 100 years ago.  I would bet if you asked people back then if they would want the things in life we have today, they would say damn right they do.

So the govt sent out checks to 80k people, how many of those 80k checks were cashed?   And if they were cashed, who cashed them and why arent those people in jail?  Cause its all bullshit. 

All this fraud at social security and i havent seen one damn person arrested and on tv yet. Cause its more bullshit.  Its just to keep the gullible, gullible.

Friggin billionaire threatening peoples social security and medicare, how sick is that?  But all you magas keep defending the rich for some damn reason that i dont understand. trump added 8 trillion to the deficit last time, where are all you maga budget hawks?

Go look back in history at which party has done a better job at the budget. Republicans just know how to scare people better then democrats, but that suck at managing money.

Keep living in your hate filled world.  republicans and magas no matter how much they get, they still hate other people. I actually feel sorry for these people.

How come no comments about muskrat offering to give people 100 bucks to vote a certain way? The people that accept that money shouldnt even be allowed to vote. Magas are gonna wake up one day and say what the hell happened. I have said it a million times, zero street smarts and common sense, just followers

lmfaoooo man magas have such thin shells. I think in all the time i have been here, i have only complained 1 time to the mods about a post.  Saying a person might be on drugs doesnt mean they are.  Just trying to figure out how you could have such crazy thoughts.  You should be happy about social security, thats because its been working great for many years.  Get back to me if you dont get a check one month.  I know all you magas are multimillionaires, so you wont be mad

Middle class democrat union workers bankrupted this country pal.

Fixed it for you.

Now you change it to might. Typical.

And dude, your the one spewing hate.

And I'll make sure to get back with you every month to say "Got my check, got my check, got my check............l

I was a union steward and voted republican.

genius, no republican admin has ever helped the middle class but you must be very wealthy.  Congrats.

Must have not been a smart union, if you had union stewards voting for republicans.  Just go back and look at republicans votes thru out history on votes for helping union workers. Republicans always voted against things that would help unions. I bet you got a nice pension from your union and it wasnt because of any republican.  When i was in the laborers union in my early years, we would call people like you leeches. 

Oh well some people just cant get it.

Lmfaooooooooooooo so clue less.

Union workers built this country.  Just another maga that couldnt get a job in a union, so the hate for union workers.

if we didnt have unions, we would all be working for same wages as third world countries.  Even if you hate unions, you better go see what unions have done to help people not get crapped on by the rich corporations.

Labor unions pave the path to middle class for millions of people.  Playing a vital role in improving pay, benefits and working conditions.

Currently, DOGE is the biggest threat to social security for the elderly.  Misinformation about waste and fraud can lead to wholesale employee layoffs and harm to efficiency of agency operations.  With 0.5% administrative costs, social security is one of the most cost effective government programs.  Polls show social security is among the most popular.

Politifact rates false Musk claim that social security is a ponzi scheme because of key differences.  Social security is not fraudulent, is transparent, has multiple layers of oversight, and doesn't promise unrealistic returns.  If financially stressed, government can adjust funding and benefits to ensure sustainability.

Fantasy.

Wierd, my interweb had a different interpretation.

Labor unions, present potential drawbacks such as higher costs for businesses, potential tension between workers and management, and the requirement for members to pay dues. 

Here's a more detailed look at some of the cons associated with labor unions:

For Businesses:

Increased Labor Costs:

Union contracts often lead to higher wages, benefits, and overtime pay, which can increase labor costs for businesses. 

Reduced Flexibility:

Union contracts can limit a company's ability to adjust staffing levels, assign tasks, or make other decisions that might be necessary for efficiency or competitiveness. 

Potential for Strikes:

strikes can disrupt operations and lead to financial losses for businesses. 

Difficulty Removing Underperforming Employees:

Union contracts can make it more difficult to discipline or dismiss employees, even if they are consistently underperforming. 

For Workers:

Union Dues:

Membership in a union typically requires paying dues, which can be a recurring expense. 

Potential for Workplace Tension:

Unions can sometimes create tension between workers and management, as they represent the interests of the workers and may advocate for positions that conflict with management's goals. 

Loss of Individual Autonomy:

Union contracts often dictate terms and conditions of employment, which may limit individual workers' ability to negotiate or make decisions that are different from the union's stance. 

Potential for "Groupthink":

The emphasis on collective action can sometimes lead to a situation where individual creativity and unique perspectives are stifled. 

Union Decisions May Not Always Align with Individual Workers' Wishes:

Union decisions are made on behalf of the entire group, and not all members may agree with every decision. 

Higher cost of living:

Unions can increase the cost of living by forcing employers to raise prices to cover higher labor costs. 

Oh boy another union bashing article by a person who hates unions.

If it wasnt for unions in our country, workers would be getting third world nation wages and they would be laughing all the way to the bank.  Most of the work and safety rules were done by unions to protect workers across all occupations.  Its not like any corporation was jumping over backwards for workers safety.

Post all the union bashing nonsense you want written by some republican union hater for his corporation buddies.  Like i said before magas are angry at the world, hate govt and dont like to have any rules and laws.

Most of the work and safety rules were done by unions

and laffy taffy vat drowning deaths are way down, so bravo.

Like i said before magas are angry at the world

Magas are doing nothing but winning.  The assembly of words in 99% of your posts lead the average reader to believe you're the angry one.

finally a question - Unions carry all positives for everyone with no negatives?

Adjust funding? You mean print more money out of thin air and raise even more debt.

If you define Ponzi scheme as taking in money from workers to pay those not working while promising those currently paying they will get returns in the future from their deposits and then depending on future payees, YES, it's meets the definition of a Ponzi Scheme. And we all know we're headed into a brick wall in the 2030's and no politician wants to flinch because it's political suicide. Just bury your head in the sand and wait for it to be cutoff.

And I personally could not get a withholding change activated because of their incompetence, so yeah, shake their tree!

IMO, labor unions are a double-edged sword. Have no problem with unions getting each worker to be treated fairly and most problems with unions I saw in my career was poor management from the employer. As a supervisor you dot your "i's" and cross your "t's". This means documenting bad behavior, etc.

Problems are government unions can donate large amounts to political candidates who when elected control purse strings and or management/union negotiations. I've seen this. Huge conflict of interests!

But then there are the worst employees getting elected union president. Seen this too. For the time in my career in management these worst employees as union leaders were a pain in the ass but easy to handle as they lacked the skill to do their job as union leader.

Everytime major unions like UAW get a big increase it's passed on to the consumer. Sorta like raising minimum wage, your chasing your own tail as costs go up to. 

Everything in life is a balance. 

@UNIMAN

Everytime major unions like UAW get a big increase it's passed on to the consumer. Sorta like raising minimum wage, your chasing your own tail as costs go up to. 

Sounds like the tariffs argument they're currently making.

That's where CD gets it wrong with me.  I dont care one way or another, its the gaslighting that they're so noble when they're rightly outfor their own and their members own at times at the cost of the every person.  

Kind of similar in principle to Biden being a spring chicken running laps around people.

Good talk