Are you on #SocialSecurity? Thanks to Trump and Musk, you might want to make sure you start saving rather than relying on the money to keep flowing smoothly.
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Former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley:
“Ultimately, you’re going to see the system collapse and an interruption of benefits... I believe you will see that within the next 30 to 90 days.... people should start saving now."
Maybe this will prod the Americans into taking to the streets with all those guns they pretend they'll use against a tyrannical government.
"Former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley:
“Ultimately, you’re going to see the system collapse and an interruption of benefits... I believe you will see that within the next 30 to 90 days.... people should start saving now."
@augieray
Is it fair to say that people on social security aren't able to save, hence why they are on it, in the first place?
**GDP ≠ Wellbeing** 
A nation’s health is more than just its **wealth**. Measuring success by GDP alone ignores the struggles of real people.
**How many have a home?** **How many need food banks?** **How many can afford healthcare & education?**
If an economy is “booming” but homelessness and food insecurity are rising, is it truly success? **Wellbeing must be the real measure of progress.**
It’s time to prioritize **people over profits.** #WellbeingEconomy #BeyondGDP #PeopleFirst
This. This has been terrifying me.
@MissConstrue @Edelruth @augieray Thank you for generously supporting Meals on Wheels. It is an invaluable service that some seniors must rely on, so that they have one healthy meal a day.
Sadly, the service gets nearly 40% of its funding from the federal government. If funding is reduced or eliminated, I doubt that private donors can make up the difference. 
@Barbramon1 @Edelruth @augieray
Just raising the top capital tax rate by 2% would fix the entire national budget and give us more than enough funds to support our seniors in a way that is fair and rational. And our kids. And our parks. And mental health care, and regular healthcare.
We could have a socialist utopia if we just taxed the freaking billionaires!
@MissConstrue @Edelruth @augieray
Indeed. Sometimes the solutions are staring us in the face. Increase in capital gains tax is one of those.
Also, eliminate the cap on Social Security to ensure the viability of the program. Scrap the cap!
@MissConstrue @Edelruth @augieray I volunteer at a food pantry. A good number of our clients are low income elders. Every week I hold my breath, hoping that surplus foods that we rely on will still be available from the Dept. of Agriculture. They are the cornerstone of our program. Not just non perishables, but meat, fish, cheese, milk, etc.
Local businesses and farms donate foods as well, but they make up a small percentage of what is needed to feed hundreds of people.
@Barbramon1 @MissConstrue @Edelruth @augieray
Thank you for volunteering. When I get rejected food products on my truck (overages, too close to expiry, damaged, etc.), I prioritize donating to non-profit food pantries instead of disposal. It's not a lot, but every bit helps.
@bruce @MissConstrue @Edelruth @augieray
Thank you, Bruce. 
@augieray @dabertime “start saving now” seems a bit late for collapse in 30 days.
@augieray
Start saving now? I live SS check to SS check. In a good month, I'll have 100 left over, so I'd have 100 to 200 in savings if the antique fridge doesn't give out. Which I guess won't matter if I can't buy food. Yay? I live in a blue collar retirement community, I'm not the only one here on the raggedy edge of life.
I'm fuckin terrified.
@augieray
Good advice except for those who can’t save because prices are rising and they’re on a fixed income… Social Security! 
@augieray the cruel irony being, that if you're on Social Security you cannot afford to 'save' and if you had any savings the State would use that against you when claiming benefits.
@augieray The average-couldn't find a median, which would be lower-Social Security payment is $1976 per month. Worse yet, the average SSI disability payment is $967.
How can anyone on this budget expect to save money?
I've never really earned a high enough wage to save much. I personally will be going back to work. The one thing that has saved my ass financially is that I haven't owned a car for the last 20 years.
@augieray Saving what? These people already retired, for the most part. What saving are they to do? The only saving I can think of is to take a weapon to DC and do what "patriots" who took oaths will not. Saving? That's their everything. There's nothing to save.
@steter Rather than attack people for suggesting saving, why don't you save the gripes for the US leaders causing the problem?
@augieray How about not suggesting people reliant on Social Security start "saving?"
@augieray Save? Lol! I'm on Social Security Disability and get $889 per month (after $104.78 a month is taken out as a premium for medicare part B). Where is this saving I'm supposed to be coming from?
@triker I'm puzzled by responses like this. I can't answer your question, but rather than get upset with me for sharing this information, shouldn't you be getting upset at the US leaders causing the problem?
@augieray Not mad at you. You are pointing to the frightening reality of the situation. Copy that. I'm laughing at the absurdity. And yes, I'm hella angry right now. I was an Anarchist Anti-Nuke protester back in the day, and still remember how to chain myself to fences and I organized my block during George Floyd uprising. But, as an old disabled lady, I'm getting tired. Still sending letters to the gov't. I 'put by' food, I have a garden, and I save as much $ as I can (which isn't much).
@augieray
It's so cute to tell old people, with no ability to work and living check to check, to save.
@dougfir I think it's cute not to warn old people with no ability to work and living check to check so that they end up surprised, unprepared, and in a worse situation.
Seriously, rather than criticize the messenger, how about we save the criticisms for the leaders causing the problem?
@augieray
I've been telling my family that Republicans are coming for our earned benefits, but few of them believe me. It's frustrating.
@augieray social Security must be a lot more generous in the USA if people can afford to save. In the UK, it gives you enough to eat and nothing else. No clothes, no heat, no cooking, no shoes, no haircut and no travel.
And certainly no savings.
@peterbrown If you thought savings was difficult before, wait until the system goes down and payments get interrupted.
@augieray it won’t be savings anybody’s worried about if the system goes down.
These people have no savings.
They will be starving in a week.
@augieray People who are on Social Security and don't have other income often don't have the option to "start saving rather than relying on the money to keep flowing smoothly". Any delay could mean that they can't pay the rent on time, and a longer delay could be a disaster. Edit: and please don't repeat that thing about directing complaints to people who caused the problem. You're getting heat because you made a suggestion that can't possibly work. We need to demand that the checks go out on time. We must *not* ask people to deal with it by saving. They cannot.
@not2b I didn't make any suggestion. I passed along the suggestion from a form Social Security administrator. And not every person on SS is living check to check. It's still good advice, and rather than gripe to people sounding the alarm to help others, maybe direct your frustration to the people responsible.
Protect social security and medicare systems and programs.
Call and email your congressional representatives to aggressively defend these programs..
+70 million Americans rely on them.