A very scary future for this program... here is a short video about it... the powerful part is the last minute... what happens when the well runs dry?

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-happens-when-the-us-disability-fund-runs-dry/

Unfortunately, by nature we all want something for nothing. Not everyone has an honorable/spiritual goal. If the people that are scamming the system got out and worked, they would provide more taxes, consequently contributing versus taking. Allowing those people that truly need the help to receive it for a longer period of time.

How do we get our country back on this value system of giving not taking? I don't know. I pray, and try to live my life by example.

Do you have any ideas Messenger? You have done a great job of showing us all how you turned your life around, how do we attract people to this new way of living?

Tax Bankers' Bonuses to generate revenue for America.

Also, Audit the Federal Reserve. (the biggest reason America can't become prosperous)

There's a few things I enjoy about forums. The main one is a person doesn't need to reply right away. They can actually think of logical answers before spouting off.

One thing I try to never do is give my opinion... because in reality my opinion doesn't mean anything and I'd rather share my experience, strength, and hope because that is REAL and not an opinion.

Without voicing my opinion I do need to ask Desi, what in the world does your reply have to do with the topic? Has an benefit program ever been successful if you have to keep throwing money at it? And most importantly have you ever stepped foot in America to give an opinion about anything the country does?

Now with that said... I will say I have received benefits. The first time was about 30 years ago, while married and raising four young kids. We got food stamps, heat assistance, WIC... anything that there was a chance to get, we applied for. In reality, I wasn't looking for a hand out, I was just trying to survive.

Also, for a fact, the minute we used our first food stamps, I vowed to get off of all assistance. Maybe a little pride but also because I was fit and bright enough to work. For me, it was a matter of growing with self-sufficiency instead of dying with government benefits.

Fast forward 15 years from that time and my second wife was battling cancer. I was overwhelmed with bills and had no plan on how to get out of it. I had a good job and pretty good insurance yet I still ran up huge bills. I went to the welfare office and inquired about any possible assistance we could get. I was told I made to much money and there was nothing for me. BUT if I quit my job, I would be eligible for all sorts of help. I couldn't believe it.

I walked out of that office, with no help but with a job. It took me years and a few fund-raisers but we did get out of debt.

After that experience I began to see what I thought was a problem with our system. It's not just America. I've seen it in England as well. There is a sense of entitlement. Every little ailment we feel like we should get compensated for it.

I'm 56 years old. My back is shot. I've herniated my discs in it more then once. I've got tremors, that at times I can not quit shaking. Could I qualify for disability? You bet I could. BUT I'd rather work. I don't have many years left to work, so I'll enjoy it. I'll pop the occasional OTC pain pill and go about my day.

Does that make me better then other folks? No, I just don't feel entitled to these benefits as long as I am able to work. And I know, I'll be writing my senators and congressmen if the disability fund is fixed through a payroll tax, that is simply wrong. The people that work till retirement have paid a lifetime of taxes for their retirement not to support others.

That might sound harsh... but it can't keep going the way it is. What would I like to see? Cut the benefits to 75% of what they are now. In the short term the ones who honestly need it will be hurt, but the ones who are abusing the system just may end up getting off of it.

Next, a review of every case on disability. Have different parts of the country with a claims responsibility court. Make this court be without judges. Have six people on it. One is a person who is truly disable, a professional job seeker, a psychologist, a profiler, a medical doctor, and just an average joe.

After this board reviews the cases, then the folks either get a job or go in front of a judge. Get the lawyers out of it. The reason for the major jump in disability claims is because of all the lawyers flooding the system with paper work. The judges can't keep up. I honestly think that one judge shouldn't have the power to approve (or disapprove) a claim. Make it a three judge panel.

Like I said, I don't like giving opinions so I am basing this on my experience with the system. I know for a fact, when I was getting food stamps and all that other help, if I was told that I was losing 25% of it. I would have looked very hard for a new job or a part-time job to make up for that loss.

I honestly have no problem helping those who need help. I struggle do with the second and third generation of people who need help. For those folks, it has become a livelihood.

For me though, I'll continue to work and pay my taxes and hopefully not have to pay additional taxes to fix a program that is way out of control...

You have great ideas, you used the word "entitled", and that is what its all about now. It seems that people feel they are "entitled" to a certain lifestyle, whether they earn it or not.

I'm sorry to know of all of your medical problems, it makes it even more admirable what you have done.

There have been two times in which I have asked help from the government. The first I was I was 24 years old, recently divorced with a 4 year old child. Receiving no child support. I was working, but not making enough (I thought) to support my child and I. I asked for food stamps and was denied because they said I made $1.57 cents more than the guidelines per week. I'm glad because this forced me to do it on my own. I learned the value of being frugal, of not counting on any help. I also acquired a sense of self-reliance and self-worth. The second time was when I was laid off my job. Back then I was the office manager for a wholesale company. The Owner decided bring in a relative to do my job. I did collect unemployment for a few months. But I worked hard to find a job and get off of unemployment. I knew that the money that I was receiving came from taxes that people were paying, and I knew that I was willing and able to work.
I know that these programs are there for a reason, they do help people that need it. And that was what they were intended to do. But now there is so much abuse, and I would venture to say that the abuse is world wide, not only here in our country. Based on the CBS video, apparently we are using tax money to pay these unscrupulous lawyers to get people on the disability roles. Was this policy every brought to our attention and were we ever allowed to vote on it? I don't think that people that are hard working should pay, via their taxes, lawyers so that they can later force us to pay more taxes by fostering irresponsibility in many. I think that we need to stop paying lawyers to put people on these programs. If a person truly needs these programs, they should be evaluated, like you say through a panel just like you mentioned so that there would be no need to make unscrupulous lawyers rich on our hard earned money.
We need to give people the opportunity to grow on their own, to achieve self-reliance and stop this entitlement mentality. Having said that, I know that some people truly need the help, and I'm all for paying my share of taxes to help those that truly need it.

oxymoron, "An honorable /spiritual Goal as our american system of money and what we get paid in exchange for the work we do is EXTREMELY OPPRESSIVE AND BREAKS YOUR SPIRIT LITERALLY . WHAT HAPPEN TO EQUAL MEASURE??????????????????????

This is just my understanding. In the past three months there have been numerous articles about SSD and this 60 Minutes segment.

Yes, every working American through their payroll taxes supports SSD... but SSD is a separate trust fund. It has "borrowed" money from SS in 1994 and never paid it back and now needs more money.

This is just an example, with no actual ratios or numbers... soooo... lets say I have $10 taken out of my paycheck for SS only (I'm not including medicare) - the way I understand it is that from this $10 deduction $3 goes to SSD and the remaining $7 goes to SS.

So, with this happening if SSD is cut to 75% it will have no effect on me or my SS if I never claim disability. That $3 then is used to rebuild SSD as well as pay the benefits.

As far as lawyers, they did focus on one yet they did show ads from others. Just watch TV for an evening and there will be an ad for a lawyer claiming to help you and will only get paid if you get paid. They know the system and they know how to beat it...

I'm truly sorry that I did not write clearly enough in reply # 2. I was talking about those people that are scamming the system of SSD, not about our money system in general.
I was simply saying that if those people that are not honest and take money from a fund that is intended for truly disabled people stop taking what in reality does not belong to them, and the crooked lawyers stop lining their pockets, (not all lawyers are crooked) then those people like Jamieisme, would probably not have to worry about the fund running out.
I know that our policies are not fair. But we have to live, in my opinion, with gratitude for what we do have, changing what we can and accepting what we can't change.
Heathersfaith, let me tell you about my "Equal Measure". I worked for 15 years full time in the private sector, I was withheld all taxes. then I decided to become a teacher, I went back to college and worked as a High School Teacher for 25 years. My husband has worked 14 years in the private sector, and was withheld all taxes, then he decided to be self-employed. As a self-employed person for 25 years, he has paid the employer share of taxes and the employee share of all taxes. Under normal circumstances, if my husband were to pass before me, I would receive part of his social security benefits when we become of age for social security. However, in Texas, because I have my Teacher Retirement Pension, not only will I not receive his benefit if he passes before me, I will not receive any of my own earned social security benefit. They call it double dipping, even though I earned them both. So, as far as receiving social security when I become of age , I would have been better off had I not worked at all in my life. Is this "Equal Measure"? NO. But what do I gain by living my life today focused on everything being Equal or Fair? It's not. I will (God willing) never apply for SS or SSD, even though I paid for it all my life, and so does my husband still. However, I'm glad that people that truly need the help have it available to them. I would like to see those funds be more secure for them, and I know that as a country we can do better.
I hope I have cleared up my writing and made myself a little more understandable.
Toty

Jamieisme,

Thank you for posting that link. That is very powerful. It is people like that they I would fight for to make sure they got every penny from SSD that they had coming.

It is stories like this that make me ashamed of our country. Not the country itself, but rather the people in it. The people who abuse these programs and for the people who work for these programs.

I'm not sure how it can be fixed, morally and ethically, to where those who need it get it and those who don't left the program voluntarily.

Prayers for everyone who needs this service, that they get the help they need, financially and medically, in a timely and just fashion.