Anonymous wrote:Florida’s economy would collapse immediately. It’s built around drawing retirees from high-income states to spend their pensions and Social Security benefits and facilitate Florida’s massive Medicare fraud industry.

Paging Senator Rick Scott (R-Corruption, Inc)....

As much as I would love for the SCOTUS to rule social security to be unconstitutional - and thus require congress to actually pass a constitutional amendment that grants the government this power, this case is rather well settled.

It's indisputable that the federal government has broad powers to tax and does not have to earmark that money for a specific purpose.

It's also indisputable that the federal government has broad powers to spend funds for the general welfare.

So even though there is no constitutional power for the federal government to implement a program like social security as a single entity, if you divide it up into two parts, it's perfectly permissible.

Anonymous wrote:James Madison in 1787 did not include them in the Constitution. Rick Scott and Koch would love to get rid of them.

Dems need to campaign on this and rile up the Gray Panthers. I can see it happening to those retiring in ten years. But Dems should campaign that it could happen next year if the GOP takes the House and Senate.

Anonymous wrote:They would never kill them. Privatize, yes.

The last time the right considered privatizing Social Security the market collapsed right afterwards and would have obliterated everyone’s benefits.

I actually hope that they do, but in a way that does not completely screw over the people who paid into the system and rightfully expect to get their payments back. There is no Constitutional provision for either program, and I (at age 45) have made my retirement plans based upon the idea that neither program will exist when I retire.

Republicans don’t want to kill federal programs. Their states are all dependent on them. They want to make federal money pass through state governments to their cronies and patronage networks with no federal oversight.

Look at Mississippi. They turned welfare money into the Governor’s slush fund giving millions to Brett Favre, the state right wing radio network, etc.
https://mississippitoday.org/2022/06/29/mississippi-welfare-fraud-scandal-questions/

Anonymous wrote:They would never kill them. Privatize, yes. Too many Republican donors make their fortunes cheating these programs and their beneficiaries. Think of the drug companies and nursing home investors and all the crazy gimmicks and frauds advertised on old people tv. What would happen to the reverse mortgage huckster industry?

Eh, ending these programs would force everyone who isn't a millionaire to work until they die, just like in the "good old days" or drop dead from lack of medical care. Also just like in the "good old days."

My great grandmother killed herself at age 78, rather than to continue to be a burden to her family.

All the Republican "base" will finally figure out their precious GOP leaders are actually coming for the programs that help them survive, but they will only understand too late.

They would never kill them. Privatize, yes. Too many Republican donors make their fortunes cheating these programs and their beneficiaries. Think of the drug companies and nursing home investors and all the crazy gimmicks and frauds advertised on old people tv. What would happen to the reverse mortgage huckster industry?

Anonymous wrote:Florida’s economy would collapse immediately. It’s built around drawing retirees from high-income states to spend their pensions and Social Security benefits and facilitate Florida’s massive Medicare fraud industry.

They do not care. It just reinforces the narrative that government does not work if one party is a bunch of anarchist.

EVERYTHING is at risk with this out-of-control SCOTUS.

Florida’s economy would collapse immediately. It’s built around drawing retirees from high-income states to spend their pensions and Social Security benefits and facilitate Florida’s massive Medicare fraud industry.

Anonymous wrote:The programs collectively spend $1.6T a year. Hard to see how they don't constitute a "major question" and therefore Congress cannot delegate their rule-making to SSA and CMS.

Cant they just approve the rules presented?

Anonymous wrote:James Madison in 1787 did not include them in the Constitution. Rick Scott and Koch would love to get rid of them.

Poncho schemes like SSA won’t be going away.

Maybe they can halve the huge black market first

Oh the right has had SS and Medicare in their sites for years. It is gone as soon as the right wing justices coordinate with right wing groups. What do they care?