Monday, June 4, 2007
from the Kennebec Journal
Rep. Pingree hears varied proposals for health-care solutions
HALLOWELL Fire that cut communications labeled arson
MONMOUTH Police defended after slim budget rejection
State's schools chief to parley
Wasser will lead newsrooms at KJ, Sentinel and in Portland
BRIEFS
Hockey still in picture for Harrington
Portland boxer to face legend's son
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Kennebec Journal
from the Morning Sentinel
$1.3 MILLION FOR HEALTHREACH
Families Matter grows to meet special needs
Chellie Pingree listens to ideas on health care reform
FARMINGTON Rain alters plans for 4th of July
District regroups after budget failure
Vote on county budget hits snag
Burnham driver wins checkered flag at 2 tracks on same day
Maine boxer gets unique opportunity
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Morning Sentinel
When JFK uttered this noble sentiment during his Inaugural Address, America stood, en masse, put its hands out and applauded. The great contradiction of our time is that a great number of Americans did only not sit down, but kept their hands out. Thus was the "Gimme Generation" created. Gimme subsidized housing, food benefits, health care and money to pay for my mistakes, etc., and I'll give you my vote. This is the great strength of the left, a growing constituency. The "cradle to grave" subsidy mentality came as a result of the "War on Poverty" by the Democratic administrations of the 1960's and subsequent Congresses. I understand that a society must have a safety net to catch its citizens during hard times, but it should not be a trampoline to jump on for life. It is now a lifestyle choice.
The entitlement mentality believes that I was born in this country and this country owes me a living.
It is not the "seasoned citizens" that I complain about, they should have all the help and support possible. But it is the millions of younger Americans who play the system for all it's worth. Imagine how much we could do for the elderly if the "Gimme Generation" wasn't siphoning off so much.
I don't know who won the "War on Poverty," but I know who lost: the American taxpayer.
Greg Theriault
Skowhegan
Reader comments
Sort by: Oldest first | Newest First
time to clean out the democrats!report abuse
Seniors have paid into Social Security, it is not welfare. If they had invested the amount of money taken from their pay checks, they would have been a lot better off in retirement than what Social Security returns...Many people who paid in die before they can ever get one penny of what was taken from their pay checks. On the other had are the people who are getting Social Security disability who aren't disabled and never contributed a penny. Just look around and you will see those cheats. They are the ones who are draining the bank! Not the elderly!
This giveme started long ago, but the Johnson administration put welfare on the map with all the giveaways.report abuse
"look its me! It's all about me!" is so true. The only thing on baby boomers minds are retirement, retirement, and retirement. How much $$ is the government going to give me. Forget the mess they left for the younger generation to clean up. And we will not be able to pay for SS/medicare in the future anyways.
Whatever happend to self-reliance instead of reliance on the government for everything? Did we loose all personal accountability in this state/country? It seems like the current trend is the "its everyone else's fault except me". It's not my fault you did not plan/save for retirement. It is pretty simple to plan for retirement, everyone can do it.
$5/day or $1680/year for 40 years into a tax free IRA at the historical investment fund rate of return of 8% above inflation will give you over $1 million above inflation. Then when you retire you can draw a salery of $50,000/year inflationaire equvialant on a 5% CD.
So $35/week now will turn into $1000 a week later.
report abuse
Show all 14 comments
You must be a registered user of MaineToday.com to post a comment. Register or log in.