Daniel A. Bosh – 8/1/08

This page was last updated on August 3, 2008.

America needs Social Security; Daniel A. Bosh; Beaver County Times; August 1, 2008.

If you’ve read Bosh letters over the years, you recognize him as a died-in-the-wool socialist. In the 2004 presidential campaign, Mr. Bosh was a Democrat national delegate committed to Dennis Kucinich. I could be mistaken, but I believe Mr. Bosh is/was a fulltime employee of the Steelworkers Pension Trust. There’s nothing wrong with that except it means Mr. Bosh isn’t an impartial observer when it comes to labor union issues, and a socialized healthcare system and Socialist Security are labor union management issues.

In his last letter, Mr. Bosh said we need to “Put American on Medicare.”

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“The writer of the letter, ‘Social Security is generational rip-off’ (July 24) has apparently been deceived by the fictitious talking points fabricated by right-wing propaganda mills that back the Republican campaign to destroy Social Security.”

[RWC] For once I’d like to see someone like Mr. Bosh present a list of the bills presented by “the Republican campaign to destroy Social Security.” Every federal election year lefties tell us of the mythical effort by Republicans to eliminate Socialist Security. As an example, 2 1/2 years ago Mr. Bosh told us of “the Republicans’ planned phase out of Social Security.” If only it were true.

“They produce so much misinformation that it is no wonder people are, well, misinformed.”

[RWC] Including Mr. Bosh himself, unless he’s deliberately trying to deceive us below.

“Social Security is a social insurance program that helps prevent poverty among the elderly, the disabled and the dependent children of people who have died. It is not socialism. It also puts money in the hands of consumers in times of need, supporting the markets in this market economy much more than tax cuts for the rich.”

[RWC] Socialist Security is like all other government social programs in that it’s founded on the belief Americans can’t address their personal responsibilities without government coercion.

Why do lefties so dislike having their programs referred to as socialism?

Socialist Security doesn’t put “money in the hands of consumers in times of need.” The benefits SS pays are the same whether we’re “in times of need” or not.

You have to give Mr. Bosh for getting in the “tax cuts for the rich” talking point. That “the rich” pay a greater portion – and that everyone else pays a smaller portion – of federal income taxes now than before the rate cuts appears to be an inconvenient truth for Mr. Bosh.

“I am very thankful for Social Security.

“When my kids were growing up it gave me great comfort to know that if I died or became disabled, that my kids would not have to live in poverty. Social Security was there to provide for them. The peace of mind that it gave me was a benefit that I have received from the program without ever getting a single check.”

[RWC] “[M]y kids would not have to live in poverty?” Not exactly. If Mr. Bosh’s family had to rely solely on his SS benefits for income, they would have lived in poverty. That’s why even the Socialist Security Administration cautions people not to rely solely on SS benefits.

“I was glad to pay so little for such protection, which I never could have afforded through private insurance. Republicans have been predicting the collapse of Social Security since it was established, and yet it alone in government remains solvent.”

[RWC] “I was glad to pay so little for such protection?” 12.4% of his wages is “so little?”

Let’s me get this straight. If he didn’t have to pay 12.4% of his wages in Socialist Security taxes, Mr. Bosh couldn’t buy sufficient “private insurance?”

Socialist Security “remains solvent?” Let’s look at that. From its 1937 inception, Congress increased the Socialist Security tax rate 20 times! At 12.4%, the current level is 6.2 times its original rate. Further, the max taxed earnings ($102,000 in 2008) increases every year by law and in constant dollars is more than double its 1937 level ($3,000). Combine the rate increases with the max taxed earnings increases and in constant dollars a person at the max taxed earnings level now (2008) pays 13.9 times as much as he would have in 1937. For a person earning the federal minimum wage, in constant dollars today he would pay 10.7 times as much as in 1938 (the minimum wage’s first year). (Some of this is due to the fact the minimum wage has increased far more than the inflation rate. To be equivalent to 1938’s $0.25/hour, today’s minimum wage would be $3.80/hour instead of the current $6.55/hour.) Despite all these tax increases, without more changes the Socialist Security Administration reports Socialist Security will go into deficit by 2017 and will be unable to pay currently promised benefits by 2041. By any definition, Socialist Security is a Ponzi scheme, along with Medicare.

“Of much greater danger to our future are the Bush-McCain plans for needless, expensive, endless wars with no-bid contracts for their friends and debt and lower living standards for our children.”

[RWC] Blah, blah, blah.