In light of the slow collapse of employer-based retirement systems, Americans face a serious retirement shortfall. Individually-based savings are inherently inefficient for several reasons. First, each individual must save for their maximum expected retirement, while a social plan only needs to save for average life expectancy, which is shorter. Second, individuals must invest their money in financial instruments, while Social Security can be invested in the economy as a whole, including productive public investments that are not traded on financial markets. Third, individuals must save enough to cover cyclical downturns, while Social Security can ride those out, counting on eventual recovery. Fourth, individuals must rely on expensive financial advisors and intermediaries such as banks, mutual funds or Wall Street traders, while Social Security is far cheaper to administer. For these reasons, we need to run a larger part of our retirement system through Social Security. This petition seeks to link Social Security to growth in the economy and make it our primary retirement system. At the same time, it seeks to reduce the political manipulation of the system by reducing the planning horizon to a more realistic distance.

The food stamp program currently allows parents to purchase harmful items such as sodas, candies, chips, and other substances that serve no nutritional purpose and consume a large percentage of their cash benefit. These items also promote obesity in children and can even lead to childhood diabetes. Although I believe in helping others who are hungry, we need to do it in a way that actually helps our citizens and maximizes the tax dollars given to food relief.

Social Security and Medicare are benefits for which we have paid. Please cut politicians salaries and benefits before you make more cuts to these programs. Congress should have medicare as their health insurance.

I have worked hard all my life& still workinghard,social security is not a intittlement we the people of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAVE RIGHTS AND THAT,S OUR MONEY PLEASE DON'T RAISE THE AGE OF SOCIAL SECURITY IT SHOULD BE LOWER TWO 55 YEARS

To eliminate the lifetime special benefits to elected officials.

Social Security will run low on funds (though not as fast as fear-mongers state). To balance it requires either cutting benefits (including raising the retirement age) OR putting more money in. I'm in favor of raising the tax about 1% for employees and employers, so that benefits ARE NOT CUT AND THE SYSTEM REMAINS SOLVENT. If you survey 50 and 60 year olds I'd bet overwhelmingly they are glad they paid into Soc. Security and good benefits are coming. Do this and all the current 20 and 30 somethings will be glad when they reach 50 or 60.

We've recently heard from folks who are outraged that Congress and President Obama are considering cutting Social Security benefits for current and future retirees. Social Security does not add to the deficit and should be off the table on any fiscal deal.

stopping the repulicans from stealing socila security

My sister and disabled son both collect ss and they need every penny to live as upper poverty level.

Working Americans pay 13.1% of their earnings up to $110,100 in social security and medicare taxes. Those making more than that pay progressively less, so that a person earning $1,000,000 pays .01%. All Americans should be concerned about this gross tax discrimination, and our laws should be changed so that every American pays the same percentage of his or her income for Social Security.

Saving Face among the elderly who depend on Social Security benefits. Help them to keep their integrity during their retirement years.

I'm deaf disabilities because deaf people got frustrated to cannot find a jobs caused of discrimination all deaf people need a jobs that's very situlation some reason we have do right to getting a jobs for deaf NO DISCRIMMATIONAL but we have to pay rents and bills etc also we kept social security until if they hired deaf people getting a jobs and who's health problems cannot work because doctor said cannot work caused of serious health problem. Old people are citizen of senior their retired SSDI that's all please don't cut social security !!!!!