comp.sys.mac.advocacy

Mayor of R'lyeh wrote:

> On Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:10:41 -0600, Maverick wrote:
>
>
>>Mayor of R'lyeh wrote:
>>
>>
>>>On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 17:04:58 -0700, George Graves
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 13:38:58 -0700, Sid9 wrote
>>>>(in article ):
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>"Kurt Ullman" wrote in message
>>>>>news:kurtullman-834CEF.16141703042008@70-3-168-216.area5.spcsdns.net...
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>In article ,
>>>>>>"Sid9" wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>With life expectancies having
>>>>>>>risen much higher than expected
>>>>>>>another increase in the retirement
>>>>>>>age is not out of order.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Life expectancies haven't risen that much since the 80s when
>>>>>>these reforms, including increasing retirement age included.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Applying a "means" test would make this
>>>>>>>welfare in the eyes of many.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I don’t believe that should be done.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Actually it was originally set up as that more or less. It was
>>>>>>supposed to be an adjunct not the main source of income.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>SS plays an important role in our
>>>>>>>consumer economy. My guess is
>>>>>>>that nearly every nickel of the monthly
>>>>>>>payment is spent by the recipients.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Well let's go through and make policy based on your guess.
>>>>>>Although probably your guess is as good as Congress' on many things.
>>>>>
>>>>>Do you think SS recipients save or
>>>>>invest their monthly SS payment?
>>>>>
>>>>>Or do they spend almost all of it on
>>>>>necessities each month thus "stimulating"
>>>>>the economy each and every month?
>>>>>
>>>>>I've done some searching and I can’t
>>>>>find anything on what SS recipients
>>>>>do with their SS payment
>>>>
>>>>Try living on $1300-$1800 mo. That's what the average spread of SSI is. Here,
>>>>in California, that would just about pay the rent on a small 1 bedroom
>>>>apartment. What do you think that SSI recipients do with their money? They
>>>>pay rent, buy the necessities of life and buy prescription drugs. That's
>>>>about all they can do.
>>>
>>>
>>>Guess what, George. Most of the country is much more reasonably priced
>>>than California cities. That amount would easily be enough to live in
>>>90% of the US. You wouldn't be setting the world on fire but you could
>>>get by.
>>>
>>
>>But not by much. As the US dollar slowly sinks, so does your buying
>>power. The so called cpi is nothing more than a sad joke. While food
>>is going up, and corn about to be rationed to industries, that small
>>buffer is going to be wiped out soon.
>
>
> I don't know about that. I know people who live on ~$600/month. I
> guess it depends on the cost of living where you are.
>
About the only place where you can do that maybe in Arkansas.
But I don't know of anywhere else where you can get by, except as a
residence in a nursing home or assisted living that takes medicaid.