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Thanks @davidphillips4706 for your comment. What part of the Social Security Fairness Act are you referring to? Do you see it as a positive change, or do you have concerns about its impact? I'd love to hear your perspective!

@@TrueScopeNetwork I honestly don't expect it too affect me or anyone I know.

It’s definitely a frustrating situation! What do you think would be a fair way to ensure everyone on Social Security and SSDI gets what they deserve? Would a broader reform help address these issues?

Thank you for sharing such a detailed and heartfelt perspective. It’s clear you’re passionate about fairness for WEP and GPO-affected individuals. Do you believe more awareness and education around this issue could help garner broader support for the Fairness Act? What would you say to those who argue the cost outweighs the benefits? Your experience could provide valuable insights to the conversation! and help us delve deeper into the various aspects of the issue in our podcast.

That’s a thoughtful perspective-thank you for sharing! Do you think the current system strikes the right balance between fairness and sustainability, or are there specific changes you would propose to ensure both public sector workers and lower-income earners are treated equitably? How can we address these challenges while keeping Social Security robust for future generations?

Most of the WEP-GPO workers who paid into the system on their non civil service jobs are low paid too. What part of that do you not understand. They are entitled not to be financially penalized for having a previous gov. Pension plus paid SS on other jobs before. During & after their public service "retirement." Understand; Most Cops & Firefighters @ the street level are low paid earners & leave i.e. "retire" from their civil service jobs at or around 45 years of age & had SS paying jobs before during & after civil service. I retired from Law enforcement @ 45 ,& I am still working @ 70, & because of WEP they took $772 a month of my benefit. 2/3 of it & my pension is low. Ret. PHILA. POLICE

I'm sorry you feel that way! What specific aspects of the bill do you think need better explanation or clarification? Your insights could help improve the conversation!

That’s such a heartfelt story-thank you for sharing your journey! - it’s truly inspiring! How do you feel this change could motivate others in similar careers to pursue their retirement goals? Do you think this kind of reform could encourage more people to consider careers in public service?

@@TrueScopeNetwork I know teachers who have left teaching because they had 10 plus years working in a career that paid into social security and they wanted to max their social security. Once you get vested in your teacher pension (at least in Texas) you will draw when you reach age 65 or you meet the rule of "80" (or another number based on when you got hired). Your teacher pension would be about half of the average of your top five earning years. If you had 30 years paying into social security then you would not get a WEP reduction. If you paid in 20 years or less to social security then those benefits would be reduced by 50% (5% more for each year over 20 years). To answer your question; For teachers who had two careers (teaching and something that paid into SSI) then they can keep teaching if they wish without an incentive to leave teaching to ramp their social security back up. It will also drive more people into teaching as a second career after they retire from their first career because you can get a vested teacher pension with 10 less years invested in most states.

I know someone older than I am who retied from active duty Army and became a teacher for 7 years. He was 65 after those 7 years and retired from teaching to draw both pensions.

@@ronniefranklin4423 Thank you for this detailed explanation-it’s really insightful! Who knows if the possibility of drawing two pensions, like in the example you shared, could encourage more people to transition into teaching as a second career? And how might this impact the quality and retention of educators in the long term? Your perspective is fascinating, and I'd love to hear more!

Your ss payments will not go up unless you are the 4%of government retirees that already have a pention. It will add 200 billion in government debt and reduce your ss payments by 25% six months sooner. But pention workers will still get pention payments and 96% of us get screwed.

That's a great question! Do you think the changes should apply retroactively to benefit those already retired, or should they focus only on future retirees? What impact do you think it would have?

Thank you for sharing your perspective and providing more context-it’s clear you’ve experienced this issue firsthand. Do you think there’s a way to adjust WEP to make it fairer while still addressing the concerns about Social Security’s long-term sustainability? What changes would you propose to ensure everyone’s contributions are fairly recognized?

They don't understand we were stolen from! I PAID SS for 30+ years. I worked 10 years public sector ( a lower paying position) and paid into a pension program and paid into Medicare. My SS was reduced over half. I'm also a veteran. My husband ( a veteran) and I paid our fair share of SS, never took a handout, had our full retirement age bumped to 67 for full benefits...then we get our SS reduced because we both took public sector positions for ten years. It's stolen money-- what part don't you understand?

​@@TrueScopeNetworkwhy not focus on the fraudsters, the cheaters and politicians raiding SS instead of scapegoating those of us who have been ripped off.

Elimination of the WEP gives govt pension workers a benefit that those of us who had both a full time job and a side job (both paying into SS) don't get. The govt worker how gets a 90% replacement rate SS benefit on the first $1000 month they earned on their non govt side job. Those of us who have a non-govt side job don't get 90%...we only get 40% or even less on the FICA tax we pay on the side job earnings. The SS bend points (higher SS replacement benefits for low wage earners and lower percentage replacement for higher wage earners) are supposed to reward low-wage workers at 90%, not those who have good earnings from a govt job who also had side or other non govt jobs but were never truly a low wage worker for most of their career. THAT is the unfair part!

@Robert-cr6uy you're assuming all government jobs are high paying. Educate yourself. Municipalities pay lower than private sector; you're assuming we get paid those bloated salaries of a federal worker. It's simply not true. I worked private sector 30 years and paid SS the entire time. I'm also a veteran. I worked a lower paying municipality position 10 years because it was better than nothing. I had to relocate to help care ailing parents. I lost 50 percent of SS because I earn a pension. This will restore what was stolen. Focus your anger on the frauds, the cheats and the politicians handing out our money to their lobbyists pet projects.

That's an interesting point! Do you think eliminating the Social Security tax cap would fully address funding issues, or should there also be other reforms to ensure long-term sustainability for the system?

That's an interesting point! Do you think addressing the Social Security shortfall could genuinely sway the 68 million retirees to vote in favor of the GOP, or are there other key issues that might influence their decision more?

@@TrueScopeNetwork All retirees are struggling with the huge increases in prices that are now more caused by the trippling of minimum wages which means that the prices will not come down. Everyone gets an increase except people on fixed income.

Sorry, Trump is on record for supporting the Fairness Act. He will let it stand & he promises to stop taxing SS. For Many SS recipients 85% of their SS income is taxed federally now. But Trump professes to stop that ,& not tax tips also. RETIRED Phila. Police Officer

@@davelewis4064 You bring up an important point about the challenges retirees face with rising costs. Do you think there should be a stronger mechanism to adjust fixed incomes, to better match inflation and wage increases? What solutions should they adopt to support retirees in this situation?

Thank you for your comment. Why do you believe repealing WEP and GPO would be considered an act of betrayal? Do you see any potential benefits or drawbacks to the repeal? Let us know your opinion

@@TrueScopeNetwork Because they all signed statements before they started work. Minutes before they took the oath to the constitution. The statements say they understand WEP and GPO and they took the sweeter deal with not paying FICA on a pension. My job at Social Security is to show them the papers. The unions give seminars for the the last 40 years on how to harass Social Security. The unions paid off congress. No benefits. Drawbacks are : lets burn the house down. FTW. The traitors win? Sorry, even an army of bad people can match the might of one good citizen.

Thank you for sharing your perspective-it’s clear you feel strongly about this issue. The complexities of WEP, GPO, and their implications for pensions and Social Security are certainly worth discussing further. Do you think there could be a middle ground or policy adjustment that addresses both the concerns of retirees and the sustainability of Social Security? Your insights could help foster a constructive conversation!

That's a great point! Fiber optics have made incredible advancements, but you're right-rural areas often face unique challenges. It seems that you think Starlink could become the primary solution for rural connectivity. Do you?

Good Job!! let us know if you like it and what you like about this podcast. We appreciate your opinion!!

Your perspective is certainly strong! Do you think Trump's past business failures might influence his ability to address economic challenges as President, or do you think political leadership requires a completely different skill set? If you enjoy discussions like these, make sure to subscribe to our channel for more in-depth analysis and conversations!

You make a great point-prices do tend to stick once they go up! Do you think there are any realistic policies that could actually reverse this trend? If you're interested in more discussions like this, don't forget to subscribe to our channel for regular insights and analysis!

Interesting take! Do you think there's still a chance for Trump to pivot and regain support, or is it too late to undo the damage? If you enjoy exploring political strategies and their impact, make sure to subscribe to our channel for more thought-provoking discussions!

You bring up an interesting point about energy prices! Do you think a focus on drilling could stabilize costs, or might it create other economic and environmental challenges? If you're enjoying this discussion, make sure to subscribe to our channel for more insights and debates!

@ hmm 🤔 i think it will lower the price for oil and gas so that we get some relief

@@byungsong2819 That's a hopeful perspective! Thank you for sharing. Do you have any topics you'd like us to explore further? We're always open to considering your suggestions!

That's an interesting point! Do you think grocery prices are more influenced by government policies or by market dynamics, like supply chain issues and corporate practices?

Policy changes that could effectively address public concerns about the healthcare system include improving transparency and communication regarding insurance coverage and decision-making processes. The public often does not understand the factors driving coverage decisions. Additionally, the healthcare system should be reformed to be more affordable, transparent, intuitive, compassionate, and human-centered. Some believe that the US healthcare system is deeply broken. One specific area for reform is addressing the high cost of healthcare, which is significantly higher in the US compared to other countries. For example, one person paid only $82 for a stroke treatment in Hong Kong. One potential solution is Medicare for All, which has been gaining support and involves gradually lowering the eligibility age. However, some argue against more government involvement in healthcare, pointing to potential delays in care seen in other countries. The role of Wall Street and the for-profit nature of the healthcare industry is also a concern. The focus on shareholder profits is seen as a barrier to providing affordable and accessible healthcare. Ultimately, effective policy changes require a fundamental overhaul of the healthcare system to address the complexities and interconnected problems that contribute to public frustration. Politicians need to take action and implement reforms that prioritize patient needs over corporate interests.