social security vs. charity
I received my Social Security statement in the mail recently, and it tells me that over the course of my working career (11 years), my employers and I have donated $24,428 each, for a total of $48,856 to Social Security. We’ve also donated a combined $11,412 to Medicare.
I don’t really begrudge the less fortunate a safety net. Maybe we can debate where the line should be drawn, or how the system is actually implemented in our country, but all things considered, the idea of a safety net is a good one.
Of course, glancing at my statement, I also don’t feel the need to donate to private charities. I’ve already given around $60k, thanks, with much more to come in the future. Note that I do donate to various 501(3)(c) organizations whose missions I agree with and believe in, but I wouldn’t really call them charities.
September 18th, 2007 at 11:01 am
I too have received those statements, yet it pisses me off everytime. I believe that there would be way more outrage if the government did not have the ability to withhold, rather, we were forced to cut a check at the end of the year for Fed, State, & FICA taxes. Look at your 1040 from 2006, on page 2 where it says “total tax” and think about how much more you would demand accountability if you had to write a check for the full amount of that tax bill at once….