Thread: Commentary: Social Security is about math, not Mexicans

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/15/navarrette/index.html

Commentary: Social Security is about math, not Mexicans
POSTED: 9:37 a.m. EST, January 15, 2007

By Ruben Navarrette Jr.
Special to CNN
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SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- For more than a decade, I've written about the need to reform Social Security. And I've blamed older generations of Americans for not fixing a program they know is unsustainable into the future.

My bad. It turns out, if I wanted to get everyone up in arms, all I needed to do was blame illegal immigrants.

Ah, yes. The folks who, we are told, wrecked our schools, ruined our environment and lowered our wages are now poised to steal our Social Security.

Oh, there's some stealing going on all right, but it doesn't have anything to do with illegal immigrants.

Here's the drill: Social Security is an intergenerational shakedown. Every generation pays for the preceding one. Sixty-nine million baby boomers have no problem paying for the World War II generation because, well, there are 69 million of them. But imagine the burden on younger workers of having to keep legions of aging flower children in a comfy retirement.

In 1946, the cost of supporting one retiree was split between 42 workers. Now, we're approaching the point where two workers will support each retiree. The trouble begins in 2016 when -- according to experts -- more will be going out in benefits than will be coming in as payroll taxes.

This is what I worry about -- the math. But, for others, the worry is about something altogether different -- the Mexicans.

Immigration restrictionists are apoplectic over the news that the United States has entered into a "totalization" agreement with Mexico. Under these agreements, which the United States has with 21 other countries, workers who work in two countries during their careers can combine what they earned in both places to qualify for retirement benefits under one or both systems. The restrictionists insist that the U.S. government has conspired with Mexico to let illegal immigrants loot the Social Security system.

That would be quite a charge, if true. But these pacts apply only to people who are working legally.

The worry is that, if Congress passes guest-worker legislation that gives some number of illegal immigrants a "work-authorized" Social Security number, the worker might be in a position, if he met eligibility requirements, to apply for Social Security benefits, including those earned while in the country illegally.

Supporters of totalization point out that current U.S. law bans illegal immigrants from collecting Social Security benefits.

They're right about that. But there is no law prohibiting illegal immigrants with bogus Social Security numbers from paying into the system, something they and their employers do to the tune of more than $7 billion per year in payroll taxes.

That's money the illegal immigrants will never see again, and it has for years helped to keep the entitlement program afloat. So Social Security lives off ill-gotten goods -- the stolen taxes of millions of people, and the assumption that they'll never be claimed.

How odd that the closed-border, closed-mind crowd isn't nearly as troubled by this part of the equation.

Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a member of the editorial board of The San Diego Union-Tribune and a nationally syndicated columnist.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

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"Immigration restrictionists are apoplectic over the news that the United States has entered into a "totalization" agreement with Mexico."

Did I miss something? Has this agreement already been made law and someone forgot to tell us AMERICANS?????

He sure has, that would be called the Spp. The picture is becoming clear by the day.

Sorry about that - we must have posted this thing at literally the same time. I'll dump mine.

CW



This man certainly likes to run off at the mouth without thinking things through carefully.

I decided to do a little math on his numbers. Here is what I came up with. If, in fact, we allow for only 12 million illegals in this country, and Navarette is right about the $7 billion paid into Social Security by these people, that translates into $583.00 per illegal per year. If you up the number of illegals to the more likely number of $20 million, then it translates into $350.00 per year per illegals.

This, I'm sure, is greatly offset by the Earned Income Credits, etc. that they received (if they file a tax return) because of the number of children that they have. I would most certainly like to see what the true "net" is of these numbers, cause I'll bet that we pay out a lot more than we take in.

This guy chaps my butt every time I read his column. I guess I have to expect that when reading propoganda of the enemy though. LOL

Yeah this guy is the king of spin. The SS system wasn't set up to pay benefits to all the non-contributors that politicians rolled into it. Proper management of a fund would produce a better outcome.

The Totalization attempts to merge two systems that are disimilar. Our system is to merge with a system that covers very few of its' own citizens. That's a bad deal. Now we know why Jorge really wanted to set up another system? Maybe the right way to go in hindsight, but we were provided with no information about the betrayal of America through SPP. We know now why Jorge was smirking and grinning when we didn't reform SS. Ruben is only able to read this agreement because American citizens sued under FIA to get a copy.

Ruben's whine that it isn't against our law for illegals to pay in on dummy numbers misses the point that aquiring the fake ID requires breaking the laws. Lots of them.

As to all the money these poor illegals pay in, he doesn't mention that going into a Suspense Fund. Yes, the amounts are suspended and cannot be credited to the legitimate owner of the account for payment of the benefit. The owner of the SS credits will have to prove their payments over possibly many years in order to draw them. Illegal Mexicans of course will pick up their documents from the flea market.

Anybody that really believe's illegals don't come out way ahead on this deal need only ask "why don't you go home?" Bitch Bitch Bitch OBL, but nobody will go!

The totalization agreement is one of those setups where it goes into effect if Congress doesn't bring it on the floor and kill it. It's set to just roll in. That possibly explains the secrecy. Write Congress and tell the NO TOTALIZATION with MEXICO.

I have gotten to the point that I feel like writing congress a general letter stating.....Get you S+++ together and remember that you are SUPPOSED to be representing Americans!!!!!!! Just needed to vent alittle!