As soon as McCain is president, he intends to eliminate social security.?

[Jason]

He believes social security is too "socialist".. He has a better plan to make social security a huge "mutual fund". Social security payments would be directly linked to how well the stock market does. Social security payments would vary month to month, based on the market.

Big contributers would recieve big shares, Non or small contributers less or none at all..Big contributers also may "vote", on the investments.

This plan sounds good for America and the American people. It's about time we get rid of all the socialism in America. McCains the man !

[AL]

You realize that the chances of McCain becoming president are next to nil, right?

[David H]

Good, he can just cut me a check for the $100k+ I have into the system already and he can do away with it if he wants. I won't be participating in his government mutual fund. If I want to invest in a mutual fund I can do it on my own.

[Chloe]

Please don't hold your breath. And don't forget the 180 degree turn McCain had on immigration. He went from Little Miss Muffet to Dog the Bounty Hunter in a month.

[Sharona]

Social Security is not in danger. Presidents cannot change it, only congress can. And a Democratic majority in both houses will not kill SS.

[Anderson]

If what you suggest were to come true, it would be first time since the War of 1812 that the White House was burned to the ground. Has anyone ever seen what happens when an irate senior age person has a firearm in their hands? They're the most dangerous people to deal with because at their age they have nothing to lose. So before you decide to support such an idea, may I suggest that you reconsider. It would be a wise move if you did.

[eunice]

You might think you have a Social Security account but you don't... that money goes into the national treasury and it has been used up for Social Welfare programs... in short... your money has already been "given away". He plans to turn your money into true accounts and then make investments that have actual returns so your money can grow. It would be like a 401k... like a retirement account and it would grow. As it stands right now... with nothing done to it... Social Security will cave-in and it won't be there for your kids. So don't believe the misinformation out there...

I have heard McCain is going to trash Medicaid/Medicare too and tax healthcare benefits (from Obama TV ad)... this is all FALSE. He plans to open more choices on healthcare and give people tax benefits for participation including improving employer coverages. His plan results in a tax benefit of about $1200 per family.

The cost of healthcare will show up on paystubs as income (it actually is income) but that will be offset by a credit of $5000 per family and $2500 per individual). This will be done to protect familes from tax increases and give them control of their own money to invest in their own healthcare needs.

When he is talking of taking money from Medicaid/Medicare he is specifically talking about going after the "graft and corruption and fraud" that accounts for up to 40% of its total cost and turn that "lost money" into care for Americans. That can be done by revamping that system and gettng tight controls over it... there are too many people bilking it and robbing it right now to make it cover as many people as it really could.

These things are all just plans of course... the candidates will modify those plans when/if they become president. In fact they make some improvements to them even now. Obama is already making some adjustments to his "Spread the Wealth" plan as the high tax line is now consistently moving downward from incomes of $250k... to $200k.... now at $150k (re: Biden 10/27).... He has made those adjustments because he is trying to be honest with the American people and he knows that big Gov't is costly and that the revenue he requires to support it will cost much more than he first estimated.

[Constant Rago]

1) First, mcCain isn't going to do anything by himself. Social Security change was tried by Bush and he didn't get anywhere at all. He gave up trying. McCain, IF he wins (hah!) is not going to have a mandate to do anything like kill social security - he is going to have a democratic congress, and they aren't going to do something as stupid as kill social security and get themselves thrown out of office. McCain may want to, but it's not going to happen.

2) I sure hope that we NEVER put social security into a big mutual fund. The free market has crashed - my mutual funds are worth about half of that they were last year. Mutual funds are perhaps the WORST investment around these days - even worse than stocks. The only sure thing right now is that a mutual fund is worth a lot less than it was. So putting my retirement savings in a government mutual fund is asking for trouble.

3) Worse yet is your cockamamie idea of "voting" on investments. What a poor idea - why would I trust you to vote for my interests? I would much rather have professionasl investors who know the market, rather than a bunch of ignorant yahoos? DO you really thing that voting on what to invest money in, is a good idea? What do you know about my retirement needs?

All in all, a terriffically BAD idea.