EMPTY NEST

Benjamin Corrales and his wife had worked the agricultural fields nearly all their lives in efforts to create a safe and suitable home for their nine children and perhaps someday be able to retire with a little nest egg at the end of the month to comfortably enjoy the golden years with their grandchildren.  Yet today, 84-year old Benjamin rose up this morning at 6:00 a.m to prune the vineyards to help supplement his monthly social security retirement of $800, which in a 40-hour week is approximately $5 a hour...$5.50 less than today’s minimum wage!  So where is the American dream that our country leaders since 1935 have so often promised us? Is it really 75% of your annual income.  Financial experts indicated that in 2011 to receive the maximum monthly social security benefits of $2,366, a person would need an annual income of $106,800, where the averaged annual income per household was less that $35,000.

There are many of us, who solely compare our Social Security program as a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow so that we could perhaps be finally able to hang up our hats and give a out a loud sigh and say, “Whew...I’m finally done!” but that is not what is happening in our country just ask Benjamin, who tries to make ends meet for only himself and his wife as he limps from severe arthritis to the intensively cold aisles of freshly insecticide grape vineyards.   Where’s his pot of gold that he worked so hard to find? And yet our government have conveniently extended the retired age for every generation to a much older age thinking that because of all these scientific breakthroughs we will live longer...oh yeah Uncle Sam...what about chronic diseases and sickness like Cancer, diabetes, leukemia, MRSA where there is no age requirement and let’s not forget the stubborn consistency of the season flu, which seems to become more deadlier each year specifically to our children!  

So for what real purpose do we pay into the SS?  To be paid below minimum wage when we can no longer work?  Lucky for Benjamin, he can still physically move to do his job...but for how long?  I called the social security office the other day and asked one of their representatives if there were any cost-of-living increases on retired checks and she said “Well depends on the economy.”   What...Really... But you guys are pretty damm quick when it comes to overpayment and deduct from our monthly checks!  What ever happened to fair equality?  

We The People...remember?

Many citizens are fortunate enough to boost their retirement income by investing into individual retirement plans like 401 (k) or PERS for a higher return rate, but what of those individuals, who can barely afford to pay their electric bill each month? Maybe we should not invest into social security altogether and instead pay directly into these other funds with higher retirement rates because let’s face it folks...EVERBODY’S TIME IS VALUABLE...no matter what occupation! 

As for those, who want to still participate in our nation’s social security program...please proceed with caution because that kettle of gold at the end of the rainbow that was supposed to fulfilled the retired security blanket for the American people is slowly getting empty!