Politics these days is more about false narratives and frightening uninformed Americans than honest discussion and problem solving.
Consider the following from Truth Social.
Nobody suggests illegal immigrants be eligible for Social Security, why create such an impression? My guess, to foster more anti-immigrant sentiment and enhance the idea they are getting something for nothing and taking from Americans.
Actually, if more illegal immigrants were working legally and paying taxes, it would help fix the SS trust coming insolvency.
Social Security estimates illegal immigrants pay $13 billion a year in Social Security payroll taxes.
When you click to vote, you see this, implying illegal immigrants pay no Social Security taxes.
As we know, many working illegal immigrants do in fact contribute to Social Security and Medicare, but are not eligible to collect benefits – except in very rare circumstances. Here is what the Social Security Chief Actuary had to say in a report.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
So my question is, how can you be “illegal” and work legally?
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Mr. Quinn, what you say is ABSOLUTELY TRUE. The issue is more than the FACTS, it’s the spurious POLITICAL MOTIVE that is imbedded in so many Trumpists, as well as many Latin/Hispanic folks I’ve met that are, DEMS, lived her for years but BELIEVE the HOAX, I did 100 or so Tax Returns in East Orange Library as Fed Certified VOLUNTEER Tax Aide for AARP. Numerous couples came in but ONLY ONE FILED. This left the other’s bona fide return “on the table” and they missed out on Joint File tax benefits. Social Security and IRS & NJ was taken out on the W-2 – They’ll probably NEVER have the number of quarters worked to see a dime. Thanks for also printing the Official’s response, even though you probably understand this stuff better than th
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That is all MAGA has left, no policy prescriptions, just trying to scare Americans with bullshit, like the Katie Britt speech and her failed attempt to tie Biden to the her famous sex trafficking story. Meanwhile, Trump keeps dropping hints about gutting Social Security and Medicare…
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Of course politicians of all stripes create issues that do not exist–our biggest problem is “white supremacy”—voter ID is a racist concept–our democracy is in constant peril. We hear this garbage constantly as a means of dividing us. The other side is just as bad.
Illegal immigration is relatively easy as one needs to be resolute in the fact that we will not tolerate illegal crossings but it needs to be backed up by action. Executive orders could help a great deal but anger the left wing loonies who control the party. The right wing crazies have difficulty in accepting victory. Well, maybe it is not so easy.
When in the 1st 100 days 70+ executive orders and/or regulations set forth by your predecessor are revoked you are telling us something.
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Biden’s agenda calls for making the super-rich pay more taxes, capping prescription drug prices, restoring abortion rights, addressing the climate crisis and creating stronger alliances to confront the growing threats facing the world’s democracies.
Trump’s agenda calls for him to become a dictator and create alliances with other dictators, as well as to harass his opponents with the Justice Department, send troops into American cities, put millions of immigrants in camps and crack down on the press.
I think it is an easy choice.
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Your sense of humor G never ceases to amaze me–let’s see if you can give some rational responses to your fears:
1. How will Trump become a dictator? Is there a coup lead by the military? Just how does this happen?
2. These alliances with Putin and Victor Orban and the guy from China– what is that something like NATO or SEATO–or does the world cede them territory. I mean Crimea and Ukraine have been invaded under Obama and Biden so maybe Putin fears them not–Hamas had no fear of Biden.
3. What opponents in the Justice Dept.? Aren’t they fair and above board. You mean there are personnel who would not treat folks fairly? Of course when you release the transcripts with Biden & Hu late last night just hours before the hearing that’s fair and above board. OK!!
4. Troops in American cities?? What do you mean? Explain please! Not like the National Guard troops sent by the NY governor to bring some sanity to the subway in NYC. G–how did the de-fund the cops work for you and your buddies? How many black and brown folks died because of that?
5. Cracking down on the press??? The Post–Times–Globe–MSNBC–CNNN will suffer what fate? Reporters locked up? Doors to the Post chained shut by White House staff? Just what form does the crack down take? Maybe no news conferences!! But that’s what we have now as Old Yeller can’t keep up.
Oh–on taxes let’s collect from the tax denier coke user Hunter Biden–what a hoot when the old man cries about wanting more tax money and his fool of a son is a tax cheat.
So G all you need to do is explain with specifics–it’s that easy.
By the way we learned today that Old Yeller for $8 million gave classified documents to his ghost writer–hard to believe when he told us he did not know he had them. But he is senile and not too bright so I guess we now should believe that he is an old man incapable of doing too much.
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Al, not sure why you are asking me to explain. Those are all Trump’s own words and stated policies.
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Ok–just one example of his stated policy on “cracking down on the press”–what can he do? Point me to what his specific proposal is or briefly tell me.
On the dictator issue I believe he said that on “day one I will be a dictator and and issue orders to close the border and drill baby drill.” Politicians and their followers leave out the one day and go for “dictator”–both sides do that as we have plenty of you tubes where Biden tells us he wants to eliminate fossil fuels.
We know Trump will reverse Biden’s open border policy and we know Biden, to please the left, will do what he can to push the green agenda and not the fossil fuel agenda.
Personally I have no love or respect for Trump and never have–I know folks who worked for him and then he made every effort not to pay them. He is not a good person. Any other Republican would be a much stronger candidate.
But the alternative of the other side is more than I can deal with. Two miserable choices.
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I would dispute your assertion that the immigrants could not receive SS benefits except under rare circumstances. Work long enough to get benefits is a universal requirement for us. Legal work status at some point in time. That is readily obtainable, as is legal residence status. The option of leaving the country to receive benefits is also there. These conditions are not rare.
As for paying in 13 billion per year, that wouldn’t move the needle to make SS more balanced. The coming insolvency will be satisfied with a higher percentage on payroll taxes. There aren’t enough jobs in this country to accommodate the number of immigrants it would take to bring the ratio of workers to retirees in order to keep payroll tax as it is now.
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