"Dirty RottenScoundrels" is one of Ken’s favorite movies.  

It tells the amusing story of two con men (Steve Martin and Michael Caine) who are, quite expectedly, outwitted by an even more clever female con artist (Glenne Headly).

While the movie is amusing, the con being perpetrated in our nation’s capital against senior citizens regarding Social Security benefits and the debt ceiling debate is far more serious than the con in this funny movie.

When the President told CBS Evening news anchor Scott Pelley that $20 billion of Social Security benefits might not be sent out on August 3^rd if the debt ceiling isn’t raised, he was participating in a con game of the first order against the most vulnerable segment of our society, senior citizens.

What better way to try to influence the strongest voting block in the country into supporting your position than to scare the living daylights out of them?

The revenue for Social Security comes from a 12.4% payroll tax which is split between employers and employees.

Unless and until our pathetic unemployment numbers reach 100%, people will be paying this tax week after week after week.  So the money will be there to pay out benefits.

The only way Social Security benefits would not be paid out is if President Obama CHOOSES to stop them.

Those, ladies and gentlemen, are the facts.

How badly could this Administration want to win an argument that it would choose to prove a point on the backs of elderly and, in some cases, infirm people who couldn’t go back to work even if they could find a job?

I’ll grant you that in 2010, Social Security began running a deficit and that previous Congresses did spend the surpluses that were accruing in the Social Security Trust Fund.

However, the US Treasury issued special bonds to the Trust Fund that CAN be redeemed when an account deficit, as we have now, arises.

By law, the Treasury MUST redeem those bonds.

The only way Social Security benefits will stop is if Washington chooses to spend that money somewhere else.

It is despicable on the part of any elected official to try and con seniors, or any American for that matter, but, particularly, our seniors.

The con game being played by both parties, vis a vis the debt ceiling, is bordering on criminality.

If you are a senior or know a senior, please share this information.  

Don’t get conned!     

Read More In: Retirement Center