McCain gets $1,930 a month from 'broken' Social Security system

www.bizjournals.com...

Republican presidential candidate John McCain cashes his monthly Social Security checks despite calling the federal program "a disgrace," the Associated Press reports.

"I'm receiving benefits," McCain told campaign reporters, but added, "the system is broken."

In 2007, he received benefits of $23,157 from Social Security, approximately $1,930 a month. The maximum monthly benefit under Social Security is $2,185. Social Security benefits are determined by age at retirement.

McCain, who is 71, has received benefits since he was 65.

Last week, McCain told observers at a town-hall meeting in Portsmouth, Ohio, "Americans have got to understand that we are paying present-day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers ... and that's a disgrace."

B.J. Jarrett from the Social Security Administration said that individuals can refuse retirement benefits.

In 2006, McCain's wife Cindy earned $6 million, and has a net worth of approximately $100 million.

Interesting

[edit on 21-7-2008 by kyle6677]

IF this is true then its just one more reason not to vote for him. How in the world do you ethically withdraw money from SSI when your family has a net worth over $100 million.

Especially since you are running for President of the US to be a leader of its people to set the moral compass....

And yet your compass clearly shows your own personal greed...... pffft

REVOLUTION REVOLUTION...

Whatever, stop trying to make McCain out to be the "bad guy". He has EVERY right to withdraw from SS. He is a taxpayer is he not? Or maybe when you get to that age you should abstain from SS because you would not want to be labeled a hypocrite, would you?

SS is BROKEN and millions of people know this and still withdraw. SO what is the point of your thread? To bash McCain for taking the money he paid in? It does not matter if he is worth $10 billion, he paid in, he has the right to withdraw. If I were him I would do the same thing.

This seems to be a non-issue.. If he has paid in to the social security system all his life, then he's entitle to receive a check regadless of his net worth.

reply to post by robertfenix


I do not think you have a choice in the matter. I think they just send the check. Im not sure how he gets so much though.

Years ago as a nursing assistant I was assigned to take care of one of SIlicon Valleys pioneers. The guy was worth well over 1 billion at the time. It was a great perk for me and I got to spend alot of time talking to him. One of my jobs was helping him open his mail and He got social security too.

If you pay in all your life you should get some back as well IMHO.

There are lots of reasons NOT to vote for McCain but this is not one of them IMHO.

reply to post by robertfenix


Exactly, He wants to be our leader, how can you lead when you have "Do as I say not as I do" mentality.

The man paid into the Social Security system for what, 45 years? I don't care how much his wife makes, he paid into the system and he deserves to receive those benefits.

People were talking about this a last week, about how he gets a check and complains about the system.

Heck, just about everyone I know that collects some sort of SS complains about the system.

Just seems like another anti McCain story the MSM wants everyone to see.

It's his money. He should get it. It's not a reason not to vote for him. But there are plenty of those.

He's retired. He should retire. Fish and take a cruise. Take a nap. Or two. Drink lemon aid and watch the great grand kids play.

As long as he is retired, I agree that he deserves to receive his SS.
However, I think that if he wins the elections, the day that happens should be the last day of that check. If I am not mistaken, running a country is considered working a full time job. And since that job is in politics, would that not constitute "coming out of retirement"?

As long as that happens and his benefits are suspended (in the event that he wins) for the duration of his presidency, then good for him.

reply to post by kyle6677


So a man used to making hundreds of thousands a year gets 23k a year in "benefits" ......

Now.. I want to make this even more clear because the OP seems to lack any knowledge of .. well .. of the World in general.

Take sweet little Grandma, she is getting $1,930 a month to live her Golden years in .. well .. in a trailor because rents at apartments average $900 a month, $400 a month for food and necessities and $250 for car and insurance, and the Hundreds that will be spent on MEDICATION...granted, Grandma doesn't need to go out, have fun, and meet people. It's Grandma, she can sit in a used recliner she got off the curb and rot away slowly decomposing until she finally dies and, with her tiny little life insurance policy that her last $15 a month could buy, they can pay 1/10th of the estate taxes, and donate her body to science because they don't have the cash to bury her.

Social Security is fixed alright.

Keeping Senior $3,000 above the 1990's Poverty Level, which has not been truly adjusted for inflation since Clinton was in office.

Sorry, idiocracy pisses me off.

reply to post by wheresthetruth


It does NOT matter wether or not he is retired. He is ENTITLED to those benefits. I know plenty of ppl who still work and collect SS. I just dont get why ppl think he is not entitled to this???? Blows my mind?

I didnt mean that he should not collect; I was more pointing out that he feels that the system is broken, yet he continues to use it rather than do anything to improve/fix it. He states that its broken because "young people today are paying for present day retiree's SS"...that's how its always worked, has it not?

I never said he shouldnt collect...I just feel for a man running for president, he'd have more to offer on the situation.

If anyone has any info on anything he has proposed, feel free to post. I couldn't find much of anything, other than supplementing SS with personal accounts

im just puzzled by your comment in that "offcource he can draw "funds" cause he is a tax payer" ?,

i didnt know paying taxes had anything to do with being eligble to draw funds from the goverment.
i thought that was a service the goverment provided its citicents free of charge,


but if anything he is a wise-ass for showing you that in that nation nothing realy works as it should,



our systems works like this where i live ,

fistly in order to be eligble to "wellfare"(social services and wellfare handeling money)
you have to be ressident of this country ,
you have to be an elderly/student/unemployd/disabled/living or multiple of thous choices

or be able to show that your income from work-done does not cover expences needed to survive.
(but this is a diffrent service provided by another agency that handle "broke" cases)



secondly depending on what "funds" you are about to withdraw youll need to hand over documents regarding wealth,
stocks, bank accounts, land, you know something of "value"

but this does not apply to
elderly (pension funds)
students, since most students rearly have had the time to accumulate a wealth before/during studies
or disabled

everyone here is entitled to this wellfare if you match the above criterias,

and its a picky system , they know if theyve paid you to much and gladly take it back but its mostly hassel free

here he would have been eligble for that money only if he falls in to the three categorys disabled/elderly/student

dont know if he is disabled but as an elderly here if he "works" he is not eligble for pension funds nor student funds cause of his wealth

they would just have laughed at him and said go home and read a book

Originally posted by robertfenix
IF this is true then its just one more reason not to vote for him. How in the world do you ethically withdraw money from SSI when your family has a net worth over $100 million.

...Because he paid into it all his life against his will, and it's his money?

1,900 a month? That;'s what my dad makes, and he's a retired cop.

I wonder what McCain does with that 19 hundred... It sounds like hooker-money to me.

just curius as to how he can be eligble for that money if he "works"

you cant be retired and not at the same time , its a bit hypocritical

There are lots of reasons NOT to vote for McCain but this is not one of them IMHO.

I agree with that. This thread, like many others, highlights the eagerness of people to sling mud at those who have a different political ideology. This is something we need to get away from! Let's teach our children that neither republican or democrat is to "blame." Instead, the system is obviously broken. They are talking about NO SOC SECURITY in the coming decades while rich people continue to reign in checks today.

Well its quite obvious what the ethical and moral fiber that some of the recent posters have...

I never said McCain should be barred from withdrawing it or whether he is or is not entitled to it.

But lets look at the facts, he is actively campaigning and is in fact the GOP's candidate for the office of the President of the United States for which he will earn not only a salary but a life long benefit should he become President.

He currently has a marketing/campaign funds that pays him an interm monthly amount for expenses.

His personal net worth is well above the national average net worth.

Our Federal government is under water with debt.

IF I was him, IF I wanted to show the American public that I am concerned about not only the welfare of the government debt but to the plight of those less fortunate. IF I had the resource the McCain family has you can bet that the smart move would be to show that I had no need for SSI benefits as my wealth/assets were more then enough to meet my families daily/monthly and yearly needs.

SSI benefits should be to assist the 90% of the population that really need that money to survive in retirement, not to just withdraw it "just because" just because he is over 65, just because he "paid into the system", just because is not good enough anymore.

That is what is wrong with this country everyone goes along with it "just because" just because what??????????????????

He is a multi-millionaire and he should withdraw benefits just because and some poor lady has to go without food for a week just because her benefits are not enough to meet her monthly needs.

FU people that think this is "his right", it's poor moral and ethical character, when he admits the system is broken and people are suffering (not him) and yet he does not care enough to say I will make the first step in change...

Originally posted by robertfenix
Well its quite obvious what the ethical and moral fiber that some of the recent posters have...

What? Because we say that a man who has paid into social security all his life deserves to collect it now that he's over 65? What is morally and ethically wrong with that???

It doesn't matter how much money he's making or what he's worth. This is America and you can earn as much money as you want and you are not obligated to turn money away once you have so much.

IF I was him, IF I wanted to show the American public that I am concerned about not only the welfare of the government debt but to the plight of those less fortunate. IF I had the resource the McCain family has you can bet that the smart move would be to show that I had no need for SSI benefits as my wealth/assets were more then enough to meet my families daily/monthly and yearly needs.

Well, okay. But no one else is obligated to do something because you would choose to do it.

This is not SSI (Supplemental Security Income), it's Social Security. They're 2 different things.

he does not care enough to say I will make the first step in change...

It would be nice if he did. I might be able to muster a little respect for him if he did. But I can't fault the man for collecting money that's rightfully his.

Don't get mad at us because we disagree. Everyone has opinions.