Our Senators and Congressmen don't pay in to Social Security, and, of course, they don't collect from it.

The reason is that they have a special retirement plan that they voted for themselves many years ago. For all practical purposes, it works like this:

When they retire, they continue to draw their same pay, until they die, except that it may be increased from time to time, by cost of living adjustments.

For instance, former Senator Bradley and his wife may be expected to draw $7,900,000, with Mrs. Bradley drawing $275,000 during the last year of her life. This is calculated on an average life span for each.

This would be well and good, except that they paid nothing in on any kind of retirement, and neither does any other Senator or Congressman.

This fine retirement comes right out of the General Fund: our tax money. While we who pay for it all, draw an average of $1000/month from Social Security.

Imagine for a moment that you could structure a retirement plan so desirable that people would have extra deducted so that they could increase their own personal retirement income. A retirement plan that works so well, that Railroad employees, Postal Workers, and others who aren't in it, would clamor to get in.

That is how good Social Security could be, if only one small change were made. That change is to jerk the Golden Fleece retirement out from under the Senators and Congressmen, and put them in Social Security with the rest of us. Then watch how fast they fix it.

True or false? If true, what can you do about it? If false, are you sure?

-- Ripley's (Believe@or.not), May 16, 2000

Answers

Another internet hoax. Go to http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/ or http://www.snopes.com or http://www.kumite.com/myths/ for more information.

Why do people continue to post these types of things without ever checking if they're true?

-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), May 16, 2000.

Perhaps in the hopes of maybe educating a few who might not otherwise learn?

-- or maybe (justfor@lark.yaknow?), May 16, 2000.

Another internet hoax. Go to http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/ or http://www.snopes.com or http://www.kumite.com/myths/ for more information. Why do people continue to post these types of things without ever checking if they're true? -- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), May 16, 2000.

Why do people continue to post these types of things without ever learning to hot-link?

urbanlegends.miningco.com

http://www.snopes.com

http://www.kumite.com/myths/

-- Jim seems grouchy (rest@relax.friend), May 16, 2000.

Yes, I suppose I was a little grouchy and also too lazy to post the links. I do client support for several large companies and spend a significant amount of time dealing with various internet hoax virus warnings, chain letters, and such and I do get a little weary with the gullability of a large proportion of the population.

-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), May 16, 2000.

Here's a chuckle for ya, Jim! LOL

Information Technology vs Management

A man is flying in a hot air balloon and realizes he is lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts:

"Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?"

The man below says: "Yes, you're in a hot air balloon, hovering 30 feet above this field."

"You must work in Information Technology," says the balloonist.

"I do," replies the man. "How did you know?"

"Well," says the balloonist, "Everything you have told me is technically correct, but it's no use to anyone."

The man below says, "You must work in Management."

"I do," replies the balloonist, "But how did you know?"

"Well," says the man, "You don't know where you are, or where you're going, but you expect me to be able to help. You're in the same position you were before we met, but now it's my fault."

-- laugh it up! Tomorrow is coming... (mysteries@re.over.the.horizon), May 16, 2000.