I got mine UPDATE: Paul Ryan's college education was funded with Social Security "survivor benefits"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

From the age of 16, when his 55-year-old father died of a heart attack, until he was 18, Ryan received Social Security payments, which, according to a lengthy profile in WI Magazine, he put away for college. The eventual budget czar attended Miami University in Ohio to earn a B.A. in economics and political science, and landed a congressional internship as a junior.

Ryan's congressional ascent, all the way to the top spot on the Budget Committee, began with his Social Security-funded college education.

Ryan's so-called Roadmap for America's Future budget plan proposed machete-like cuts — most notably to social services like Medicare and Social Security. Paul's idea was to invest portions of Social Security funds in Wall Street, essentially forcing future recipients to make unsecured investments with with money they'll later need for retirement — and endangering survivor benefits like the ones he received.

"Ryan credits his father’s death and the care of his grandmother as giving him first-hand experience as to how social service programs work," WI Magazine wrote, referencing his Alzheimer's-stricken grandmother, also a beneficiary of the social programs Ryan now opposes, who moved in with Ryan and his mother after his father died.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/04/20/paul-ryan-already-benefitted-from-the-social-security-fund-he-now-wants-to-gut/

[Hugin]

1. First Ayn Rand and now HIM!

The hypocrisy burns! :o

:eyes:

[Hugin]

2. K&R

Too much to sink.

[SugarShack]

3. This SHOULD BE all over the main stream nooze

[maxrandb]

4. I'm sure

our "crack" media will demand an answer from Rep. Ryan. :sarcasm:

[Recursion]

5. This would be more of a "gotcha" if Ryan's plan touched Social Security (nt)

[riderinthestorm]

7. Classic example of not seeing the forest because of the trees....

Ryan's big picture approach to budgeting is to rein in government spending on social programs. That social security isn't in THIS budget doesn't mean he hasn't articulated cutting it before, or that he won't go after it in the future.

But beyond that, let me reiterate: Paul Ryan is a hypocrite because he wants to cut government funding of social programming even as his background includes getting governmental help at a critical time in his life.

[Recursion]

15. I'm interested by the claim of hypocrisy here

Is your argument that anyone who receives any social spending is obligated to defend all social spending, even in programs that person didn't benefit from?

[riderinthestorm]

17. Nope, he doesn't have to defend it.

If he were just passive about it that would be fine. But he's actually trying to cut it or eliminate it. He's trying to pull the ladder up after himself instead of I dunno, making the ladder stronger, or even making the ladder more efficient.

He's taken public money to help himself. In light of his current budget, yes, he's a hypocrite.

[yardwork]

12. True, but his entire platform is anti-government support. It's his ideology.

[Recursion]

16. Well, no: he voted for TARP (nt)

[riderinthestorm]

21. You know, there are more than a few economists who believe TARP

actually was a program geared more for rescuing the government's big bank backers with a lot of Fed complicity.

To say that Ryan isn't "anti-government" because he voted for TARP is a pretty bad example.

[Recursion]

22. People said the same thing about the New Deal

I just was working to pass meat safety regulations. It went through. It took getting the packers on board. They like it because it will choke out smaller competitoin.

It's a shitty world we live in.

[Scuba]

6. Here's Paul Ryan's fate were it NOT for SS and other social programs.

http://imgur.com/AhGXo>

[LynneSin]

8. Ok, not sure how Ryan would have funded college with the Survivor benefits.

Look, I can't stand the guy but I want to make sure folks know what the deal is with these benefits. And I feel I am someone who can speak about this because I too received benefits.

First, the money was not that much, I think my brother and I each got a check for around $250. Because my brother was in college he got his checks directly (more on that later) but since I was underage that money went to my mom to help pay for bills and food.

Now the thing about Paul Ryan, his benefits were like mine - we were both cut-off at age 18 even though both of us are college graduates (Ryan is a few years younger than me). My brother was in college when Reagan made those changes so he was grandfathered in and could keep his money until he graduated (or turned 22). Whereas Ryan and I both stopped getting checks on our 18th birthday. And because Ryan is a few years younger than me, it's highly doubtful he could have dropped out of high school and started college early. I was in 10th grade when this happened so I'm guessing he was in junior high school.

I realize the point being made about the survivor benefits, but let's make sure we understand what this is about. And to be honest, Paul, like myself, was underage and really didn't have a choice in the matter - it just happened.

[yardwork]

11. I don't think that anybody is criticizing Ryan for having benefits.

He's being criticized for his hypocrisy. In fact, we all benefit from social safety nets in one way or another. Even if we aren't primary recipients, we benefit from the strength of a society that protects and nurtures people and encourages them to become educated and successful.

Ryan's entire platform is built around the idea that none of this is necessary and is, in fact, counter-productive. People can be somewhat forgiving of his attitude - even though we don't share it - if he's going without any social safety net benefits himself. But, as we see over and over again with these people, he's actually benefited personally from benefits he's now trying to take away from everybody else.

[Hugin]

13. Hear! Hear! n/t

[LynneSin]

14. I understand the hypocrisy. Just pointing out the guy probably couldn't pay for college with the $$

that's all

[highplainsdem]

18. I don't think anyone suggested the SS benefits paid for all his college expenses. But he was

probably able to save thousands, if he did save the benefits, and if he went to a relatively inexpensive school and had any kind of scholarship, that government money probably helped a lot with remaining college expenses.

[LynneSin]

20. I highly doubt it

First, he was 16 when his father died so the most he could have gotten was a few thousand dollars. And again, I don't know what the family financial status was at the time. That money was to be used to help care for the child, not as some sort of monthly savings account. But he was cut off of the benefits at age 18, just like I was - thanks to Ronnie Raygun

[ScreamingMeemie]

9. Paul Ryan needs to pay those benefits back then. My son receives

survivor benefits. They are to be spent on his day to day needs and care, not to be saved. In fact, once a year, I am required by law to send in an accounting for every last penny of his benefits. If every last penny of his benefits is not used, I must write a check for the balance and send it back. This includes any money placed in savings accounts for later. It's not allowed. So Paul Ryan, write that check.

[UTUSN]

10. K&R #17 n/t

[highplainsdem]

19. I've never known a libertarian who hadn't received some sort of government help with college,

whether it was the GI Bill or some other program.

And none of them seemed able to understand how hypocritical it was to want to get rid of the same kind of programs they'd benefited from.