The Rise of Disability: What is the Solution?

[_Doctor Steuss]

The common denominator is not race. Both of these groups are liberal democrat voters.

So it's not race then ... it's being poor. What is it about America that makes most low-income people become so unscrupulous and vote Democrat, do you think?

Just for fun...

The county with the lowest income per capita is Wheeler County, GA. The majority of the population is white, and the county has voted Republican since Bush Sr.

Next up is Ziebach County, SD. The majority of this county is Native Americans, with white Americans coming in second. Black and Hispanic make up 3.3% of the population, combined. Who’d they vote for president this last go-around? Trump.

In number 3 for poorest counties in the US, we have Union County, Florida. Again, majority is white. Hispanics make up about 3% of the population. Over 80% of the residents voted for Trump.

Next in the list is Bledsoe County, TN. A whopping 94.44% white. Hispanic population? A smidgeon over 1%. Who'd they vote for as president? Once again, overwhelmingly for Trump.

Number 5 in the list of poorest counties is Telfair County, GA. Surprisingly, this county has a majority white population as well. Rascally Democrats? Nope. Voting consistently Republican since Dubya.

If a feller didn't know any better, he might get the impression that maybe not all the woes can be laid at the feet of brown people and Democrats.

As an aside, the per capita income average of these locations is below what would be needed to qualify for things like SNAP. So, it's a pretty good bet that these white Republican counties are generously partaking of entitlement programs.

[_AmyJo]

It's a safety net for those who really need it.

I hope to keep working until I'm 70 at 'something.' So I can maximize my SS earnings since they're predicted to run out by 2035 and payees will start receiving 25% less benefits around that time, according to actuarial studies I've seen.

By maximizing the earnings if I live long enough, then it will have been worth it to wait. Although no one has a crystal ball. Depending on health too. If health fails, taking disability makes a heckuva lot more sense than waiting until 62. Because it pays the same as though you reached full retirement age.

It's kind of a crap call, really, when is the best time to take it. My dad took his early at age 62, believing his wife would outlive him by a longshot. She didn't. She died at 69. He lived to 82 and died from a negligent doctor, not from natural causes.

[_subgenius]

If a feller didn't know any better, he might get the impression that maybe not all the woes can be laid at the feet of brown people and Democrats.

Maybe it's just the incessant snark, elitist arrogance, and patronizing quality of Democrats.

[_Chap]

The common denominator is not race. Both of these groups are liberal democrat voters. Fraud will continue as America browns. Illegal immigrants will pull the same tricks as native born low income Democrats when they gain their citizenship. The US will continue to look and function more and more like a Latin American country.

Just for fun...

The county with the lowest income per capita is Wheeler County, GA. The majority of the population is white, and the county has voted Republican since Bush Sr.

Next up is Ziebach County, SD. The majority of this county is Native Americans, with white Americans coming in second. Black and Hispanic make up 3.3% of the population, combined. Who’d they vote for president this last go-around? Trump.

In number 3 for poorest counties in the US, we have Union County, Florida. Again, majority is white. Hispanics make up about 3% of the population. Over 80% of the residents voted for Trump.

Next in the list is Bledsoe County, TN. A whopping 94.44% white. Hispanic population? A smidgeon over 1%. Who'd they vote for as president? Once again, overwhelmingly for Trump.

Number 5 in the list of poorest counties is Telfair County, GA. Surprisingly, this county has a majority white population as well. Rascally Democrats? Nope. Voting consistently Republican since Dubya.

If a feller didn't know any better, he might get the impression that maybe not all the woes can be laid at the feet of brown people and Democrats.

As an aside, the per capita income average of these locations is below what would be needed to qualify for things like SNAP. So, it's a pretty good bet that these white Republican counties are generously partaking of entitlement programs..

Maybe it's just the incessant snark, elitist arrogance, and patronizing quality of Democrats.

Can someone help me to see some kind of connection between the post by subgenius, and the substantive post by Dr Seuss that precedes it?

No? Oh well, what did I expect?

[_Maksutov]

Just for fun...

The county with the lowest income per capita is Wheeler County, GA. The majority of the population is white, and the county has voted Republican since Bush Sr.

Next up is Ziebach County, SD. The majority of this county is Native Americans, with white Americans coming in second. Black and Hispanic make up 3.3% of the population, combined. Who’d they vote for president this last go-around? Trump.

In number 3 for poorest counties in the US, we have Union County, Florida. Again, majority is white. Hispanics make up about 3% of the population. Over 80% of the residents voted for Trump.

Next in the list is Bledsoe County, TN. A whopping 94.44% white. Hispanic population? A smidgeon over 1%. Who'd they vote for as president? Once again, overwhelmingly for Trump.

Number 5 in the list of poorest counties is Telfair County, GA. Surprisingly, this county has a majority white population as well. Rascally Democrats? Nope. Voting consistently Republican since Dubya.

If a feller didn't know any better, he might get the impression that maybe not all the woes can be laid at the feet of brown people and Democrats.

As an aside, the per capita income average of these locations is below what would be needed to qualify for things like SNAP. So, it's a pretty good bet that these white Republican counties are generously partaking of entitlement programs.

A good MAGAist would claim that the reason these white folks are poor is because of the dern furriners and welfare queens abusing and persecuting them. It's a conspiracy, I tells ya.

[_ajax18]

By maximizing the earnings if I live long enough, then it will have been worth it to wait.

How long would you have to live after that to make it worth the wait?

If health fails, taking disability makes a heckuva lot more sense than waiting until 62. Because it pays the same as though you reached full retirement age.

Hence the rise of disability in America. I know a lawyer who got on own occupation disability when he was 53 because he has diabetes. (Don't a lot of working people?) He's getting $110k/yr and will never have to work another day in his life. This isn't just private insurance. Social security pays the first $1700/month of this. So what's he doing with his time? He's remodeling his house, playing in several tennis leagues, and working on his health. How is working until your 67 in any way a better retirement than this for anyone?


What makes me the most angry about social security is that it was sold to the American worker as a retirement program. Then the ruling political elite decided to make it a wealth redistribution disability cradle to grave program. How many years of work you put in to earn your "right" to retire is becoming irrelevant. It's pretty much a need based program at this point and that's not what it was sold as to the voter.

[_Hawkeye]

This has been the traditional fix, but alas...

I don't believe very many disabled Americans qualify for military service.

However, if we didn't engage in so many wars, we wouldn't have as many disabled veterans.

2.9 million Americans receive compensation for service-connected disabilities.

$85 billion goes towards veteran benefits.

Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that veteran benefits should be cut. I am suggesting that the military needs to be drastically reduced, so that there are fewer veterans and much fewer disabled veterans in the future.

You beat me to it.

[_canpakes]

I know a lawyer who got on own occupation disability when he was 53 because he has diabetes. (Don't a lot of working people?) He's getting $110k/yr and will never have to work another day in his life. This isn't just private insurance. Social security pays the first $1700/month of this. So what's he doing with his time? He's remodeling his house, playing in several tennis leagues, and working on his health.

I'll bet this guy came to the country a few years ago as an asylum seeker. The President keeps telling us how those guys are the cause of all of our problems.

[_Jersey Girl]

Just saw this in Hawkeye's reply. Not going to look for the context in which it was posted.

I don't believe very many disabled Americans qualify for military service.

However, if we didn't engage in so many wars, we wouldn't have as many disabled veterans.

2.9 million Americans receive compensation for service-connected disabilities.

$85 billion goes towards veteran benefits.

Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that veteran benefits should be cut. I am suggesting that the military needs to be drastically reduced, so that there are fewer veterans and much fewer disabled veterans in the future.

Analytics you do realize that service connected disabilities aren't the result of combat, don't you? You realize that service connected disabilities and combat related disabilities are two different things, right?

[_Doctor Steuss]

If a feller didn't know any better, he might get the impression that maybe not all the woes can be laid at the feet of brown people and Democrats.

Maybe it's just the incessant snark, elitist arrogance, and patronizing quality of Democrats.

That's a helluva villainous super power.