OAS Pensions at 67

[Tuc]

Is he crazy, that would be political suicide. Let them cut back their BIG FAT PENSIONS, it seems the seniors always get pissed on.
I wrote two letters this morning telling them how I feel ...

First they re-adjust the CPP and take money away from those who want to draw it early, now this.....F..k right off Harper! I voted Conservative for a long time but if this crap goes through I see I will soon be changing my vote.

I'm sure this would effect some of you guys who are crawing close to the age. Write your letters, tell em how you feel.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E

[nube]

I don't see where they changed anything.  Happy to write a letter if I find it.  That is BS.  My dad got screwed on the last change

[AxeMan]

Tuc, lots of people pissed off about this for sure.  It is amazing that the Feds have enough balls to talk about pension reform at all without addressing their gold plated ridiculous pensions first.  Remember, Harper was one of the guys who said he wouldn't take a pension when he was a Reform Party guy.

Tuc, if you knew all the bs details about the MPs pension plan, you would be extra pissed off.  I am a member of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) and we are working to end these gold plated MP pensions.  Here is an interesting piece from them:

Dear Supporter:

How did your RRSPs do in 2008? If they performed anything like the CPP (lost 18%) or the TSX (lost 33%), you’d probably rather not think about it.

Do you know how the pension funds of Members of Parliament did during the 2008 recession and market melt-down? Incredibly they grew by 10.4%.

Was this thanks to masterful investment strategy? No. In fact, MP pension funds are not invested at all. They are notional accounts that are guaranteed, by law, to grow by 10.4% a year, every year. This ‘interest’ is paid into these accounts by taxpayers.

In fact, while we once thought taxpayers were chipping in $5.80 for every $1 contributed by an MP into their pension accounts, thanks to these phony interest earnings, taxpayers are actually kicking in $23.30 for every $1 paid in by an MP.

What this means is that on average, taxpayers are putting more money into an MP’s pension account each year ($248,000) than we’re paying them in salary ($157,000 base pay) and way, way more than MPs themselves are contributing to their own pensions ($10,990 minimum).

Another thing, did Harper campaign on this OAS pension reform.....NO.  Did he campaign on removing the gun registry...YES.  Is the gun registry removed yet?.....NO

Politicians are all dirty lying scum bags regardless of the party or level of government.

[nube]

"Politicians are all dirty lying scum bags regardless of the party or level of government."

Every last one of them AXE.  I am so sick of it.  I posted something along the lines of that about 6 months ago on here and got beat up a bit for saying it.  A lot of the guys told me to wait and see what Harper does and it will work out.  I was pissed about not seeing any changes for the better.  Mostly thinking of the gun registry at the time.  Has it been changed yet?  I am not really sure if we are better off Coservative or LIB any more cause it all sucks.

[Tuc]

I don't see where they changed anything

Nube, they didn't yet, they are going to look at it. I'm hoping alot of Canadians are pissed off with them even suggesting to raise the OAS age to 67.
A good backlash from the public might change their minds.

[wildmeat]

you guys complain about how unhappy you are with our politicians/politics/policies and what they do and dont do... but you dont actually do anything about it... im in the same boat as you and absolutely feel the same way... expressing your angers here will only go unheard.. you need to stand up and get everyone you know involved that feel the same way... make yourself heard...  we elect these people and put them in power and beleive it or not have the power to take it away... but only as a unit

so many times has a politicians promise gone undone and unheard from again

we live in a democracy and we the people have the power... but that powe is slipping away and we are slowly loosing that power to those we elect... if this is what we call democracy nowaday then i dont want it

[nube]

Wildmeat the problem is that the reason you and I don't do anything about it is because you feel so helpless.  If you complain really it won't do anything.  Even if it did big deal you get one dumbass out and you get another that will screw you just as bad.  Is it not possible to have an honest politician and one that will stand up to all the crap and run things the right way.

[Tuc]

Wildmeat, I wrote to Harper and my MP expressing my concerns. Thats why I'm urging everyone else who disagrees to do the same thing.

[wildmeat]

yeah i guess you guys are right.... you do feel pretty helpless...  its a losing battle .... i worded that last paragraph wrong ... i didnt mean to come off sounding like an ass... now that i reread it it looks like that... sorry boys

[walleyes]

Yup its got to be hard for people that need the money to survive and or were planning on using their Government pensions to live on,, feel bad for them. Personally I don't even bring in or think about Government pension for our future. I am pretty confident it will be non existent when it comes to my turn around.

[AxeMan]

My MP Laurie Hawn called me at home tonite from Ottawa.  I had left a message at his constituency office regarding the MP pensions.  We had about a 20 minute chat.  We kept it all respectful but were definitely on opposing sides of the fence on the issue.  These guys really feel that are entitled to the big pensions.  Kind of like we are entitled to our entitlement kind of thing 

He defended their 10.4% per annum interest guarantee on their pension accounts paid by us the tax payer.  He claimed that the CTF is wrong on the contribution ratios though.  He said they contribute 7% of their salary and the tax payer throws in 13%.  Not the 21:1 ratio that the CTF is claiming.  He invited me to bring Scott Hennig (Alberta CTF leader) and myself to meet in his office and have a further chat.  I am sure Scott will accept....

See, we are doing something.

[nube]

Right on Axe.  If you need moral support let me know and if I can come I will.   

[Tuc]

Way to go Axe. Did the topic of OAS pensions at 67 come up?

[AxeMan]

Way to go Axe. Did the topic of OAS pensions at 67 come up?

Yup, we talked briefly about the proposed OAS changes.  Laurie Hawn said that OAS is not a pension as we the citizens do not contribute directly into it.  He said it was a perk that Canadian seniors get in addition to CPP but it needs reform or we will be in trouble like Greece or Italy in the future.  I asked him where the money comes from to fund the OAS payouts if we the taxpayer didn't contribute to it.  He danced around a bit and finally admitted that it came from general revenues that are primarily from taxation.  It looks like the game will be changing.  Too bad I am at the very end of the baby boom generation.  Might be a few crumbs left when I am a senior. 

We spoke at some length to the fact that all federal goverment pensions are funded at a gov vs employee rate of at least 2 or 3 to one.  Military, MP, and many federal public sector pensions do this.  My Alberta LAPP pension is at about a 1:1 rate.  Most private company pensions are the 1: 1 rate as well.  The taxpayer is paying a huge part of federal pension funds, there is no doubt on that.  It also seems that the taxpayer guarantees a growth interest rate of 10.4 percent while private and provincial gov sector funds are left to invest in the markets.  We all know what that has done lately.  It is odd though that the CPP is invested in the markets and doesn't get this special guarantee.......but oh ya....that is our money.

[Dewey]

I hit 65 at the end of last June and my measly OAS commenced in July, it is, with my miniscule CPP, clawed back in income taxes as my wife is still working as she is not yet 65. I am not surprised at "Harpoon" as I expect this sort of chicanery from the C.R.A.P. and will not vote for him, again. I have voted PC, Reform and CPC since 1984, when the N.D.P. for whom I voted from 1968 to that point, had become just too full of weirdos, antis, foreigners like Svend and general misfits, I had always respected Tommy Douglas.

I realize that I am old, male, white and not only born in BC, but, from a pioneer family most of whom were WWI and WWII volunteer Canadian combat vets, so, I am not worthy of the same level of governmental concern that Harper shows to illegal aliens who come here in leaky boats or the appalling handouts to corporations. Nope, I am bad and should just die and let Harper keep the pensions I worked all of my life to pay for.....I hate Harper and all politicians, except Gary Breitkreuz and will not lie down quietly and accept this morally corrupt attack on Canadian seniors.

I also have noticed the whole LGR situation and I do not believe anything that "Harpoon" says, I consider him a vassal of the USA and Israel, the little @@$%$!%$%!

[Tuc]

Well said Dewey!

[walleyes]

Steven Harper is hands down the best PM this country has had since John Diefenbaker may be one of the best ever. A man of the utmost integrity. Its not always easy to make difficult decisions but they have to be made. We are in difficult times here and they call for difficult measures. If Steven Harper stays in power it would be the only reason to stay in the confederation otherwise forget it..

Believe me the patronising shown towards aliens has not come from Harper, they are policies put in place by our former commie governments..

As far as some people getting shafted on their pentions like I said it is bad but atleast you all have one. In the next 20 years when it is my turn there just won't be such a thing. You were all warned to prepare for the future,, what happened ??

[AxeMan]

Walleyes, I agree with some of what you are saying but I think our current Federal government is not as responsible and great as we would like to think.  Although they are better than the Libs or the Dippers there is much room for improvement.  My point here is that to take aim at OAS pensions is off target imho.  If we are to straighten out the financial spending in this country I could come up with about a million other areas to cut that the Feds spend our tax money on before targeting OAS.  OAS is a bit of a reward that allows people that have contributed to and helped build this country get some of their taxes back for their retirement. (If they live long enough)

Here are a few programs that I might consider before cutting back on OAS if I was Harper:

Platinum plated MP pensions and other over funded Federal pensions.
Longer CPP and OAS eligibility times for immigrants or a sliding scale.
CBC
Gun Registry (in progress hopefully)
Corporate welfare
Indian Affairs budget
Immigrant welfare and welcoming programs
Arts grants
Foreign aid to helpless shithole countries that fight over religion.  (Did I mention Afghanistan or Haiti).

[Tuc]

I could come up with about a million other areas to cut that the Feds spend our tax money on before targeting OAS.

Though I may not have mentioned it, that is my point. Yes, they need to cut budgets but not on the backs of our seniors.
It seems whenever cutbacks happen they take away from areas (and people) that rather need more funding then a cutback. Look at the shape of our health care and education system, a bad scene!
They never look at cutting back on their own spending or pensions, nor funding perks for their corporate buddies. Same ole, same ole, the rich get ricker and the poor get poorer.

Don't kid yourself, a politician isn't in there for the better of the people and his country, they are in there to feather their own pockets and take advantage of any government perks they can.
Did you ever see a politician retire poor? Did you ever see a average working Joe retire poor? Easy question, I'd say!

Harper has always had my support, if he touchs old age pensions, he will lose one man's vote. I'm sure if the Libs ever regain power, they are quite capable of ****ing things up as always. For the sake of Harper's political future and the people who trusted him and put him where he is.....leave OAS alone.

[rightwing]

I can't believe the sense of entitlement from the baby boomer generation. OAS or CPP was never meant to be your retirement income, it's a supplement to the money you were suppose to save over the last 45 years for your retirement. If you forgot to save and blew it, guess what you work a little longer.  These programs were originally designed when people died at 70, now that we die at 90 it's not substainable, should the govenment just create some more money out of thin air? Taxpayers pay for the first 22 years of our life, should they pay for the last 30 years of your life to? Thats 43 years of working to pay for 50 years of not working, it doesn't add up. Stop counting on the government "taxpayer" to fund your poor decisions.