Rick Roberts claimed of immigrants: "[P]eople are collecting SSI checks that have never paid into it" -- but law bars undocumented immigrants from getting SSI
SUMMARY: Savage Nation guest host Rick Roberts claimed of immigrants: "[P]eople are collecting SSI [Supplemental Security Income] checks that have never paid into it." However, according to the Social Security Administration website, only people legally present in the United States can receive SSI, and most legal immigrants must earn $42,000 before becoming eligible.
During the September 22 broadcast of The Savage Nation, guest host Rick Roberts stated, "I'm sure people are collecting SSI [Supplemental Security Income] checks that have never paid into it. As a matter of fact, I know that, I've done an investigation on it -- people who aren't U.S. citizens." Roberts did not specify whether he was talking about legal or undocumented immigrants. In fact, according to the Social Security Administration website, only people legally present in the United States are allowed to receive SSI -- a federal program administered by the Social Security Administration to "pay monthly benefits to people with limited income and resources who are disabled, blind, or age 65 or older" -- and most legal immigrants must have earned $42,000 before becoming eligible for SSI.
Roberts also did not explain what he meant by "pa[ying] into it." SSI is funded through general U.S. Treasury funds, not Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) payroll taxes. According to the Social Security Administration website, all legal immigrants who came to the United States after August 22, 1996, must have earned "40 credits of work" and generally cannot receive SSI benefits for at least five years after immigrating. According to the SSA website, in 2008 a credit consists of $1,050 of earnings, and "[e]ach year the amount of earnings needed for credits goes up slightly as average earnings levels increase." This means that most legal immigrants who came to the United States after August 22, 1996, must earn $42,000 before becoming eligible for SSI.
Talk Radio Network, which syndicates Michael Savage's show, claims that the show is heard on more than 350 radio stations. The Savage Nation reaches at least 8.25 million listeners each week, according to Talkers Magazine, making it one of the most listened-to talk radio shows in the nation, behind only The Rush Limbaugh Show and The Sean Hannity Show.
From the September 22 broadcast of Talk Radio Network's The Savage Nation:
CALLER: How do you think a congressman or a senator is gonna go to the Congress or the Senate -- and he might be worth $200,000 when he gets there -- four, six years later, he's a multimillionaire?
ROBERTS: Well, you're right. You know, Michael has said it time and time and time again -- you know, everybody wants to stay away from illegal immigration -- the illegal immigration -- it's a presidential election cycle, no politician wants to touch that for fear of offending a potential voting bloc. The government has lost contact with reality. I'll say it again: The government has lost contact with reality. The government wants to serve the world on the backs of the American people. It's gotta stop. It's gotta stop. We have no business bailing anyone out -- sending money to other countries in the financial state this country is in is financial suicide. The American people can't keep paying for what the government wants.
You know, I've got two kids. My son may want a brand new $60,000 truck. Guess what? He's not getting it unless he can come up with the money on his own, and I'm pretty sure he can't. Some people can't afford to buy a house, very few of them in that case can even afford a place to rent. That doesn't leave much room for a life. The government stole from Social Security, so now it's almost bankrupt. I'm sure people are collecting SSI checks that have never paid into it. As a matter of fact, I know that, I've done an investigation on it -- people who aren't U.S. citizens.
Yes, and his name is Benito Roberts. He's the soft underbelly of the savage nation.
Well, he's got the lies down...
If he can master the hate speech, he may have a great future in corporate, right-wing talk radio.
When he says this country should stop sending money to other countries, I wonder if that includes Israel too?
Maybe Prick Roberts confused SS benefits with "privatization" accounts?
During the September 22 broadcast of The Savage Nation, guest host Rick Roberts stated, "I'm sure people are collecting SSI [Supplemental Security Income] checks that have never paid into it. As a matter of fact, I know that, I've done an investigation on it -- people who aren't U.S. citizens."
How did this clown conduct an investigation? Did he read a few articles on NewsMax and World Nut Daily?
NewsMax and World Nut Daily are probably his main sources, what a wacko. Amazes me that people listen to this garbage.
Roberts is a clueless idiot. I'll say it again: Roberts is a clueless idiot.
-- only people legally present in the United States are allowed to receive SSI --mmfa
I have no idea if Roberts assertion is correct. What I do know is the rebuttal by mmfa is falling down funny.
So, his story cannot possibly be true because it's against the law? LMAO.
Embezzlement...uh uh...we've got laws against it.
Speeding Tickets...no way...it's against the law.
Burglary...nope...those darn laws prevent it.
Roberts provided nothing but bluster to support his assertion...and mmfa provided zilch in their rebuttal.
Wesely wrote:
>>I have no idea if Roberts assertion is correct. What I do know is the rebuttal by mmfa is falling down funny.
Maybe you should just stop with the phrase "I have no idea." Because your criticism is plain stupid. How exactly do illegal imigrans collect SSI? Do you think illegal imigrans can simply walk into a grocery store and pick them up like a loaf of bread.
What illegal aliens? Using mmfa's illogical argument...there can't be any here. Why? Because it's against the law...still lmao.
Roberts brings nothing...mmfa follows with nothing...and then there's you, shopping for a loaf of bread...
You say you have no idea whether Roberts assertion is correct. But if you were to venture a guess, what would you think Wes?
Roberts gets most of the facts wrong, he claims he's made his own investigation, yet supplies no details.
I've been hearing this for years about illegals collecting, but if I were to guess, my guess would be that it's not a big problem. People like Roberts seem to imply that it's a systemic problem and it is not.
In fact, most illegals working with fake Social Security cards will not be able to collect Social Security Benefits. I'd guess that they pay many times more into the system than even these lunatic Savage subs imagine that the illegals are being paid from the system. There is evidence to support that theory.
It's estimated that almost 75 % of other than legal immigrants have paid billions of dollars into he fund each year since the immigration laws were changed in 1986.
It's estimated that in 2002 illegals paid $6.4 billion dollars in Social Security taxes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/05immigration.html
"Illegal immigrants are paying taxes to Uncle Sam, experts agree. Just how much they pay is hard to determine because the federal government doesn't fully tally it. But the latest figures available indicate it will amount to billions of dollars in federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes this year. One rough estimate puts the amount of Social Security taxes alone at around $9 billion per year."
http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2008-04-10-immigrantstaxes_N.htm
king,
My guess would be that some are collecting...however, I tend to agree with your assessment about the severity.
But the argument...neither supported by Roberts or rebutted by mmfa...is a moot question. The root cause is illegal immigration.
Regardless of which side you support...the real issue is billions of dollars of our economy is moving through, in, and out of our economic system because of an illegal activity...and that needs to stop.
I agree with you stopping the illegal activity, but disagree strongly with xenophobes like Savage, O'Reilly and Dobbs who operate on nothing but fear and hatred.
"The root cause is illegal immigration."
The root cause is illegal hiring.
SSI checks come from the government. Don't you think they would have records of who gets them and who should?
Just proves they'll let anybody host a right wing talk radio show nowadays. No skill, no talent, no preparation, no brains needed. Just give'em a freakin' microphone and let them do right wing free association. Might as well speak in tongues while they're at it...makes about as much sense as what these fools say.
One could say that becoming a Right wing ranting lunatic radio pie hole is as easy as sneaking into Arizona, except it's not. Not one of the radio yakkers would survive that trip through the Sonoran dessert. I am not thrilled with the downward pressure on wages caused by illegal workers, but to blame most of our problems on a few million hardworking, tenacious Mexicans is pure scapegoating.
I believe you just blew your own response. Documented immigrants aren't illegal, are they? By definition, documented immigrants have green cards. You are trying to muddy the waters by your statement "the sponsorship of her citizen/immigrant daughter", but what does that have to do with anything? I work with a guy who came here via evacuation from vietnam at the end of the war, he waited 15 years to get the rest of his family here and guess what? They get SS benefits too, now that they are all green carded.
You need a lot more than that argument to suggest there is something funny going on here...
no, snoopy - you just blew MMFA's article on this. Roberts, according to what MMFA has reported, said there are immigrants who collect SSI without ever having paid in - in that quote above, according to MMFA, he didn't say "illegal".
who's argument is blown? Not mine, certainly.