FREE NEWSLETTER
Go to main Forum page »
We seniors do not DESERVE anything from society or government. This is especially true when giving extra benefits to seniors takes away from younger generations or shifts more tax burden to them.
We do deserve to receive what we contributed toward and were promised by law – Social Security, Medicare, but that also applies to every American.
The vocal movement on social media to eliminate property taxes for citizens age 65 + is especially disturbing to me – along with tax-free Social Security. The vast majority of comments support the idea.
Without eliminating vital local services along with taxes, how do these greedy oldies propose paying for schools and more?
We had a lifetime to prepare for our non-working years. Our relative financial position over age 65 reflects our economic status during our working years regardless of where that falls.
IMO it’s just not fair to take more from the following generation.
I think the only thing we deserve is some respect and the fact that most of the time we know what we are talking about and should not be dismissed.
And that should also apply to our duly elected leaders. At least a measure of Respect and civility for all.
Generally, Elderly individuals tend to have less disposable income than younger adults. While they may have higher incomes from retirement and pensions their overall expenses are also often higher, especially for medical care . I can attest to that.
.In the US 70% of disposable income is held by people 60 and over and it’s much the same in China, Japan, and Europe. in 2022. All older households received less than $50,290 in yearly income from all sources. .These statistics are median income figures— median is a halfway point where half of a group has more income and half has lessincome-of-todays-older-adults
The federal poverty guidelines are used to determine eligibility for various. Government assistance programs. For a family of four, the. Poverty threshold is higher at 32,150 in 2025.A person or couple 65 or older, the poverty threshold for a family of four is $29,960. For an individual, the poverty threshold is 15,650.
We should spend more money on the next generation and less money on the last one. But beating. Up on the elderly is an unjustifiable and fruitless diversion. We should enlarge our human investments. In food, housing, education and health care for the young. We need not beggar the elderly. To do so. .
Enlarging human investments means paying for them.
But any form of assistance such as with property taxes should be needs based not under the general assumptions about people over 65. IMO
PS It’s the elderly making these demands frequently using “deserve and entitled and I paid my share” not true, the share never ends,
Don’t understand the pushback. Agree with the premise of your rant but not with the degree of avarice you ascribe to seniors. And not sure where you hear all these demands from the “gimme more” chorus. Unfair to throw all seniors “under the bus”for the malcontents.
if you read my comments carefully you will note that when I “enlarging our investments “ It was clearly in favor of benefitting the young. The youth of our country are our hope for the future. Would you have us believe they were raised by greedy, entitled seniors?
Easy as it goes, Dick.
Noteable: From all accounts I read, Social Security benefits may not be tax free. There are technical rules involved with budget reconciliation, and the GOP may be looking instead at other means of tax relief for seniors.
probably right, but I there is no reason for special tax relief of any kind.
In NJ a senior can apply to have their property tax increases frozen if the income is up to $168,000 a year. This year a person 65 + will get a 50% reduction in property taxes up to $6,500 without regard to income.
That to me is ridiculous and a reflection of the erroneous general assumptions about seniors
Correction, Dick,You refer to Stay NJ program with regard to the 50% reduction in property taxes capped at $6,500. This only applies to those making less than $500,000. and is not written in stone. NJ website clearly states “subject to state budget approval..”
In addition,As it currently stands,the $6,500. Will also be reduced by amounts seniors receive from Property Tax Reimbursement programs, in its current form.
For myself, I totally agree— and I’d go further and accept no future COLAs on SS. But, as I’ve written elsewhere, I do think that many low income seniors are living in very difficult financial circumstances through no fault of their own. I live in a city with extraordinarily high property taxes — and those taxes are likely to continue to increase at a fast pace. Those taxes are pushing very elderly people out of very modest homes. I don’t think that’s reasonable.
Needs based relief when justified.
Madison Wi has property tax that’s as pricey as N’ern NJ , but nothing like the relief you mention. When I was doing taxes, I saw elderly with incomes under $30,000 paying $5-6000 in property taxes. Moving to an apt isn’t possible—they’re actually more expensive. I imagine this situation is occurring elsewhere and I don’t expect tax relief to keep up with the rapidly escalating taxes!