Tax cheat1 New York Democrat Charles Rangel claimed that no Republican voted for Social Security legislation when it came up for a vote in 1935:

“It should give you some small comfort to know that, historically, the Republican Party always fought vigorously against these types of programs,” Rangel said. “I don’t think that one Republican voted for the Social Security Act.”

Rangel was trying to make the case that Republican opposition to ObamaCare is similar to opposition to Social Security when it was proposed.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) corrected the aging congressman. “In fact, the 1935 law establishing Social Security passed out of the House with the support of 81 Republicans. Just 15 opposed it. On the Senate side, 16 Republicans voted for it, and five voted against.”

When Social Security was first implemented, more than 30 people paid into the system for every person receiving a benefit. The ratio is now around 3 to 1. These types of wealth transfer programs cannot be sustained. Socialism works until you run out of other people’s money.

There were good reasons to oppose Social Security. If the law had mandated that people should be forced to save a certain amount of their income for retirement, that would have been one thing. It would have been wrong, but it would be much different from the system we have today. Social Security was more than just a forced savings plan.

Not only was a certain percentage of money taken for Social Security payouts, but employers were forced to pay an equal amount. For example, if you make $50,000 a year, you are paying more than $3500 in Social Security payments each year. Your employer is also paying the same amount in your name. He has to do this for all his employees. He’s forced to do it.

This means that the Social Security system is built on forced compliance and stolen money. Someone who’s self-employed (as I am) pays the full amount (more than 12%).

ObamaCare is being built the same way. Large groups of people are getting inexpensive insurance because of subsidies. USA Today reports that “[a]lmost half of young, single, uninsured adults in 34 states could pay $50 or less a month for insurance through the online exchanges after receiving subsidies, according to a study released by the Department of Health and Human Services on Monday.”

Congress also created a subsidy sweetheart deal for itself. Fortunately, the subsidy provision is being contested since it was never part of the original law.

Where is the subsidy money coming from? Other people! The money is being taken from some people and given to other people. In another world, such an action would be considered stealing. But when government goes it, it’s called economic fairness.

In fact, it’s a giant vote-buying scheme. This is why Republicans can’t compete with Democrats. There are too many people who benefit from getting other people’s money.

1. Judicial Watch reports: “Charles B. Rangel, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the committee in charge of writing tax policy for the entire nation, ‘forgot’ to pay taxes on $75,000 income he received from his rental property in the Dominican Republic.” [↩]