Tired of the Tax Ripoff

     Because she is receiving a retirement income from the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS), my wife cannot receive the full amount of her share of Social Security benefits.  Why?  It seems that Social Security pensions are intended to take from the wealthier and give to the less wealthy.  It's called the Windfall Elimination Provision,  "The way Social Security benefit amounts are figured, lower-paid workers get a higher return than highly paid workers. For example, lower-paid workers could get a Social Security benefit that equals about 55 percent of their pre-retirement earnings. The average replacement rate for highly paid workers is about 25 percent" (http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10045.html).  Somebody's definition of "windfall" is not the same as mine.  I thought a "windfall" was a bonus, a handout or an unexpected sum of money." 
     Here's my problem with this provision, H.R. 2145 (2009).  A person works for a minimum of ten years at a job that requires payment into the SSI system.  Then this person changes careers and works in a profession that requires payment into a state government pension plan.  When this person retires and applies for the state pension, the full amount is paid out according to a predetermined distribution plan.  But when this person applies for the funds paid into the SSI system, the amount is greatly reduced, not because the amount contributed has somehow changed, but because now there is a "windfall." 
     So now I'm beginning to wonder why there was such an outcry when President G. W. Bush suggested that people have the option of placing those SSI contributions into some kind of private retirement plan?  "Oh, that could ruin the county because the economy could suffer a recession or depression, then the government would have to bail out all of those people who lost their pensions!"  Really?  The government couldn't put restrictions on how aggressive those funds could be?  And since when is our government shy about bailing out anyone?!  If that $700 billion of bailout funds President Obama proposed had been distributed to every man, woman and child (citizens only) in the U.S., we each would have received about $2.5 billion.  Did I say, "Receive?"  What I meant was "Given back." 
     So, the lessons to be learned here are: If you work hard and improve your economic standing in life you will be required to pay the SSI benefits for those who did not work hard and improve their lots in life.  If you give up a more lucrative career in private practice in order to serve the public good by teaching, you will be punished for having contributed to a real pension fund.