SSNs

Anonymous nobody at remailer.privacy.at
Mon Jun 11 21:31:00 PDT 2001


I wrote:

> I am an American citizen.
>
> In 30 years I have never given a valid social security number to
> anyone.
>
> I can't.
>
> I don't have one.
>
> I hold a regular high-paying job.  I get a paycheck.  My employer
> uses ADP.  I have a driver's license.  I have a bank account.
> I have good health insurance.  I pay my taxes.
>
> Not once have I had a real problem.  Any minor problems that have
> come up over the years, and there have been very few, always go away
> when ignored dilligently.
>
> Just give those facists a fake number.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Signed,
>
> 322-33-0007

>In response Harmon Seaver <hseaver at ameritech.net> said:

>So for 30 you've been paying in to SS, but you'll never collect, nor
>could you collect unemployment if laid off --- you like making large
>donations to the government?  I guess I have a hard time seeing what
>the point is. And yes, I understand all the arguments over the years
>about "national ID" and all that, and I can understand if someone
>works for himself and *doesn't" pay in to the SS system, but ....

I reply:

Unlike you, I am not under the delusion that I will ever see any of my 
SS contributions back.  I'm not interested in government unemployment 
benefits.  I was unemployed for a few months back when.  It never even 
occurred to me to seek unemployment benefits.  Even if it had I 
wouldn't have bothered.

"Large donations to the government."  I have a hard time understanding 
that.  Social Security is a TAX.  Period.  If you believe otherwise 
it's because some good salesmen (spin doctors) have told you so.  It's 
not voluntary- therefore not a "donation" and I'd barely make 2% on it 
if I bothered to make a claim in 20-40 years.  Who cares?  I prefer to 
file for 17 dependent exemptions, put the extra money from my biweekly 
paycheck in a fund and then pay the principal back in April and keep 
the interest for myself- that's a little naughtier though.  I get far 
more out of that then I ever will from Social Security.

It's a TAX.  Period.  I'm not looking to commit tax fraud.  I'll pay it 
like my other taxes.  Still, I'm not going to let someone destroy my 
privacy because I am under the delusion that I somehow will see my SS 
contributions some undefined day more than two or three decades hence.





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