You don't see the problem with funding things like social security or food stamps purely from the people relying most on those services?

But SS isn't a tax like the rest of our general taxes. I pay a specific SS tax on my payroll so that when I retire I'm entitled to a payout. If you take away the payout you need to take away the tax. Once you means test SS it becomes more like a welfare program for seniors and ought to be paid for out of the general tax pool like other welfare programs.

I'm not necessarily opposed to social security being switched to a more conventional tax (assuming that the new tax was at least equally progressive and raised at least as much revenue). However, I also don't see how that makes much of a difference. Social security is a welfare program, it always has been.

If SS tax was repealed, and income tax was adjusted to increase by exactly the same amount, would you be happy with it?

I'm happy to vote for rearranging the labels of what the things are called if that's what the sticking point is for you.