Social Security Redux

The Bush administration has openly signaled that it intends to revisit Social Security when the new Congress convenes in January 2007; this is both welcome and frightening.

Given demographic trends, there can be no doubt that Social Security and Medicare are not completely sound for the long term. That the president is willing to tackle this thorny process again says something positive about his resiliency, if not his judgment.

Since the point at which benefits as defined in the Social Security program will be unable to be paid in full is a generation in the future, this is a difficult problem for sitting legislators to face. Sadly, the president’s rigidity in his unwillingness to consider options that much of the population favors makes negotiations between the parties extraordinarily difficult. For example, you may recall that during the last debate on the subject, Mr. Bush would not entertain any option involving greater contributions by the most affluent in the workforce.

Social Security shortfalls should be addressed as soon as possible since the costs of making the trust fund sound for still another generation only grow with each day the problem is put off. But it is clear that if there is going to be a reform package passed in the next two years, all options must be on the table and that both parties are going to have to put themselves on the line.

If the president is serious about this debate, he must have a Congress that represents a broader spectrum of the population. Entitlement reforms undertaken by the Republicans, the party that has wielded most power since the nineteen-seventies, have generally favored the affluent at the expense of the middle and lower economic classes. Mr. Bush’s proposals to reform Social Security last time around also favored higher income workers capable of making greater contributions to their individual SS accounts, this is another good reason to turn out the vote among lower and middle income segments of society and for electing Democrats.

There should be no doubt that the Republicans have a great capacity for turning out their base supporters. Sadly, many among that base will be voting against their own interests when they vote for the Social Security reform favored by the GOP.

It is absolutely essential that those with positive ideas on how Social Security should be reformed which are different from those of George W. Bush and his Wall Street cronies work hard to get out their voting block too. It is also essential to attempt to engage anyone in the Republican base damaged by the administration’s program for SS reform and to make an effort must to debate them on the points of their personal interests.

Had enough? Vote Democrat! Only two weeks to go: VOTE!

It’s definitely time for change!

Blog on!

Wild Bill