Louisiana's U.S. Senate Candidates Avoid Questions about Third Rail Issues

Avoiding The Third Rail ^

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The bankruptcy of Medicare and Social Security jeopardizes America's economy, health care quality and retirement security. Yet, Louisiana's next U.S. Senator will probably take office without revealing any plans to confront this problem.

According to the 2004 Social Security Trustees' report, the unfunded long-term obligations of Social Security and Medicare amount to $72 trillion: $21.8 trillionfrom Medicare Part A; 23.2 trillion from Medicare PartB; $16.6 trillion from the new Medicare prescription drug benefit; and $10.4 trillion from Social Security.The issue position pages of the three leading candidates' websites reveal no plans to save the two programs, and some campaigns even fail to acknowledge specific questions about these issues. (For details go to http://www.geocities.com/mft1234)

Rather than discussing how these third-rail issues will affect the lives of patients, retirees, and taxpayers, the future winner of this race is devoting resourcesto voter turnout among his base, and tailoring speeches to the top concerns of voters. Most voters list terrorism and the current state of the economy as their top concerns. Few, if any, name the insolvency of Medicare and Social Security as their most pressing daily concern.

Beyond that, each candidate knows that any solution he proposes can be distorted and turned against him. So, it's impractical for John, Kennedy and Vitter to enter a serious discussion of the hard choices the future Senator will make about the future of these programs.

As George Will said, "entitlement reform remains oneof those contentious issues that cannot be debated inan election year or the year before one. Meaning: ever." If the candidates continue to ignore tough questions before election day, Louisiana voters may only assume that the winner will back a solution that is fair to patients, retirees, and taxpayers. Under this likely scenerio, we all lose.