Social Security Reform Essay Contest for Young Americans

Americans for Prosperity ^ | 5/13/2005 | Americans for Prosperity

[GOPMark]

Check out this form to enter or get more information.

So far, the national conversation on the future of Social Security has focused on what various reform options mean for the current retired community, the soon-to-retire baby-boomer generation, and today’s younger workers.

But what about the workers of tomorrow, the generation of Americans currently enrolled in America’s elementary, middle, and high schools? Without the power to vote, younger Americans have had little opportunity to make their voices heard in the debate about Social Security’s future.

Your chance has arrived!

Americans for Prosperity is sponsoring an essay contest for students currently in Grades 4 through 12 to make their voice heard in the Social Security debate. There will be two divisions: the Junior Division for Grades 4 through 8 and the Senior Division for Grades 8 through 12.

The first place prize in each division is $250. In their 250 to 750 word essays, students are asked to address some of the following questions:

· Why does Social Security matter to you and your family?

· What will happen if nothing is done to fix Social Security’s financial problems?

· What kind of Social Security system would you hope for in the future?

· What would you change about the current Social Security system?

· What is your view of the proper relationship between a citizen and the government? How does Social Security affect this?

The Deadline for Entry is June 30, 2005. Winners will be announced July 31, 2005.

Check out this form to enter or get more information.

[Bluegrass Conservative]

Can I apply with my two word essay? "Scrap it!"

[seastay]

what about entries from a middle aged persons, we are paying the most into the plan and we have the most to loose as the plan is altered? But everyone is concerned with the new workers future and retiree benefits,, well here is my entry;


Social security is a Ponzi scheme, no doubt and it seems those who are going to retire soon are dammed if they keep the social security scheme and dammed of they don't;

The very nature of a Ponzi scheme means it cannot sustain itself over the long run unless one has an infinite supply of laborers to keep joining the bottom of the pyramid. Therefore to continue social security, new workers need to be added exponentially as time progresses, but in actual terms the supplies of workers needed to support social security has exceed the US population which leads to a reason politicians want to open the borders and allow more flow of workers to come in. Therefore unlimited immigration as a means to support social security is one nasty aspect of the present system social security.

As with any pyramid scheme, if it suddenly terminates, those in the middle working their way to the top have the most to loose. Those at top have already cashed out, while those entering at the bottom have no investments to loose.

The only reason people get money in pyramid scheme is because there are the younger members paying in. But if the younger are allowed to opt out, as to obtain their best form of investment plan for them, this would leave those who are about to retire without any support. So, those who are ready to retire in a few years would never gain much return from a few short years of private investment of their money, new workers who have 40 years to go OK but these private reforms will come as a price to middle aged workers who will have few years left to invest.

The whole thing is crazy for middle aged folks , we are doomed if we keep social security and sustain it by unlimited immigration which will erode our way of life or we are doomed if the plan is switched to private since the bottom of the pyramid will drop out when no more payments are being made into social security when we retire in a just few short years.