Bush rally cry: Privatize Social Security

Lexington Herald-Leader ^ | 9/18/04 | Robin Toner And David Rosenbaum

[xrp]

Heads up! X'er ping!

[qam1]

Xer Ping

Ping list for the discussion of the politics and social aspects that directly effects Generation Reagan / Generation-X (Those born from 1965-1981) including all the spending previous generations (i.e. The Baby Boomers) are doing that Gen-X and Y will end up paying for.

Freep mail me to be added or dropped. See my home page for details and previous articles.

[slowhandluke]

If we baby boomers want to have a 'greatest-generation' moment, I think our last chance is in ending the social security Ponzi scam.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Privatizing Social security does not mean investing primarily in the stock market.

T-bills, mortgage securities, government bonds, long-term CDs all deliver a much greater return than the stale Social Security System.

We must wean the people away from SS starting with means testing and raising the retirement age from 65 to 72.

When SS was set up the life expectancy was barely 60.

Now it's well into the 70s.

[FITZ]

philosophy of an "ownership society," the idea that Americans should be given more control over

It all sounds great --- until his next campaign stop is to a large immigrant group and he promises to give full Social Security checks to anyone from Mexico who would claim to have worked here 18 months -- legally or illegally.

[keysguy]

Did I read that correctly NYT new service--enough said.

[qam1]

Considering Bush's biggest support is coming from the younger Generations he should be pushing this big time. This and tort reform should be his highest domestic priorities and he should be putting out commericals solely on these subjects.

[sargon]

BUT IN POLITICAL MINEFIELD, REAL PLAN ISN'T FEASIBLE, ANALYSTS SAY

Socialist analysts, that is...

[etradervic]

Progress and reform have become the distinguishing features of the Republican Party. It is the Democrats that cling to the status quo and an ever burgeoning bureaucracy.

[gnarledmaw]

add please

[dufekin]

But did Bush conceive this idea in Vietnam? Or while fighting for the Democratic (north) Vietnamese? No, he is a deserter who never went to Vietnam. (He deserted by taking a job in Alabama after heroic Kerry lost the war for pro-American Bush and accepting a no-pay position in the Guard while there.)

Considering that Bush cannot tie his position to Vietnam, the seminal issue in this campaign, and that he served dishonorably by not defecting or betraying his country during that military conflict, BUSH SHOULD SHUT HIS MOUTH AND PRAISE KERRY.

Bush desperately needs to answer legitimate questions about the wretched nature of his desertion. Even when he bothered to show his face in the Texas Guard, he performed miserably. He should quit using diversionary tactics and start talking about the real issue, Vietnam.

Am I good enough to write a DNC/NYT/CBS news item yet?

[keysguy]

Scandalous is hardly the word if you are an employer like I am it's almost usurious. We have to match everything we take out and some months it's hard to come up with the dough.

[Alberta's Child]

Maybe you should just fire all your employees and re-hire them as independent contractors. That way you don't have them on your payroll anymore -- and your costs are magically transformed from "payroll" to "direct expenses."

Anyone who fails to recognize the issue of payroll taxes as one of the leading factors in "outsourcing" is oblivious to the realities of running a business these days.

[JustAnotherSavage]

"It all sounds great --- until his next campaign stop is to a large immigrant group and he promises to give full Social Security checks to anyone from Mexico who would claim to have worked here 18 months -- legally or illegally."


FITZ, I think illegals getting SS is a done deal. It is being implemented through the State Dept. and SS Administration. We couldn't expect illegals to qualify with the same amount of quarters worked as we do, could we?? Just wouldn't be PC!

[Roland]

recent estimates of typical plans for private accounts show they would cost as much as $2 trillion over the first 10 years.

I despise these type of comments that suggest that the the government(ss) is providing me something at a cost to them. Contrary to what some socialists would like to have, ss was designed as a means based program. This is partly to blame for why it is becoming insolvent, and why it must be privatized to protect from the vultures. I believe that the only acceptable Dimo reform plan would be to correct this capitalist mistake at a greater "COST" and loss in future benefits to those who currently contribute to ss.

[FITZ]

That's why I wonder who Bush is trying to kid by talking about privatization again -- he pulled that one during the first campaign and it never happened. Then Vicente Fox comes along and demands the whole enchilada which includes social security checks for any one who gets over here and works a short while here --- and it's given.