Candidates Trade Social Security Policy Accusation {Louisiana Senate Debate}

Baton Rouge, LA, Morning Advocate ^ | 10-12-04 | Shuler, Marsha

[Theodore R.]

Candidates trade Social Security policy accusations

By MARSHA SHULER mshuler@theadvocate.com Capitol news bureau

State Treasurer John Kennedy accused two of his U.S. Senate opponents on Monday of robbing the Social Security trust fund to pay for tax cuts for the rich. That and other accusations came flying as the four major candidates in the Nov. 2 Senate election squared off during the first of three statewide televised debates this month.

U.S. Reps. David Vitter and Chris John voted for $1.3 trillion in tax cuts pushed by President Bush, Kennedy said.

"Do you know where they got the money to fund these tax cuts? They took it out of the Social Security trust fund -- $550 billion out of it," said Kennedy, a Democrat.

"They cut a hole in the most-important safety net," he said.

"I voted for tax relief," Vitter responded. "That money didn't come directly out of the Social Security trust fund."

Vitter said he actively worked to gain House passage of legislation that would keep Social Security funds from being used to finance the budget. But the Senate killed the measure, said Vitter, the lone Republican in the Senate race.

The candidates, seeking to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Sen. John Breaux, responded to questions about Iraq, civil rights, abortion, veterans' benefits, tax cuts, the draft and congressional pay raises.

But the most-heated exchanges came over Social Security, which Vitter has made an issue in his latest campaign ad.

The Social Security fund has a surplus now but lacks enough money to pay for all the baby boomers who will begin retiring by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, Congress continues to raid the fund to pay for ordinary government operations.

John, Kennedy, Vitter and state Rep. Arthur Morrell were asked how they would protect the Social Security trust fund.

"With the money we are spending in Iraq, we can shore up what we have taken out of it," said Morrell, a Democrat from New Orleans who opposes the war.

"Social Security is there in case you need it. Leave it alone," Morrell said.

"The first thing we need to do is stop borrowing from the Social Security trust fund," said John, a Crowley Democrat. He said the nation needs to get back to a balanced budget. He said Congress doesn't care whether the budget is balanced, "but it matters to me."

John also said no part of Social Security should be privatized because that would put payments at risk. "That bites at the integrity of a guaranteed program," he said.

Vitter said Social Security should be in "a lock box. We need to create a wall so it won't ever be raided again by Washington politicians."

He agreed with John that Congress needs to get back to "budget and spending discipline." To encourage that, he said, he has promoted legislation to cut congressmen's pay every year that there's no balanced budget.

Vitter also slapped John for insinuating that Social Security would be privatized under a Republican plan. Vitter said he favors a purely voluntary program where individuals could opt to invest some of the money that would otherwise go into the trust fund.

Each candidate said he does not support a military draft to force young men and women into the armed services.

However, Morrell warned "the only one way to keep wars going on around this world is through a draft. He (President Bush) is not saying it, but beware."

On congressional pay raises, John said he has voted for some and voted against others in times of deficits. Morrell said he would take it on a case-by-case basis. Kennedy and Vitter said they have routinely refused pay raises, and Vitter said he also declined to join the legislative and congressional retirement systems.

Monday night's forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Louisiana., marked the first time all four major candidates have been together for such an event since a Sept. 19 forum in New Orleans.

One televised forum was canceled as John and Vitter decided to stay in Washington to cast "yes" votes on a failed constitutional ban on same-sex marriages.

The next Senate debate is Oct. 21.

Three other U.S. Senate candidates did not meet the criteria set for forum participation. The other candidates are computer programmer Richard Fontanesi of Baton Rouge, businessman R.A. "Skip" Galan of Kenner and retiree Sam Houston Melton Jr. of Winnfield.

Melton is a Democrat. Fontanesi is a Libertarian but he and Galan have no party designation on the election ballot.

[trutexan]

Someone needs to tell him them truth. The trust fund is a ponzi scheme. There is no money left.