What gets to me is being forced under penalty of law and imprisonment to pay a social security fee (tax) and have the liberals in congress steal the money and give it to people who form their constituency. When they run out of money they simply force the people to poney up more money. The members of contress are never, ever held to account. There is no one to address and say "You, Mr. Congressman, stole my money, just as surely as if you put a gun in my ribs and said, "This is a stick-up". They blame past congresses, and past presidents. Well are they, if everything stays the same, going to honor their part of the contract? The answer is a resounding "No". So now they want my children to pay for their mismanagement. And that pisses me off more than anything. Bush does not have a total plan, but the democrats bring nothing to the table. Let Rome burn and we will fiddle. In 10 years it will take 2 working people to fund 1 SS recipient. In another 10 years, it will be roughly 1 for 1. There will be blood in the streets before that happens. And this doesn't even include the major "cluster...." of Medicare which is an even bigger monster. I would forgo my SS if I could be assured the Feds would yield a "say 25 year bond" and redeem it to my kids in 25 years. By that time I'll be dead and my kids will have to deal with a low-down, dirty dealing, irresponsible federal government who will simply, as Fed Chairman Greenspan said this week, "if you are going to change your (Congress) promises, it is better to do it sooner than later."
You can't trust the federal government to do the right thing. We have cultured an entitlement society and the beast will be fed. But like Churchill (not Ward)said, the government rides atop a tiger and wants to get off, but the tiger is hungry.
You covered the problems well, what's the solutions? I'm not making snide remarks here, I am serious. I am 75 years old and draw a SS check. My welfare check. How many checks did I draw before it became a welfare handout? Not that many I can assure you. I doubt the system can be saved and not sure it should be. If I had been given a choice to join the program or not,I would have not.