[mek1959]

Now you're talking. This is the real battle. Take away their (congress) money, and things will settle out. People have just lost touch with how much 3 TRILLION equals and how much power it gives them. They are an arrogant bunch up there and have no problem ramming there programs down our throats. Trust me, just look at the current chairmen - Dingle, Rangle, Minority Leader Reid, etc. Think they care about what you think? Remember Robert Maplethorpe and the NEA? How about the "Great War on Poverty" Or the "New Deal". None would have been possible if they didn't have the money. But we got rolled back in 1913 with this little gem: The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

[kabar]

SS alone represents an unfunded liability of $13 trillion. The status quo is not an option. Congress will have to do something to keep these programs alive. They can do it either by increasing taxes and decreasing benefits like they did in 1983 or they can implement real reform by restructuring these programs, e.g., personal accounts and privatizing most of SS.

In 1950, there were 16 workers paying Social Security taxes for every retired person receiving benefits. Today there are 3.3. By 2030, there will be only 2. 48 million Americans receive Social Security benefits, including 33 million retirees, 7 million survivors, and 8 million disabled workers. By 2030, there will be 70 million Americans of retirement age--twice as many as today.