"As to the 3 biggies you mention I am not really knowledgeable about those either"
Not a surprise judging from your suggested solutions. You seriously think that the old folks, all of whom vote & many of whom even on FR who scream bloody murder at just the idea of cuts "their" govt bennies, would allow that to go down? What that partisan hack Hewitt neglects to tell his audience is that painful choices are going to have to be made.
Clearly these changes will have to be made over time, but they will have to be made.
It is true that we have all been dragooned into the current Soc. Sec. system so you can’t in fairness just end it for the current recipients.
I don’t like hearing over and over you can’t cut the small stuff, it doesn’t matter and you can’t cut the big stuff it’s too important. This attitude reminds me of some family members of mine who, no matter how many suggestions are put to them find fault with them all and concluded there is no solution to whatever problem they are facing.
Because there is no easy and painless cure doesn’t mean there isn’t a cure.