Social Security's poor deal

Washington Times ^ | Thursday, November 29, 2001 | Peter Ferrara

[JohnHuang2]

You may have missed it in the holiday rush. But the Social Security reformers won another big victory in the special congressional election in Arkansas last Tuesday.

The Republican candidate, John Boozman, supported President Bush's proposal to allow workers the freedom to choose to save and invest some of the money they now pay in Social Security taxes in their own personal retirement accounts.

[JohnHuang2]

Quote of the Day by July 4th

[tdadams]

"Moreover, pro-reform candidates should specify key features of the reform proposal to short-circuit criticism. For example, the many countries that have successfully adopted personal accounts have all included guaranteed minimum benefits for workers with the account. Reformers here should emphasize this as well, supporting a guarantee that workers with personal accounts could not receive less than they were promised by Social Security. That would cut short hysterical attacks that workers with personal accounts "could lose everything."

Social Security was the biggest bait and switch ever pulled in this country. Democrats quickly figured out they could use it as a battering ram to win elections and it's been abused ever since.

Conservatives and pro-liberty politicians everywhere need to read this, especially the passage highlighted above. That is key... assuring those so accustomed (brainwashed, perhaps) to looking to the government for security that they're not going to lose their shirt.

Conservatives need to get smart. Democrats are winning on too many issues while too many of us have our head in the sand and keep playing by the same outmoded playbook.