Touching the 3rd Rail

[Duffer]

http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/28/pf/t...sals/index.htm

Here is a brief policy position of each candidate on Social Security.
Anyone surprised?

[krank]

Originally Posted by Duffer

http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/28/pf/t...sals/index.htm

Here is a brief policy position of each candidate on Social Security.
Anyone surprised?

nope nobody has a solution. The most honest answer is actually Clinton's as you will need buyin from both sidess to do anything. The rest is just empty rethoric.

[Big Jim Slade]

How about letting the pay-out be = to take-in.

75% ? What's the big deal?

If everyone knows it's coming, plan for it.

[cubedbee]

When and why did SS start being referred to as the third rail?

[Loner]

Originally Posted by cubedbee

When and why did SS start being referred to as the third rail?

Decades ago - any time there were proposals to cut/slow the growth of SS there was an uprising of AARP members calling their congressman. Hence it was regarded as political suicide to try to do anything that reduced/slowed the growth of benefits.

[Loner]

Note for the non-citified: The third rail is what carries the electric current on subway lines. If you touch it while grounded, you will cook.

[Standtall]

Originally Posted by krank

nope nobody has a solution. The most honest answer is actually Clinton's as you will need buyin from both sidess to do anything. The rest is just empty rethoric.

Romney's method will help. Not solve, but at least move in the right direction, correct?

[tenthring]

I honestly think even FDR would despise the ticking time bomb we've created. When SS first came into existance only like 1% of the population lived long enough to get it and the tax was like 1% of income (a little exageration, but about true).

[krank]

Originally Posted by Standtall

Romney's method will help. Not solve, but at least move in the right direction, correct?

yes but as you point out it's not a solution. I'd prefer for a more comprehensive solution than a bunch of patchwork. The solution IMO should include some combination of:

1) Reindexing
2) Incerase in retirement age
3) means testing
4) tax increase
5) alternative investments
6) combination of accounting with general budget

[anon3]

I prefer a solution of "leave me out of it completely!!!!"

It's not an intergenerational promise. I never made this promise to pay for someone else retirement, they made the promise to tax me. That's not a promise, that's theft! It's intergenerational theft!

Stop the whole program. If they need some money in order to pay to the current crop of "gim-me geezers", they can have the 6.2% that my employer pays for me. Let me keep my other part and they'll never hear from me again. I'll opt out of the program.