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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
March 17, 2005
/ 6 Adar II, 5765
Designer Social Security lets people control their futures
By
Dick Morris
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
President Bush has to answer the question all of America is asking: How are we going to pay for his privatization proposal and for the current expected deficit in the Social Security system?
Until or unless he answers this key question, Democrats will be able to paint in their own scenarios, scaring America and terrifying the elderly. Only by filling in the dots can he stop the Democrats from selling the worst-case scenario to America.
The key to cutting this knot is to let Americans make their own individual choices. We are adults. We know the system is in trouble. We realize that Social Security is short of money and have all heard that the passing of the baby-boomer generation into retirement will impose financial stresses on the system.
So level with us. Tell us the truth, and let us decide what we want to do.
Americans each make financial decisions that affect their futures. We are accustomed to balancing the costs and benefits of various options in our lives. Let us do it now.
Social Security — and our retirement — is a very intimate and private question. We have very precise ideas of our needs and estimates of our earning capacities. Any legislated solution will leave most people unsatisfied and many scared to death. The key is to leave the decision making to us. Legislate choices.
We need people to understand that the current 12.4 percent rate of taxes on the current base of $90,000 of income will not permit future retirees to enjoy the benefit levels now mandated under current law. So let people design their own packages based on their own wants and needs.
Bush should propose a series of options to the American people: When do you want to retire? Sixty-two or later? What year? Pick a year. And how much do you want in benefits when you do retire? Two thousand dollars per month? One thousand five hundred? Two thousand five hundred? Adjusted for inflation of course. Pick it out. Do you want the private investment option? For how much of your tax payments (up to the 4 percent ceiling).
Then we'll figure out how much the program you designed will cost and what your taxes need to be. Too high? OK, choose a lower cost option. It's up to you.
The principle of involuntary coverage by Social Security is necessary to spread the risk of social insurance among the entire population, to have a wide tax base and to assure that we will not have a lot of destitute elderly people on our hands in the future. But even within the confines of a mandatory system, there can be choices and options.
By giving us the power to make decisions about our Social Security benefit levels, tax payments and retirement ages, Bush does not incur the political wrath he would get if he tried to make those decisions for us. He will be treating us like adults who can make judgments rather than children who have to have the decisions made for them.
Bush has already recognized the need for choice by proposing to make private investment optional and to leave up to us how we want to invest the funds. Embedded in this principle is the key to surviving this debate and emerging with a good Social Security package.
A choice-laden option leaves the Democrats saying that we are not qualified to make our own decisions. It puts them in a politically impossible situation. Jamming a solution down our throats — or avoiding the hard decisions by talking only about privatization — gives the president's opponents too many ways to attack his proposals and kill them.
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JWR contributor Dick Morris is author, most recently, of "Because He Could". (ClickHERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR.) Comment by clicking here.
Dick Morris Archives
© 2005, Dick Morris
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