Q&A Friday #13: Democrats & Social Security

25 Mar, 2005 by John Hawkins

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Question: “Why do the democrats keep looking at Social Security as if it exists in a vacuum? They claim it will remain solvent until 20XX and are totally ignoring other factors, such as ERISA, the shrinking pool of SS contributors vs. drawers, and the fact that the US economy may devalue as other world economies rise.” — alemus

Answer: They know what the score is; they’re just playing dumb. Heck, Bill Clinton was talking about the Social Security Crisis all through 1998 when he said things like this:

“[I]f you don’t do anything, one of two things will happen. Either (Social Security) will go broke and you won’t ever get it, or if we wait too long to fix it, the burden on society … of taking care of our generation’s Social Security obligations will lower your income and lower your ability to take care of your children to a degree that most of us who are your parents think would be horribly wrong and unfair to you and unfair to the future prospects of the United States.”

So why don’t the Dems up on the Hill want to acknowledge there is a problem? It’s politics pure and simple.

#1) They don’t want Bush to get credit for “fixing” Social Security.

#2) They’re particularly frightened of private accounts, because “in 2004, people who reported being a member of the ‘investor class,’ regardless of the size of their portfolio, voted for Mr. Bush by a 61-39 percent margin.” People who invest money, even if it’s a small amount, tend to vote Republican.

#3) The Dems are hoping to use the Social Security as a bludgeon to beat the GOP with in 2006. You know: “The Republicans wanted to take away your Social Security and make you eat dogfood, but we stopped them! Vote for us!” Same propaganda, different day.