May 12, 2009

Astrue On "Reforming" Social Security

There is nothing new in what Commissioner Astrue is saying, but I will repeat it here for the sake of reporting it all. From Financial Planning:
Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue thinks the long-delayed discussion about reforming the government insurance program could be taken up as early as next year.

Astrue, who was in New York on Thursday to promote the $250 recovery payments that were sent out this week to people who receive Social Security and Supplemental Security Income, acknowledged that Social Security discussions could be delayed in favor of addressing healthcare reform, but doesn’t foresee the issue getting completely lost as it did during President Bush’s tenure. ...

“I think President Obama would like to have this conversation right now,” Astrue said in an interview. “But I think it will definitely happen during his first term.” ...

“We have a menu of hard choices and we have to suck it up and make those choices,” he says. ...

While there is little argument about the need to reform Social Security, Astrue also seeks to dispel the common notion that the program is in danger of going bankrupt.
By the way, I will dispute the author's smug assumption that almost everyone agrees that Social Security is in need of "reform." I think a lot of people dispute this. All Social Security needs is more revenue to replace the extra money being paid out since the Republican Contract with America ended Social Security's retirement earnings test.

2 comments:

coberly said...

you are correct.

astrue is wrong.

the choices are not hard.

social security can pay for itself forever with about a 35 cents per week raise in the tax in any year when the ten year projction shows "short term actuarial deficit."

it is the triumph of the Big Lie that this fact has not been explained to the people.

and you should first make sure you understand it, and then tell the people.

AngryBear.blogspot will help.

Nancy Ortiz said...

Sounds like coberly knows what he's talking about. Actually, I *know* he knows what he is talking about, having thought this myself. Now, all we have to do, Mr. Charles, is get other people to read AngryBear. Is it a plan? :)