I'm okay with that - NOTBy James Hamilton

The commentary in today's Salem (OR) Statesman-Journal is dead-on: you don't own your Social Security. This probably comes as no surprise to most Americans under 50.

So.. um.. what are you going to do about it?

Maybe it's okay with you that Uncle Sam takes one dollar of every eight out of your paycheck to support Social Security. Maybe you're fine with the fact that this will HAVE to go to one dollar of every five you earn - WITHIN THE WORKING LIFETIME OF TODAY'S COLLEGE STUDENTS - to provide the retirement benefits of baby boomers.

Maybe it's okay with you that the Supreme Court has ruled twice that workers DO NOT have a right to their Social Security retirement benefits - even though we pay into the system throughout our working lifetimes.

Um.. maybe it's okay with you. This intergenerational transfer of wealth. This scheme to keep the poor dependent on DC.

Had enough?

Congress goes back into session next week. Email or call your legislators in Washington and let them know you're not OK with business as usual.

Dems concerned about entitlement debtBy Heidi Neel

Rob at "Say Anything Blog" reports that "democrats are worried about debt from entitlements like Medicare and Social Security." Check it out. Rob comments on a New York Sun article that cites new CBO numbers indicating that the debt is shrinking. Democratic response?

Democrats responded to yesterday’s good news on the budget by predicting that the red ink would start flooding again in future years as the bills for entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security come due.

It's good news that Congress shows concern for its fiscal irresponsibility!

U.S. Comptroller General David M. Walker has said,

“We’re spending more money than we make…charging it to our nation’s credit card…and expecting our grandchildren to pay for it. And that’s immoral.”

Go to http://www.yourchildsdebt.org to see what else the Clinton-appointed Walker says that few politicians will.

Iowa Straw Poll - UpdateBy Lea Abdnor

We just returned from a very successful trip to Ames, Iowa for the Republican Straw Poll.   Over 25,000 bravedd the searing heat and rallied for their favorite candidate.  We talked with hundreds of people and with only one exception, they were all receptive to finding a bipartisan solution to fixing Social Security.  They knew there was a big problem ahead. (The exception was a woman who insisted that all we needed to do was eliminate the wage cap, “that will fix it all.”  I disagreed with her but she insisted she was right.  WHERE is this woman getting this false information???  I could answer that but I’ll leave it for another time.)   We strongly encouraged them to tell the candidates to start talking about entitlements.  I had a chance to talk personally with three of Mitt Romney’s five sons—Tagg, Josh and Craig.   Josh got the Walker DVD.  They said that their Dad was very concerned about Social Security and the entitlements—and I urged them to have him talk about it more.   I gave them the David Walker DVD and  Josh said they would give it to his Dad.   The other candidates got our materials, too, with the help of the enthusiastic Students for Saving Social Security. 

So, FOG has launched its project:  Your Child's Inheritance: Debt.  Watch for it on your local PBS station in the coming months!

The Prophet Samuelson?By James Hamilton

Earlier this month, Washington Post columnist Robert K. Samuelson set off a small firestorm among the public policy community. Accusing Washington-based think tanks of tip-toeing around the fiscal problems facing Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. in his August 1st column, Samuelson says, "Ideally, think tanks expand the public conversation by saying things too controversial for politicians to say on their own. Here, they've abdicated that role."

Predictably, the outraged think tanks responded. Left, right, center... it didn't matter. The groups are shocked (SHOCKED!) that Samuelson would take them to task. Get over yourselves, folks.

Take a quick look at your websites - an organization's true public face these days. If you're really concerned, wouldn't this be evidenced by featuring the issue prominently on your home page? Spend a few minutes trying to find talk about the coming fiscal crisis (aka, David Walker's "tsunami") and you may be disappointed. If you're really trying to educate the politicians and the masses, it really needs to show on your websites.

Of course, many of the best known organizations have banded together with the General Accountability Office and the Concord Coalition to educate Americans through the "Fiscal Wake-Up Tour" I applaud this and encourage other groups to do the same.

In fairness, I worked in Washington, DC long enough to know that the think tanks can set themselves on fire and Members of Congress and their staffers won't pay attention unless it's in their best interest to do so. (Full disclosure: I worked at the Heritage Foundation for just over three years.) Legislative agendas are set by party leaders, not the dons of DC's think tanks. And no amount of writing or research alone will convince members of Congress to tackle an issue. The only real motivator for Congress is the fear of losing power. Appeal to voters directly and maybe - just maybe - their elected officials will listen.

That's why I wish the Fiscal Wake-Up Tour every success. By taking the message to editorial boards and the American people, tour organizers hope the People will tell Congress to act now.

It's an ambitious plan. Given current levels of cynicism and displeasure with government - at all levels - it may be too much to hope that Americans, even when armed with the facts, will respond.

So kudos to Samuelson for stirring the pot a bit. I hope voters (and the legislators that represent them) will get the message.

It Doesn't Just Go AwayBy James Hamilton

I maintain the "In the News" section of this website. Sometimes I can go for days on end without finding a single online article related to the fiscal crisis facing Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Usually, this dearth of information has an inverse correlation to activities in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. Those stories often crowd other important news off the front pages or, in some cases, out of the news cycle entirely.

This morning, I found some good pieces that are worth reading. Newsweek columnist, Robert Samuelson, draws attention to the absence of the issue in the presidential debates. In "Baby boomers: No rest for the weary?", reporter Robert Cook looks at real people that will have to work past retirement age because they didn't save enough during their working years. In a blog from LinkIn, someone asks, "How do we make sure our children will have Social Security and functional infrastructure for to support commerce, lifestyle?" It's a good question. See what people are saying and add your own thoughts.

Good articles. Check them out.

For the last two years GAO Chief, David Walker, has been traveling the country sounding the alarm: This problem gets worse every second of every minute of every hour of every day. Whether it's in the news or not, the problem doesn't go away.

Congress should tackle the issue now.