Introduction from Carolyn Lukensmeyer

I have attended several sessions on retirement as well as social security which raised questions and issues but provided no forum for resolution so I welcome this forum.

One issue that has been persistent is that the current crisis in Social Security has its roots in the fact that money was borrowed in the form of thirty year bonds from the Fund to finance the Vietnam War and that the current crisis is the result of the fact that the bonds have not been repaid. The usual presentation contrasts the Social Security Fund borrowing with the Civil Service Retirement System borrowing which was in the form of one-year renewable bonds. Is there any truth to these allegations? If these allegations are true, then I feel that the nature of the debate would change.

One of the underlying values that this nation has expoused is that government should promote the general welfare...how that value is implemented is the basic debate.