DAILY SUMMARY April 26-28

[National Dialogue Moderator <moderator>]

		DAILY SUMMARIES FOR APRIL 26-28, 1999
			DISCUSSION ON VALUES

Many participants responded to the moderator's Tuesday posting by
discussing their reactions to the nine principles underlying the
existing Social Security system. I will post a summary of those
responses tomorrow. Today's summary will focus on some of the
other issues that have been discussed since Sunday.

THE ANTI-FAMILY DEBATE - One active contributor sparked a lively
debate by asserting that reliance on a payroll tax to fund Social
Security benefits was anti-family. He thinks that since parents
make many expenditures in raising children that grow up to support
the retired, these parents are unfairly subsidizing the retirement
of the childless elderly. Rather than continue such a "subsidy"
he would finance the retirement of the poor and childless elderly 
through the income tax system and force such retirees out of
the Social Seucrity system.

Others countered that the Social Security benefit system was skewed
in favor of married couples and that the  income tax system
recognized the costs of child rearing with exclusions, deductions
and tax credits. Another participant pointed out that the taxes
from the childless supported public schools and universities that
their children did not utilize. Another thought it was strange to
make social policy decisions based on the criteria that I raised
a child and you didn't. Another participant found the anti-family
critique interesting but thought Social Security reform was not
the place to address our society's support or lack of support for
child rearing.

THE SOCIAL SECURITY TRUST FUND - many participants exchanged their
views on the "credit-worthiness" of the Social Security trust fund.
This topic will be discussed more extensively in upcoming Roundtable
discussions. For those interested in some background on this issue,
you can examine Frequently Asked Questions #24 on this site which
explains the nature of the trust fund, its history and its present
status.

SHOULD MEDICARE REFORM BE INCLUDED? - Several participants have
suggested that we look at the problems of the Medicare system as
well, including the gaps in its coverage and its financial shortfall.
Because Medicare does not cover prescription medications, do we
want to put today's or tomorrow's seniors to the test of choosing to
eat or taking an expensive heart medication? Others thought that
the task of reforming both systems together was far too difficult,
but they acknowledged that the impact of Social Security reform
on Medicare had to be taken into account.

A THOUGHTFUL POST - Reed Davis's first post was a particularly
thoughtful examination of the components of the Social Security
system; he makes the important suggestion that you have to analyze
and even disentangle the elements of the existing system in order
to think about reform.


Barbara Brandon