RE: Social Security Roundtable

[Michael Jones <powderfinger99@yahoo.com>]

<<<
As a first step, Congress should commit to appropriating a
significant portion of unified budget surpluses for Social Security. 
The President, for example, has proposed contributing roughly 62 percent
of total unified budget surpluses over the next 15 years (about $2.8
trillion) to the Social Security trust funds. 
>>>

It is clear to me now where the President gets all of his positions.
I find it quite remarkable how Gary Shea's position paper almost
maps word for word Clinton's past speeches.

I find it completely unacceptable that the 62% excess Social Security
money is called a "surplus". This gets to the root of government
arrogance when it comes to dealing with the people's business.

You might ask, what's so magical about the number 62%? Why not
60%, or 70%? Well, 62% is the projected excess Social Security
contributions over the next 15 years. This is not a surplus.
Unless of course you view this money as yours to spend as you
please, as the government has viewed it.

The fact is if the government actually used this excess money to
pay down government debt (accumulated from the deficit spending
on the operating side of the budget), all the Social Security 
bonds would have actually reduced the federal debt by the amount
that is in the Social Security trust fund.

What actually happened is that all that money was spent on other
programs and did not actually reduce any of the federal debt.
The payroll tax increase of 1983 did not actually increase the
solvency of the Social Security system!

Mr. Shea, what "guarantee" can you offer that this debacle would
not happen again, if taxes are increased?

Michael