Will Congress answer the public's call for action?

[John Baughman <jbaughman@pmail.net>]

>  However, recent poll data indicate that the public feels that solving 
> Social Security's problems should be at the top of the list of domestic 
> priorities and that it should be done in a bipartisan way.  
> 
>    Will it be possible for Congress to meet the public's desires for 
> bipartisan Social Security reform in 1999? > 
 
Polls indicating what the public "feels" should be done on a priority
basis are fine, but essentially meaningless.  Politicians know that the
polls that mean anything to them are the ones taken after a specific
measure, showing who the "winners" and "losers" are in clear,
unclutter terms, has been put on the table.  Yes, the pulbic thinks that
"solving Social Security's problems" should be our number one
bipartisian priorty.  (Until the evolved plan seems to detract from MY
benefits.)  Then the polls change.

There is probably no likelihood of "meaningful" reform of social
security until either the threat is immediate (read 'unsolvable'), or
politicians become saints.  Which do you think is likely to occur,
first? 

John_Baughman@everett.wednet.edu
jbaughman@pmail.net