DAILY SUMMARY April 26-27, 1999

[National Dialogue Moderator <moderator>]

		DAILY SUMMARIES April 26-27, 1999


There were contributions from 26 different people in the first
two days of the "Why Reform Now" Roundtable.  Not only were
these contributions numerous and thoughtful;  they spread all
across the political spectrum.  Some commenters clearly favored
privatization of the Social Security system while others
preferred to retain the structure of the current system, perhaps
with a less regressive tax structure to fund it.

The common thread in almost all of the comments was a preference
for addressing the issue of reform sooner rather than later.  
Many arguments were made in favor of this point:
	* need to develop a consensus and create a workable solution
	* a financial problem will develop eventually
	* postponement of a solution will place a larger burden
	  on the shoulders of a smaller group
	* current prosperity makes it easier to consider solutions now
	* today's political leaders could build a legacy by acting now

A small number of participants cautioned against being stampeded
into premature action;  one pointed out that 30 years is a long
time in terms of resource conservation, and that the current system
is perhaps as stable as, say, the supply of commonly-used fuels.
While this comparison may strike one as odd, it does remind us
that if the sky is falling, it's probably not Social Security
which will strike us first on the head.

Perhaps because of this shared impression that Social Security is
a problem that should be dealt with soon, but that it is not one
which threatens us with imminent disaster, the tone of the 
discussion has been serious, occasionally passionate, but never
strident or confrontational.  In this spirit, the calls of our
panelists for bipartisan action may have some real potential
for results.  The National Dialogue itself may serve as a
model for a larger deliberative discussion, as suggested by
one of our contributors.

Several questions came up in the discussion on which our panelists
may be able to help:
	* What resources do they recommend for members of the public
	  wishing to learn more about the issue of Social Security
	  reform?
	* How can we develop a common vocabulary for discussing
	  these issues?
	* What proposals for reform are currently under consideration?

Participants touched on many specific aspects relating to possible
options for reform.  We shall return to them as the National
Dialogue continues.