DAILY SUMMARY May 27

[National Dialogue Moderator <moderator>]

	DAILY SUMMARY  -  WOMEN AND MINORITIES  - MAY 27,1999


MODERATOR'S QUESTION - MAUREEN WEST asked the participants to
consider whether Kolbe-Stenholm reform proposal provides a better
deal for women, especially those who take time-off to raise children
and those who retire without a spouse. Two of our panelists John Banks-Brooks
and Darcy Olsen, provided their assessment of this legislative proposal.


PUBLIC COMMENTS:

--Dora Noble discusses the inequities that face low-income women
under the present system.  She thinks that the benefit formulas
should be more generous to these women in retirement and that
adjustments need to be made to remove the gender bias in disability
payments.  She asserts that most men who become disabled will
receive more generous benefits that women will receive even though
their needs are comparable.

--Richard Arsinow disagrees with Kilolo Kijakazi's May 26th responses
to the moderator's questions. He believes that Social Security
benefits should be a transferable asset and that its insurance and
retirement functions should be separated. He says that while many
reformers would continue to support the insurance aspects, many
find it unfair that their retirement benefits are not inheritable
in cases of premature death.  He also thinks the hypothetical worker
in her example would be better off buying term life insurance and/or
a disability policy on the open market and should be given that
choice.

--Carolyn Cox thinks privately owned accounts are the better way
to go for women. Once a women stops working to have children, the
money in her personal account will continue to grow; moreover if
she should die early, the sums in her account could be inherited.
She thinks that these accounts would be preferable if there is a
divorce because unless you've been married 10 years, a divorcee
has no right to a share of her ex-husband's benefits.

--Marwan Jabbour challenges the premise which would give women or
minorities special benefits under Social Security. He asserts that
every individual in society has needs and under the American system
it should be that individual's responsibility to satisfy his own
needs.


Barbara Brandon