Cause for (Guarded) Optimism

[LDAHL]

Bernie said that raising or eliminating the cap would extend SS for 58 years. He must have a different accountant? It sure didn't come up in the debates or campaigns much and might be easy to ignore since it is a sensitive issue on both sides.

http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Bern...l_Security.htm

Bernie's math was questioned a number of times during the primaries.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/democrat...-up-1455726507

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/15/berni...ommentary.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...b04f9b57d83008

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer...th-battle.html

I think his heart was in the right place, but his decimal points were not.

[JaneV2.0]

But eliminating the cap and raising rates (graduated) would give us plenty of time to come up with a permanent fix. I can't understand why the Republicans in power, many of whom have more money than they could possibly spend in many lifetimes, are so damned eager to pauperize the rest of us.

[LDAHL]

You could certainly put a band-aid on it and kick it down the road for the next generation to deal with. There's plenty of precedent for that.

[JaneV2.0]

You could certainly put a band-aid on it and kick it down the road for the next generation to deal with. There's plenty of precedent for that.

As opposed to just cutting them off? We need a good, solid, sustainable fix. Maybe we could do a pentagon audit and come up with some funds.

[bae]

As opposed to just cutting them off? We need a good, solid, sustainable fix. Maybe we could do a pentagon audit and come up with some funds.

Perhaps cut defense spending 50% for a start, then work from there.

[Rogar]

Bernie's math was questioned a number of times during the primaries.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/democrat...-up-1455726507

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/15/berni...ommentary.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...b04f9b57d83008

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer...th-battle.html

I think his heart was in the right place, but his decimal points were not.

Probably beating a dead horse, but the links refer to his fuzzy math on health care and the economy, but I could not find anything on SS. I couldn't access the WSJ article. I did a fairly quick search on his SS and could not find an agreement of opinion disputing his SS estimates given the elimination of the cap. Although it would still face a short fall for the gen z's and millennials and would merely delaying the shortfall for a few decades. It's just a bigger band aid. But that's water under the bridge.

I would be interested in seeing the math on privatized social security which encourages investors into more risk and then a retiree simulation who starts SS in a financial meltdown like 2008. It's not an easy problem.

[LDAHL]

As opposed to just cutting them off? We need a good, solid, sustainable fix. Maybe we could do a pentagon audit and come up with some funds.

I think it's a question of more gradual pain earlier as opposed to greater, more abrupt pain later. At some point, we need to recognize that people are living longer. While Trump has already voiced some opinions critical of some defense programs, I doubt there's enough that can be done there that would make a material difference.

Personally, I think we should look at what some other countries are doing or considering for their national pension systems; particularly in linking growth in benefits to growth in the wage base or GDP rather than inflation. That way your obligations are more closely aligned with the economy's ability to generate the wealth needed to pay them.

[JaneV2.0]

I think it's a question of more gradual pain earlier as opposed to greater, more abrupt pain later. At some point, we need to recognize that people are living longer. While Trump has already voiced some opinions critical of some defense programs, I doubt there's enough that can be done there that would make a material difference.

Personally, I think we should look at what some other countries are doing or considering for their national pension systems; particularly in linking growth in benefits to growth in the wage base or GDP rather than inflation. That way your obligations are more closely aligned with the economy's ability to generate the wealth needed to pay them.

I was thinking we should study other countries too. And it would be nice if we changed our goal from "making the greatest profit for a few" to "growing a sustainable economy for us all." We could start by reforming the institutional greed system that is medical "care" in this country.

[Teacher Terry]

Jane you make many excellent points. Things could be a lot better in this country.

[catherine]

I was thinking we should study other countries too. And it would be nice if we changed our goal from "making the greatest profit for a few" to "growing a sustainable economy for us all." We could start by reforming the institutional greed system that is medical "care" in this country.

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