San Diego Union Tribune: Put Social Security specifics on the table

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UNION-TRIBUNE EDITORIAL
Where are details?

Put Social Security specifics on the table

February 21, 2005

With no shortage of ideas circulating about how to save Social Security, President Bush insists that everything should be on the table.

He's right. Members of Congress can't simply shoot down one idea after another without putting their own ideas out there for consideration. But that also holds true at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. The time has come for President Bush to put forward a specific proposal detailing how he would improve the life span of one of America's most cherished entitlement programs and how he would pay for it.

We're surprised this hasn't happened already. Bush has been talking about reforming Social Security for some time. And yet, he has never presented a specific plan.

Oh, Bush has talked about how the current system is unsustainable and about the need to create personal accounts allowing younger workers to invest a portion of their contribution to Social Security. But he hasn't offered any specifics. It all seems to be by design. At a White House news conference last week, Bush said that it is his job to convince voters – through things like his recent barnstorming trip through various states – that there's a sense of urgency around the issue so those voters can, in turn, pressure their representatives in Congress.

(snip)

Barnstorming around the country is all well and good. There's nothing wrong with trying to rally public support, but Bush needs to take the next step and give Congress a specific plan to work on. If he doesn't do it, no one else will. And if he doesn't do it soon, there will be nothing left to debate. Everything will have been discussed, dissected and dismissed – and nothing decided.

That's not leadership. And, with an issue as important as this, it's just not acceptable.


Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050221/news_lz1ed21top.html

[Cha]

1. I've been like spamming this..

but I like what AARP has said in their "airgram" that mailed out to all its members..

"THE SOLUTION SHOULDN'T BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM-
NO PRIVATE ACCOUNTS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DOLLARS!"