Replies to post #91912 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[n4807g]

What you posted is great. However I never suggested a fix because there really isn't any fix required. What I was originally commenting on was the often referred to surplus in the Trust Fund as though there was a "balance on hand" of cash at the Social Security Administration. The popular press and many people cite the Trust Fund keeping Social Security "solvent" until 2038-2040. Solvency is not the issue; source of funding is. The source of funding will be and has always been the "taxpayer". The so called Trust Fund has become a political argument.

[n4807g]

The easiest solution is to delay the problem by infusing more cash into the Trust Fund

How could this be a fix? Why not just let the system continue as is and when receipts don't cover outlays just "cash in" those notes, figuratively speaking of course. When the Trust Fund runs out of money, just cover the shortfall from the General Tax revenue?

and in danger of being unfixible due to the huge cost curves of health care.

I think we're already there.

And privatizing these entitlements isn't the answer.

Have I mentioned privatizing entitlements? If any "privatizing" of entitlements were to have occurred I would have favored putting the surplus SS taxes back into individual taxpayers accounts, invested in their name, in Treasury Notes. But since the days of the surpluses are over, that's no longer an option. However, I do fear that the Obama administration would love to publicize the defined contribution system (IRA's, 403b's, 401k's). He's already rattling the saber and probably can't wait to gain access to the nearly $7 trillion dollars held.