Oliver Willis

5 Responses to “SOTU, Condensed”

1. 1 sam
   Feb 1st, 2006 at 12:02 pm

   What is the Dems proposal to fix SS Oliver?

2. 2 TomY
   Feb 1st, 2006 at 12:02 pm

   Well, the first step is to make sure that the people who think SS is a socialist plot aren’t in charge of “fixing” it.

   But here’s one.
   http://www.americanprogress.org/atf/cf/%7BE9245FE4-9A2B-43C7-A521-5D6FF2E06E03%7D/restore_tax_fairness.pdf

3. 3 Oliver Willis
   Feb 1st, 2006 at 1:02 pm

   Well for one, we could raise the caps on it. But the very idea that it needs saving buys into the propaganda that its about to keel over and die.

4. 4 Semanticleo
   Feb 1st, 2006 at 7:02 pm

   OW has a piece of the puzzle. If payroll taxes had the $90,000
   ceiling lifted a lot of those folks who are reaping the rewards of
   Federal tax breaks, could payback into the system they are so
   committed to salvaging in the name of FDR. That’s if they actually
   want to fix it, rather than dismantle under the cover of rhetorical
   night.

5. 5 Bill L.
   Feb 1st, 2006 at 9:02 pm

   How’s about we stop acting like SS is broken?

   Unmolested, the worst that will happen is a 2 trillion short fall in about 50 to 60+ years. We’re looking at a 2 trillion dollar sink hole in Iraq right now (300 billion now and a projected cost of 2 trillion). On top of that, we’re losing 2 trillion in tax revenue thanks to the “no billionaire left behind” administration’s cuts. And that’s just scratching the surface. There’s plenty of money out there to keep SS (and Medicaire/Medicaide) going for the foreseeable future. That’s true only if we commit to the unforgivable sin of making the mind bendingly wealthy ever so slightly less so, of course. I mean, really, forcing someone to go without a tenth home or their own space shuttle has got to fall under some sort of legal definition of “undue burden.”

   SS is completely manageable

   Also keep in mind that SS runs a surplus under some projections. It all depends on a multitude of factors, with economic growth being a big player. The irony here is that if the economy grows enough to float private accounts, then SS will never run a deficit. If the market tanks so badly that SS suffers, then so will most private accounts.

   In fact, the biggest threat to SS right now is the decline in real wages for the VAST majority of americans. Of course, fixing that would mean reversing G. W’s tax and economic policies, but that might lead to real growth and prosperity for the great unwashed masses, so no way we’re gonna see that for at least 3 more years. Whether we continue down the road to economic implosion depends on how many more states adopt Diebold as their voting standard.

   Haven’t we reached the point where if W. says it then it’s time to do just the opposite?

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