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[ron thigpen <ron AT fuzzsonic.com>]

Tony Spencer wrote:
 > Hahhahhahaa!  I'll collect Social Security when I retire?  Lets just 
say its
> not included in my retirement planning.  Privatize part of it and I'll feel
> more comfortable adding it to my expectations.

and it's exactly that type of attitude that'll make it OK in the minds 
of the politicos to take it away.  zero expectation leads to zero 
delivery.

the fact is (from what i've read) that without any further gov't action 
even after the trust fund balance goes to zero there would be sufficient 
income streams from the smaller number of payroll deductions to cover 
approx. 73% of the promised obligations.  so that particular scenario 
doesn't lead to nothing for SS payments, just less.

the scenario that worries me looks like the one above, but with 
diversions of funds into privatization pulling even more out of what is 
available for payments.  what revenue will cover the difference before 
the private accounts start paying out?

when a system is facing fiscal shortfalls, the solution is not to reduce 
its income.   if the so-called conservatives had been more active in 
seeing to setting aside some of the last 25 years' overpayments we 
wouldn't be in this mess.

--rt