What's your generation and how would you change your government?

[David Horn]

(03-26-2022, 03:08 PM)JasonBlack Wrote: 1) For purposes of social security, the age of retirement should be raised to 75, and include means-testing. The original purpose of social security was to support straggling survivors in an age where the average life expectancy was well under a decade less than present. It was never intended to support the 20+ retirements of individuals with little additional savings.
2) Social Security should be a progressive tax, not a disproportionate tax on the poor and young on the much more affluent old and asset-rich. As I support a decent number of cuts thereto, the maximum marginal rate would be equal to the current rate paid by everyone including the very poor.

1. Absolutely not!  Yes, the intellectual elite can wait until 75 to retire, but the blue-collar workers: not so much.  I have to assume you've never worked hard physical labor.  I have.  It sucks, and it beats on your body.  By 65, most construction workers, farm laborers, timber workers and fisher folk, to name but a few of the many occupations that beat you down, are a few years away from death or, worse, permanent infirmity.  Sorry, but that idea is terrible!
   
2. Social Security is a prefunded annuity.  It doesn't have to pay out on a linear basis, and doesn't today, but it shouldn't have an earnings cap.  Other than that, nothing needs to be done to this program for now ... unless you wish to make it more generous.  And forget about cutting this program unless you wish to see every 65+ citizen voting against every idiot who tries it.  In fact, I suspect the vote will be overwhelming 50+.