The bipartisan gang of six may recommend changes to Social Security as part of its deficit-reduction

[BigBearJohn]

WASHINGTON -- The bipartisan "gang of six" may recommend changes to Social Security as part of its deficit-reduction plan, even though some Democrats have insisted such a proposal would be a non-starter.

"You know, part of this is just math -- 16 workers for every one retiree 50 years ago, three workers for every retiree now," Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), a member of the group, told CBS "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer on Sunday.

Warner credited House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) for producing a "serious" budget plan but criticized him for not proposing any way to raise revenues while transferring "more responsibility onto our seniors in terms of paying for health care."

"What we're doing is we're saying everything has to be on the table," he said. "Entitlement reform, dramatic spending cuts, looking at tax reform." While Ryan's plan primarily talks about lowering tax rates, Warner said the gang of six is also looking at raising revenue by eliminating some of the tax expenditures.

SOURCE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/17/mark-warner-gang-six-social-security-taxes_n_850211.html

[glinda]

1. Why don't they create jobs?

[fairfaxvadem]

2. Now, don't go being sensible and all that...

Between putting folks back to work at at least a decent living wage, AND throw in some of the old Single-Payer Health Insurance, you might get pretty damn far in solving the so-called "Budget/Deficit/Tax Reform Crisis."

Says me.

[midnight]

4. Really.... Nothing is wrong with social security... These folks need to fix what is broken....

[DJ13]

3. This tap dancing to cut SS is fooling no one

The real fix (raising the cap) is so simple anyone can understand it.

Since these kinds of idiots refuse to acknowledge that solution this just shows they have an agenda of offsetting the too low tax rates on the wealthy by slashing the funds people have paid all their lives for.

Every single politician in either party who spouts this kind of bullshit should lose in their next election.

[PSPS]

5. Warner is a liar

The "three workers for every retiree" refrain is a canard. The system, as it is today, will fully pay all benefits long after most current retirees are dead and he knows it. Furthermore, even if Social Security were to stop all payments today, it would have no effect on the Federal current account because it isn't even carried on those books. It's a completely separate fund.

[Hannah Bell]

6. lies & liars