“There is nothing that’s off the table. I have my positions, and I’ll articulate them. But nothing’s off the table. I don’t want tax [...]]]> Senator McCain, similar to George H.W. Bush in 1988, has adopted a “no new taxes” pledge if elected President. However, here he is discussing his latest proposal to save Social Security:

“There is nothing that’s off the table. I have my positions, and I’ll articulate them. But nothing’s off the table. I don’t want tax increases. But that doesn’t mean that anything is off the table.”

Imagine for a second that the press began to seriously scrutinize Senator McCain the way they have Senator Obama. The myth of the “liberal media” continues to be exposed throughout this election.

For this edition of the Facing Up Blog Carnival, we wanted to examine another budgetary issue that is not earning the mainstream media coverage it deserves: Social Security and the financial [...]]]> The following comes from “Facing Up to the Nation’s Finances” and Public Agenda. For more information on contributing to future blog carnivals, please e-mail info@williamhallowell.com.

For this edition of the Facing Up Blog Carnival, we wanted to examine another budgetary issue that is not earning the mainstream media coverage it deserves: Social Security and the financial burden that the U.S. will incur when the Baby Boomers retire. With the first Boomer drawing a Social Security check more than one month ago, we have plenty to be concerned about. But, where do we go from here?

In this edition of the blog carnival, we can offer you a wide array of ideas about Social Security and the issues that will arise as more Boomers settle into retirement. For more info, you can also look over the Social Security “Choicework” guide on Facing Up, which sets out the pros and cons of several different approaches to the problem.

Over at the AGKYRA blog, Phillip W. Dennis takes on the presidential candidates and their proposed universal health care plans. Dennis questions the affordability of universal healthcare programs and relates his concerns back to Social Security and the costs associated with mass Boomer retirement:

“What happened to the Social Security crisis we face when the Baby Boomers retire en masse? Doesn’t anyone remember that a big part of the working population is starting to retire and the government hasn’t saved up enough money to pay for them the way it was supposed to?”

In a piece that churned out quite a bit of dialog on the Angry Bear blog, Dale Coberly explains in-depth why he believes that the Social Security “crisis” we keep hearing about is overstated. He contends that “The idea that something needs to be done about Social Security is rooted in three fundamental misunderstandings.” Over at Bob Kraft’s P.I.S.S.D. blog, Kraft’s perspective directly rivals Coberly’s. Unlike Coberly, Kraft sees the retirement of Baby Boomers as a catalyst for a great deal of negative changes concerning Social Security and dissemination of federal funds. He says:

“As “Boomers” begin to retire, the effect on the Social Security system will be twofold – first, there will be more retirees receiving benefits. Second, there will be fewer workers paying into the system to support those retirees.”

My Facing Up colleague Scott Bittle takes on the issue of straight talk when it comes to discussing Social Security options with the general public. Bittle urges politicians in Washington to engage citizens in honest discussion and he leaves the ball in their court: “There can be a real discussion on this, if our leaders want to have it.”

In this edition of the blog carnival two pieces come from Kurt Brouwer at the Fundamastery Blog. In the first, Brouwer wonders if an increase in the U.S. fertility rate will have a positive affect over Social Security, vacancies in the job market as Boomers retire and other associated issues. In another pieces entitled, “First Baby Boomers to Retire Are Doing Well,” Brouwer contends that most Boomers are waiting longer to draw Social Security benefits. He says, “If our political leaders could cobble together a reasonable plan for securing Social Security, that might influence more boomers to wait before taking Social Security income.”

Over at the Heritage Foundation, Andrew Grossman penned a piece entitled “Social Security: A First-wave Boomer’s View,” in which he interviewed his father – a Baby Boomer, a businessman and an entrepreneur who has plenty of insight and views on contemporary issues related to Social Security.

On the Democracy Space blog, Julie Fanselow urges Americans to ignite a national conversation about the issues surrounding Social Security. In addition to vital encouragement, Fanselow provides information on some of the ideas and solutions that have been posed to rectify the issues associated with Boomer retirement and Social Security.

While the majority of bloggers in this edition see major problems with Social Security if left unchecked, Matt Johnston joins Coberly in presenting evidence that the Social Security issue may not be a “crisis” after all.

And finally, over at WhereIStand, Dick Brooks provides an overview of the government’s four proposed plans to fix Social Security. In addition to this insight he offers Boomers some intriguing advice:

“The boomers need to research investment opportunities which include foreign countries, commodities, and precious metals. They need to ignore anything the government states, as well as experts in private industries that shill for the government.”

“I think the best way to approach this is to adjust the cap on the payroll tax so that people like myself are paying a little bit more and people who are in need are protected. That is the option that I will be pushing forward.”

Senator Hillary Clinton:

“I know it may sound [...]]]> Senator Barak Obama:

“I think the best way to approach this is to adjust the cap on the payroll tax so that people like myself are paying a little bit more and people who are in need are protected. That is the option that I will be pushing forward.”

Senator Hillary Clinton:

“I know it may sound good at first blush. If you look at all the complexities of this, I think it’s much smarter to say: Look, we’re going to deal with the challenges by fiscal responsibility and we’re going to use a bipartisan commission. And we’re not going to do it by further burdening middle-class families.”

I disagree with Senator Obama’s approach and raising taxes is the best way to ensure losing an election (ask Walter Mondale how that worked out for him). But, at least he is unafraid to articulate a position. Senator Clinton continues to hold her fingers to the wind to see what direction her positions should take. A bipartisan commission? Haven’t we already heard the findings of such a group several years ago when President Bush initiated his failed attempt to partially privatize Social Security? This country needs a leader that can differentiate itself from the current individual occupying the Oval Office, not more of the same incompetence. With each passing day, Hillary sounds more and more like Bush-lite. Furthermore, a candidate as polarizing as Hillary will be unable to make the sweeping changes behind a strong electoral mandate that this country so desperately needs by assembling a “50+1″ majority.