Debra,
I've been hearing about this idea for at least ten years. It didn't start
with Dubya by any means. I always thought it started as a response to the
government and experts have been giving us dire warnings us for years now
that the SS funds are in imminent danger of running out and there will
certainly be nothing left for the next generation. So some people look at
it and think, "hmmm, the government should have been making some better
return on our money all these years to secure the funds but they haven't, so
maybe we should take things into our own hands." It's an understandable
reaction when you are constantly being told it's all going down the drain.
I think there was also a change in the law about 6-7 years ago to let people
take money out of their 401K retirement accounts and self-invest. I have a
friend who did just that. Again, that law seemed to be a reaction to the
issue of the SS funds running out. By the way, I think SS is a godsend and
am not against it at all. But if there is this problem of the funds running
out that they have been hammering us about for the past several years, then
what is the solution? Kakki
> Since, as it's structured now, it's a program that doesn't effect Dubya's
> wealthy pals much, I worry that he'll encourage changes mostly so the
program
> can benefit his pals (in this case the banking industry) and that he'll be
able
> to do that without much serious opposition since lower wage earners do not
have
> much political clout. Add to that his willingness to say how much it will
> benefit the American people whether it actually does or not, and.... well,
> obviously I don't trust the guy's motives at all.
