Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Sanity. posted by Richard Seymour
Most Americans think Bush should tap his rich friends to pay for Social Security:Americans think the wealthy should help bolster Social Security, a CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll released Tuesday suggests.
More than two-thirds of 1,010 adults contacted from Friday to Sunday said it would be a good idea to limit benefits for wealthier retirees and for higher income workers to pay Social Security taxes on all their wages.
Currently, the cap on wages taxed for Social Security is set at $90,000.
Other options to change Social Security fell far behind -- 40 percent of respondents said reducing benefits for early retirement is a good idea; 37 percent said increasing the tax for all workers would be a good idea; 35 percent said the government should increase the age at which people could receive full benefits; and 29 percent said reducing benefits for people under 55 was acceptable.
The margin of error for the poll was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
About 55 percent of respondents thought Bush's proposal that would allow wage earners to invest some of their Social Security taxes in private investment accounts in the future is a "bad idea" -- the same percentage as a month ago before the president began his campaign for the plan.
Pah! Evildoers the lot of them!
Meanwhile, President Bush has some words on what it means to be American:
An exchange between George W. Bush and Mary Mornin, "a divorced, single mother with three grown, adult children," one of whom, Robbie, is "mentally challenged":
THE PRESIDENT: You work three jobs?
MS. MORNIN: Three jobs, yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that. (Applause.) Get any sleep? (Laughter.) ("President Discusses Strengthening Social Security in Nebraska," February 4, 2005)
Yep, uniquely American. One job doesn't pay enough (hence, declining participation in the labour market ).