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From: david@fisher.UUCP (David Rubin)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: NO cuts in social security
Message-ID: <233@fisher.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 27-Jul-84 10:23:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: fisher.233
Posted: Fri Jul 27 10:23:45 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Jul-84 09:34:14 EDT
References: <437@tty3b.UUCP>, <227@fisher.UUCP> <918@pyuxa.UUCP>
Organization: Princeton Univ. Statistics
Lines: 24

WRONG! The Social Security Trust Fund is NOT, nor has it ever BEEN,
part of General Revenues. Thus, TC Wheeler's suggestion that Social
Security is going broke because it is being looted for other projects
is in error.

Social Security is going broke because of the changing age
distribution of the US poplulation. When Social Security was first
started, there were 11 workers to support each retiree, so a modest
tax could provide for the receipients. By 2000, there will be only 3
workers for each retiree, so either support will be cut or taxes will
become confiscatory.

It is NOT that Social Security Funds are being diverted elsewhere (by
law, they can't), but that we're all living to ripe old ages, and
collecting!

					David Rubin
			{allegra|astrovax|princeton}!fisher!david

Note: Last year, a proposal to essentially combine the Medicare and
Social Security Trust Funds was roundly trounced; if that much cannot
be done, there is certainly no danger of Social Security being
integrated with the general budget anytime in the near future,
either.