NEXT WEEK’S POLL
HERE’S AN ARTICLE I PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 28TH, 2008, JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION:
My friend Harry, the intellectual on the block, is taking his own poll this week. He started with Pete’s poker group, and moved on to Ladies Bridge at the tennis club, his associates at work, and customers at one of the local sports bars.
“What’s the good news,” I asked him.
“There isn’t any, but the results sure were an eye opener.”
I waited, while Harry finished spreading cheese on his bagel.
“One of the questions I asked is what will be the biggest problem for the incoming new President. I expected to hear things like the economy, taxes, immigration, Iranian nuclear moves, Hugo Chavez . . . you know, stuff like that.”
“And . . . ?”
“Top of the heap . . . by a landslide . . . was, ‘Congress’.”
“As the biggest problem for the new President?”
“That’s right.”
“I guess in a poll they can’t explain why they think that.”
“They can in my poll . . . and they did.”
“They must be all McCain supporters.”
“I didn’t ask that question, but I did ask who they thought would be elected President, and most said Obama.”
“And they still think Congress will be the President’s biggest problem? How in hell is that?”
”Because Congress needs to tackle entitlement spending before amounts due the exploding number of retiring baby boomers bring down the economy and the country.”
“Connect the dots for me, please.”
“Look, Congress has let Social Security operate for 70 years, while all the time diverting the funds we pay into it to other purposes. S/S was designed to be funded by its contributors . . . as if it was their money.”
“I thought it was our money.”
“In theory it is, but because it was collected as a tax it’s easy for Congress to treat it like it’s theirs. And that chicken is coming home to roost. If Congress does nothing to make S/S liquid, it will erupt into a major meltdown when the full impact of the baby boomers matures, and that’s already begun to happen. The same is true of Medicare.”
“So, where did your poll come out on what this Congress will do?”
“They voted ten to one that Congress will do little, if anything, to fix Social Security or Medicare.”
“Why?”
“Because they care more about getting reelected than doing what’s right for the Country. They believe admitting there’s a problem would be political suicide, let alone even hinting they might need to reduce benefits.”
“Politicians dance around stuff like this all the time, what’s different?”
“The Senate and House have no one to blame this time, except themselves. Both Clinton and Bush, and as far back as Reagan, Presidents and their Budget Directors have tried to get Congress to do something to make Social Security secure, but Congress remains in full denial. My poll says this Congress is likely to be even more so.”
“I think I get it. Congress is damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.”
“Exactly. So they’ll do what they’ve always done . . . deny there’s a problem until it becomes a crisis.”
“And the people you poled believe the next President will want them to do something?”
“The crisis is likely to erupt on his watch. He may not have any choice.”
“But how does Congress fix it? Social Security payments are money that’s already taxed twice. They can’t tax it again. We’re going into a period of even bigger deficits, due to all the money that the government is spending on banks and housing, and Congressional leaders have said they’re going to increase unemployment benefits.”
“My poll says there’s only one way.”
“Reduce benefits.”
“And do you think this Congress will be willing to do that? According to my poll, they’ll leave it for the next Congress to tackle.”
“But how can Congress keep getting away with that? Most of them are the same individuals, Congress after Congress. Eventually, the roof will fall in.”
“Your right, but until that happens my poll says they’ll continue to deny there’s any problem.”
“Isn’t that irresponsible?”
“Sure, but being responsible also means being held accountable. That takes courage. No one in Congress ever takes responsibility for anything.
“And do you think the new President will have a problem with that?”
“That’s next week’s poll.”
