Of these five issues, which must be a priority for policymakers and candidates for federal elective office?

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  • Greg Schuckman - 12 years ago

    The caveat to my comment isn't about trimming federal spending (defense or non-defense) as much as working to balance the budget through entitlement reform and a complete revision of the tax code. I have not crunched the numbers the way that the Simpson-Bowles Commission did in their recommendation or the 'Gang of Six' but I firmly believe that the answer to the structural imbalance that exists within our federal budget cannot be solved through cuts alone. There has to be some way to slow the growth of entitlements -- or at least make them more fair so that the people who can afford to pay actually do. When Social Security was created, there wasn't that large a gap between eligibility and life expectancy, so with fewer people supporting more retirees who are also living longer, we can't expect social security as it exists today to be sustainable. My hope is that the AARP understands this and is willing to make some concessions that will allow us to bring the budget into balance. Doing so may not serve the short-term interests of its members, but it will certainly serve the long-term interets of its members' children -- who also happen to be their future members.

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