The importance of Social Security reform to gay and lesbian Americans
Although he makes other points with which I disagree in his discussion of Social Security reform, Nick Gillespie is exactly right about this:download f1 2002 torrent
The one powerful selling point to me about private accounts is that they might keep some money within families, to be passed down to kids or grandkids as an inheritance. I know from personal experience (or, rather, lack of personal experience) that an inheritance of even $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 at the right time in a young person's life can make a huge difference in all sorts of ways, from clearing out debt to providing a car (and hence employment opportunities) to a down payment on a house, and more.
It seems to me the inheritance angle is the best way to sell any reform--and it should be, because that is the one that can actually change and improve people's lives, which is really the point of the reform effort.
In addition to providing better retirement security, the creation of wealth -- and the ability to pass it from one generation to the next -- is indeed an important goal of the campaign to reform Social Security.download f1 2002 torrent
Relatedly, the transferability of private accounts is -- or at least should be -- of great interest and appeal to gay and lesbian Americans. Under the current system, a gay man who dies today can leave to his partner nothing from the years of Social Security taxes he's paid. Nothing with which to pay the mortgage. Nothing with which to make the car note. Nothing even to make his companion's life a little easier in his absence.download f1 2002 torrent
Isn't it time we remedied that? We can with private accounts.download f1 2002 torrent
One of the reasons I'm so passionate about reforming Social Security is that I believe a partially privatized system, with its promise of decent returns, will allow coupled gays and lesbians do what they say they want to do and care for one another. The market can do for us what the Government will not and what the culture cannot: give us a new, important and tangible way to accept responsibility for the people we love.download f1 2002 torrent
Happily, even the liberals seem to understand this. From the New York Times:download f1 2002 torrent
One official said the group [the Human Rights Campaign, the Nation's largest gay rights lobby] would consider supporting President Bush's efforts to privatize Social Security partly in exchange for the right of gay partners to receive benefits under the program.