Issue Position: Social Security

Issue Position

Social Security is sometimes called the third rail of politics, and with good reason. Anyone who tries to solve the problem gets attacked and hung out to dry. That's exactly why Social Security is in the situation it is today. However, the longer we wait to fix the problem, the worse the problem gets. The current ratio of workers paying into the Social Security system versus beneficiaries is 3.2 to 1. That number will continue to decrease as the baby boomers retire. In 2018, that same ratio falls to 2.8 to 1, resulting in a shortfall of employees paying into the trust fund to fully fund current beneficiaries. Because of this shortfall, the Social Security trust fund surplus will start to fall. At current estimates, the Social Security trust fund will be spent by 2037; and if we do nothing, our seniors will lose their benefits.

With these numbers in mind, and Congress's poor track record at solving big problems, Americans are skeptical that the government will solve the problem in time…and rightfully so. Politicians would rather attack their opponent to score cheap political points than to have a serious conversation. As a result, the problem goes unsolved and the American people suffer.

Since I began this campaign, not one person under the age of 40 has told me they believe that Social Security will be available for them when they reach retirement age. This unease is a tragedy and a crime against future generations, and both political parties are to blame for allowing this problem to occur.

To protect our seniors as well as future generations, I believe the federal government must implement two simple but significant reforms.

1. We must stop politicians from raiding the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for other programs.
2. We must "personalize' Social Security, so that the money you pay into Social Security, you receive that same money plus interest when you retire. That way that money is saved only for you.

If politicians had left the Social Security Trust Fund alone for the past 50 years, rather than stealing from it to pay for their pet projects, Social Security would be in much better situation than it is right now. Furthermore, by personalizing the Social Security system, retirees and future retirees know exactly how much money they have paid into the system and what they will receive from the program when they retire. With this sense of security, they can shed their anxiety about their future retirement plans.

My last point is this: politicians on both sides of the aisle cannot continue to demagogue important issues like Social Security. Cheap political attacks on television that deceive voters so congressmen can get re-elected don't solve the problems that America faces. We cannot continue to push our problems onto the next generation. We need responsible adults who are willing to come to the table to tackle these issues. Unfortunately, the current Congress can't or won't do that and it is this "responsibility deficit' that helped me decide to run for office.

I'm not a politician; I've never run for political office. I am just a small businessman who got fed up with the status quo. I'm running for Congress to solve problems. I might not have all the answers, but I am willing to learn and work with others to help our country and help fix the problems it faces. And that's exactly what our country needs.

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