Political Quotes

“the constitutional amendment that I support recognizes the red that is out there on the end as well as the green and recognizes a need to stop doing to Social Security what that huge green there shows at the present time. I am saying that we need to start recognizing Social Security honestly, not calling it off budget so we can force things into Social Security in future years by merely naming them ``Social Security'' and not having to account for them in the deficit--to recognize them honestly. Our seniors think that there is a trust fund out there, that there is money out there that will continue to fund them. I am always fascinated when I see the articles which suggest that we should privatize Social Security. If we tried to privatize it, we would recognize that it does not have the money there; that the money is not there to be able to do it because we have this system of taking the money that is paid in now and spending it at the moment that it is paid in, with a piddly surplus. And when you look at the future of Social Security, that little green line there is not a big surplus. It is $1.3 trillion, but that is not a big surplus. The actuarial liability on the Social Security system is $9.2 trillion. This is money that people expect to be there. We are giving the impression that it is there. This balanced budget constitutional amendment is not a constitutional amendment just for the next few years.…”