President Bush gave two messages about how to approach the problem of social security. On the one hand, he said "Fixing Social Security permanently will require an open, candid review of the options." He outlined several options from people who are not like-minded, and said all are on the table. That open-minded approach could allow us to make the changes that we need and allow us to meet the responsibilities the president set out, to "pass reforms that solve the financial problems of Social Security once and for all" and 'to make the system a better deal for younger workers."
In the next breath, however, the president seemed to close off most alternatives by bringing up "voluntary personal retirement accounts" and asserting that it is the best choice.
In other words, he has already made up his mind. Given the style of the administration when making decisions, which is to rely on a small number of people and a smaller number of points of view, it is unlikely that another proposal will find its way to the table.
The president has outline the problem of social security and our other retirement programs quite well. We should, indeed, make changes in them to preserve them for the next generation. But the pressure for personal accounts seems to come from predispositions set by the president's ideology--his core beliefs, if you will--and a feeling that he need not compromise on this matter. Given Republican majorities in both houses, he could be right. But it is far from certain, particularly as there will be strong opposition from the AARP and others.
In which case, we will not have met our responsibilities and lost a chance to make changes that our children need.
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