Hard questions about federal support for elders are still being asked
(By – Barbara Peters Smith, Herald-Tribune)
It’s only been a few years, really. But it seems a long time since politicians were talking glumly about “generational warfare,” and policymakers like vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan – remember him? – were warning us that the Social Security system was going bankrupt because too many Americans were living too long and using up our precious resources.
After the heat of an election year; and after economists patiently explained how Social Security funding works; and after polls showed that Americans young and old think it’s a fabulous, family-friendly program that benefits all ages, the rhetoric died down. And so did threats of cutting federal “entitlements” – a much-misunderstood word that simply means financial support that Americans are entitled to receive by law. Read more…