Thursday, January 29, 1998

Abilene ideal for forum on Social Security

Beyond the allegations of personal scandal that swirl around the White House, beyond even the perpetual tug of war between Republicans and Democrats in Congress, the nation faces a common need that President Clinton was right in Tuesday night's State of the Union address to single out as the federal government's No. 1 priority: fixing Social Security.

Altering the design of so vast a system, however, is no easy fix. Any action by Washington would first require the input and support of the electorate as a whole. That's why the president also had a good idea in proposing regional forums -- probably four of them -- in which ordinary Americans can voice their suggestions and complaints and fears and questions.

And Abilene would make an ideal site for one of those regional forums this year.

At 110,000 residents, we're as Middle America as you can get, in between the major metropolitan centers that usually grab all the attention and the small, rural towns, often overlooked entirely, that surround us.

Plus, Abilene has a history of addressing the issue of Social Security and is home to two of its principal players. Last May, Abilene was the site of a Social Security Summit, featuring some big names on the national economic scene, such as Concord Coalition Executive Director Martha Phillips and former U.S. Rep. Tim Penny of Minnesota.

That well-attended meeting was hosted by U.S. Rep. Charles Stenholm of Abilene. Recognized in Washington and by deficit-fighting groups such as the Concord Coalition as a leader in efforts to achieve a fiscally responsible government, Stenholm is co-chair of the Public Pension Caucus in the U.S. House and is also a congressional co-chair of the National Commission on Retirement Policy, of which Hardin-Simmons University President Lanny Hall is a member.

'Ordinary' Americans

If federal officials want to find out what "ordinary" Americans think about reforming Social Security, they'd do well to come to Abilene, where, as today's letters to the editor show, Social Security remains a lively topic of discussion.

Social Security might not have the salacious appeal of sexual scandal, but its future is more crucial to the lives of millions of Americans. Without the continued viability of our national retirement system, our economic structure is threatened with ruin -- not because of mismanagement by the Social Security Administration, but because the changing dynamics of our population weren't anticipated when the system was first established.

Simply put, we're soon going to be paying out more to a greater number of retirees than the smaller, younger workforce will be putting back in. When the generation of baby boomers starts retiring in another decade or so, the Treasury will suddenly have to come up with an estimated $3 trillion, either through borrowing or higher taxes. Even then, the system will be broke and in a state of crisis about a decade or so later.

Avoiding such a catastrophe is in everyone's vital interest. And the people of Abilene have something to say about finding a solution that Washington ought to hear.