A Voice for the Youth - Social Security Reform
By Adam C Posted in Economy — Comments (11) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
In the recent debate on Social Security reform, the important voice of the youth of America has been conspicuously absent. Sadly, Rock The Vote decided to cozy up to its liberal sponsors and team up with the AARP to become a propaganda outlet for liberal talking points. It thus missed out on a chance to at least provide a platform for multiple youth viewpoints in this debate. (Although comments like these show that the youth aren't falling in line with Rock The Vote's AARP lovefest)
Fortunately for the majority of youth who support personal accounts, Students for Saving Social Security was formed in the past month and has been gaining steam since then. The founders, Jonathan Swanson and Patrick Wetherille of Yale and Haverford respectively, are quite familiar with social security policy through their studies and their work experience on Capitol Hill. The have launched an effort to unify the islands of support for social security reform that exist throughout the country on university campuses.
Their game plan is to use the energy and efforts of students (who have the most to lose in the old Social Security system) to help push forward reforms that protect future generations. They are rounding up campus leaders to write Op-Eds, form local chapters of SSSS, and start campus debates on Social Security. Their longer term plans include a national rally in Washington and creating other avenues for students to be heard in the ongoing discussions. Hopefully they will also have time to improve their website so that new information and opportunities are more visible (maybe even in a blog format).
If you are a current student who wants to help ensure that Personal Retirement Accounts become reality and that your Social Security is not cut 27% in 2042, contact Jonathan and Patrick now through their website and start doing the little things that create a national movement. Harnessing the power of the youth movement in favor of a policy instead of against a policy or person is quite a feat. I expect to hear more about Jonathan and Patrick in the future.
I had the opportunity to do a short (e-mail) interview with Mr. Swanson last week. Here is the transcript:
1. What can students do to help enact meaningful reform to SS?
Students can provide the energy for the debate. Any student who supports personal accounts can come to secureourfuture.org and sign up to be a team leader at their campus or sign up for our email list. More ambitious students can help us organize at the national level. Students can write op-eds for their college papers, distribute pro-personal accounts posters, attend rallies, etc.
2. How does SSSS help students make a difference?
SSSS will be helping with all of the above. All team leaders are provided with a Team Leader Toolkit: advice on how to write an op-ed, posters to put up around campus, etc.
3. Is there a petition to sign or some other action item that students can accomplish on the website?
Not yet, good idea, we'll get on that. For now students can sign up for our email list.
[Ed. Note: There is now a petition to sign and send to your representatives at SSSS]
4. What are your goals? What is your strategy to accomplish these goals?
Our goal is to make the biggest impact on the Soc Sec debate as possible. In the short term we are growing our campus network as much as possible. We've only been rolling for a few days but already have 35 chapters around the nation. We want hundreds in the next couple weeks. In the meantime our team leaders are writing op-eds to be published in their campus papers. The first ones are going up this week. As our campus network and influence grows we will begin to submit our op-eds to national papers. Our ultimate goal is to get op-eds in all the major papers, get face time on TV, etc. We're ambitious and energized to take this as far as we can. In May we are tentatively planning a rally to be held in DC.
Things have literally just started for SSSS but the response from students around the nation has been astounding. Honestly, I expected a tepid response but we're getting more interest that we can handle. I'm currently just delegating authority to our national leaders and firming up our organizational structure.
(Cross-posted at
Now, you might convince some people if you can create the sense the Social Security will be totally kaput in 2042. Like this guy does:
As a matter of fact, by the time today's workers who are in their mid-20s begin to retire, the system will be bankrupt. So if you're 20 years old, in your mid-20s, and you're beginning to work, I want you to think about a Social Security system that will be flat bust, bankrupt, unless the United States Congress has got the willingness to act now. And that's what we're here to talk about, a system that will be bankrupt.
Less accurate, I suppose, but perhaps more effective than threatening a 27% cut 37 years down the road.
I believe that reform and accracy can go hand in hand. By the way, an organization that can't pay its bills is bankrupt, which is what SS will be in 2042 (or 2041 according to the most recent report). Also FWIW, as a non-student, I will be roughly 60 years old when SS goes under. So today's college students will be in their late 50s. They'll pay the high prices and then have the "guarnateed benefit" slashed right before they retire.
Most young Americans know SS won't "be there" for them when they retire. PRAs are just a great way to ensure that something is left for you from all the taxes you pay into the system.