Let's get this started

I've been ranting about the need to do something with Social Security on whatever public forum would have me since the days when Compuserve Forums the"hot thing." I had a chance in the '90's to do a software project for the US Government that required that I become pretty familiar with how the federal budget actually works. It more than confirmed what I had long suspected. We were adapting software used for financial management in large companies to use in the federal government, and it was a problem. At one point I had to explain to my clients in DC that we were facing "problems" because this state of the art system was designed to make sure that budget numbers actually added-up correctly, which was a real problem for the government. They were looking to add 2+2 and get 2, only as I remember it was more like $300 million + $300 million. Our application kept reporting $600 million total and they were getting frustrated with us. There were a great many other such "problems." No US corporation could ever manage money the way the federal government does, indeed, most State governments couldn't get away with it.

Social Security is one of the great smoke-and-mirrors performances of all time. I don't want to unload all my feeling about the program and how it works, or doesn't work. We're going to have a good long national debate about this apparently, so there's no rush. I just wanted to link to this excellent rant by Dean Esmay who apparently has similar feelings. It's late at the moment and I like the fact that Dean has gone and said it so well for me. Makes it so much easier to just type, "What he said..."

You know, a funny thing is happening to me. I'm less and less interested in debating certain ideas. Maybe it's something that comes with age, I don't know. For about 15 years now, I have believed that our current Social Security system is fundamentally immoral, fundamentally selfish, and fundamentally fiscally unsound. I have debated people on this for all these years, bringing up charts and figures and hard data--and now I find myself simply not caring. Anyone who really wants to look at the numbers can go elsewhere to find them. Countless economists have done the math and shown conclusively that the current system is a terrible ripoff. And it selfishly takes from our children.

When I retire, I don't want to take money from my children's pockets. I just don't. In the final analysis, reform toward ownership of accounts is simply the right thing to do morally.

There's plenty more...go check it out.

It's stunning to me that the debate is over whether there is a problem, and not over the best solution (which is a debatable point, I agree.) The Reps. and Senators who were shouting "no" at the SOTU address this week are either foolish or lying (I'm willing to believe either.)

The other big reform on the national agenda that has been under my skin for some time is tort reform. I have lawyers in my family and I have a lot of respect for what they do professionally, but it amazes me that their profession is not more concerned about what a small number do to bring disrepute and scorn on them all. That our "Justice" system (what a shame that one feels the need to put that in quotes) is used as a weapon, and used so effectively, ought to raise the most concern among those who love the law most. This issue is going to be fun to blog; there are just so many good stories and examples out there. We can wait on that too, it's going to be a long session. I just wanted to drop in this "taste" of our legal system at work from fellow centrist Joe Gandelman blogging at Dean's World while his place is being renovated. Here's a sample...

A Colorado judge ordered two teen-age girls to pay about $900 for the distress a neighbor said they caused by giving her home-made cookies adorned with paper hearts.... The Denver Post newspaper reported on Friday that the girls had decided to stay home and bake the cookies rather than go to a dance where there might be cursing and drinking.

At least the judge refused to award punitive damages. Some smart cookie manufacturers needs to get a deal with these two kids. Get their recipe, put their picture on the package and donate proceeds to charity. I'd buy 'em.

Update: Here's a link to a picture.