Social Insecurity

One issue which virtually all the presidential candidates are issuing muted statements is Social Security.  Yet it may be the most explosive problem facing an increasingly greying nation in years to come.  One reason the candidates are avoiding any definitive positions is there are no solutions which will not alienate some portion of the electorate.  Thanks to republican party attacks, low information younger voters believe there will be no program left when they retire.  This is a major problem for many, since with the demise of defined benefit pension plans, most young people have little savings and no plan to put anything aside for retirement.  While many two income baby boomer couples were able to save for retirement, their dual income children need both spouses incomes to maintain a standard of living close to what they grew up with.   The Tea Party taboo on any tax increase for any program makes the easy fix for Social Security; raising the income cap from $118,500 to at least $500,000 virtually impossible in the present congress.  Drastic action must be taken soon, as the program will be unable to pay full benefits starting in 2034 when the Trust Fund is exhausted.  Even then, it will be able to pay 75% of promised benefits, although cuts in income will trigger massive protests by the elderly.  It would seem a no brainer for either Clinton or Sanders on the Democratic side or John Kasich for the Republicans to make this a signature issue.  Raising the cap, expanding benefits for new retirees and making the program into a real retirement alternative to 401K plans for younger voters would have inter-generational appeal.