UW Madison

Social Security is Now Running Annual Deficits

Sep 29, 2009 at 1:05 PM

By UW Madison

It was reported over the weekend that Social Security is now running a deficit due to lower revenues and an aging population.

The AP reports that this will not affect payouts but simply add to the federal deficit because SS has accumulated a surplus over the year. The only problem is...that money has already been spent. Our national debt is so enormous that it's foolish to act as if these supposed surpluses mean that those who have already paid into SS will get back their investment.

Also unrealistic is the claim that SS will begin to run surpluses again by 2016. This assumes the recession will end this year and a substantial economic recovery will immediately begin. So I'll predict right now, on the record, that SS will never run an annual surplus again...EVER.

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Town Hall crowd waking up to Ron Paul

Sep 28, 2009 at 6:59 AM

By UW Madison

Glenn Beck recently hosted a town hall for mothers. In one part, a woman says Ron Paul is the only one in Washington representing the people and then for a second or two pauses to reflect on Dr. Paul before proclaiming in wonderment "What he has done for our country is just amazing." In this next part Angel Robinson from Campaign for Liberty takes it to the Fed for about a minute and half starting at 2:20.

Drinking age of 21 doesn't work

Sep 16, 2009 at 1:06 PM

By UW Madison

There was a great opinion piece about the absurdities of the drinking age on CNN today by John M. Cardell. Over the summer, I met a Danish fellow who said that dangerous college binge drinking is entirely unheard of in Denmark. Their secret? The drinking age is 15. There, the phenomenon of rebellious drinking dies at age 14-16, while they are still in care of their parents. By the time they're living on their own, drinking is seen as a lubricant for social settings at most. This friend of mine even went so far as to cite the popularity of drugs in America as a side effect of our ridiculous drug laws, which make illegal drugs just as easily obtainable as alcohol for most people under 21. It really makes me wonder if "adults" will ever look at us "reckless youth" and realize that freedom and responsibility flow in both directions.