Social Security is not an entitlement. It's a Promise!

By Byron Kamp

Before we know it, the Presidential Primary "season" will be over, not to return until the year 2020. However, Primary Season for Congressional, State and Local elected officials is just beginning to gear up. The Tennessee Primary is scheduled to happen on August 4, 2016. Following that primary election, life gets real serious for both the candidates and the electorate.

AARP continues to encourage the candidates, both presidential and congressional, to offer their specific plan. AARP believes, ultimately, the candidates must articulate where they are on the issue in front of the voters. AARP has issued a set of principles which will guide us as we move through the process.   These principles can be found on this website: 2016takeastand.org.

AARP Social Security Principles

Looking to the future of Social Security, we need to keep what works, update and improve where needed, and achieve financial stability and benefit adequacy for 75 years and beyond. Our principles for keeping Social Security strong are:

• Achieve long-term solvency and adequacy: Social Security should be sufficiently financed to ensure solvency for the long term. Solvency proposals must ensure meaningful benefits for future generations.

• Reaffirm Social Security’s fundamental character: Social Security should continue to provide a stable foundation for retirement income. It should remain a partnership among individuals, employers and the federal government. It should also maintain its role in providing protection for workers and families affected by death or disability. All covered workers should contribute equitably to the program and receive benefits.

• Ensure protections for those most in need: Reforms should take into account the needs of those most reliant on Social Security and those who have difficulty postponing retirement.

• Recognize the value of Social Security’s core elements: Social Security should continue to reward work. The key elements of Social Security’s successful program structure should be preserved: progressive, defined benefits that cannot be outlived; inflation protection; and benefits related to earnings.

• Make improvements to reflect today’s workforce: An updated Social Security program must address the economic and demographic changes over the last 80 years to be able to respond to the needs of future beneficiaries and their families.

• Ensure fairness: Changes to the program should be implemented gradually and should protect current beneficiaries and near retirees.

So what good will this do - you say to yourself. You will be knowledgeable about the issues related to Social Security. It is proven that knowledge brings power - the power to discuss this issue in depth with the candidates, your friends, family and members of organizations which you belong.

Social Security is the Country's "Pension Plan." It is not an entitlement; it is a Promise!