1995-1996 Harry Singer Foundation National Essay Contest
Social Security In The Twenty-First Century
Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
Teacher: Barbara Petersen
1st Jessica
Bohn 
2nd Chance
Langeness
3rd Jessica
Loughlin
"The system should be changed because American citizens want it changed."
Jessica Bohn, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"Last year, when a national poll asked adults ages eighteen through thirty-four if
they thought Social Security would provide for their retirement, only 28 percent said yes.
A higher proportion, 46 percent, believed in UFO's. I, along with the other 72 percent,
believe there will be no money to pay Social Security benefits by the time I retire. I
feel this is the number one reason why the current Social Security system must be changed.
The Social Security Administration estimates that Social Security outlays will exceed
revenue by 2013 and the entire trust fund will have been depleted by 2029-- twenty years
earlier than what was predicted a decade ago. These number are obviously forecast due to
the men and women of the baby boom generation preparing to retire combined with the small
number of people in the work force now who are supposed to be paying the retirees benefits
through their taxes."
Chance Langeress, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"Secondly, Social Security will not last for everyone. By the time the younger
people, who pay payroll taxes, reach retirement, there won't be any more Social Security.
They will have paid money for their parent's and grandparent's retirement; however, there
will be less funds for them. I feel that if this system doesn't change that the money that
I give in for Social Security I will never see again."
Melanie Erickson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"Our own government taking the Social security funds and replacing them with IOUs
is another reason why the system must be changed. In all likelihood, those IOUs will never
be paid back."
Chance Langeress, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"Now is the time for someone to start on a solution to the dilemma; but what
course's of action should we take? One solution is to demand that government agencies
who've borrowed from the excess Social Security funds make it a top priority to pay it
back. By doing so, we'll force the government to take responsibility for its actions and
we might finally have a real balance. Realistically, it'd take too long to pay everything
back, and it's likely that instead of cutting spending, taxes will be hiked to make up the
deficit."
Jennifer Cole-Opitz, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"The government could figure out who actually needs Social Security to survive.
People who make over a million dollars don't really need any more money."
Melanie Erickson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"We also must ensure the public that they'll not face economic devastation after
retirement. Many low-income workers have been counting on government support all their
lives and would be unprepared if Social Security was cut. Reform must occur at least to
keep their faith in the government."
Jennifer Cole-Opitz, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"Another problem with Social Security is that about ten precut of earned income is
paid in for the tax. That is an expensive tax to pay, even though the employer will pay
half of the amount."
Melanie Erickson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"So what is my solution to the Social Security problem? Privatization. Yes, some
people will fall into poverty. Yes, some people will not invest their money wisely and
have nothing when they retire. Yes, some people will lose money which they already paid
into the system. At the same time, though, people will be free to make their own choices.
Privatization would generate much more money for the American worker compared to the
Social Security plan of today. If privatization isn't installed, how many people would be
left with nothing when they decide to retire forty years down the road? Privatization is
the only answer."
Chance Langeress, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"I think the third plan, increasing the age to receive Social Security benefits
retirement, would make the most sense, since when Social Security was enacted, life
expectancy in this country was 61.7 years; now expectancy has increased to 76.3 years, and
it is time for the Social Security law to reflect this demographic change. I think that it
would also have the least harsh effects."
Jessica Loughlin, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"In conclusion, any type of reform would suit me, as long as reform occurs. Like
former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker said, ‘I don't think there's
anything in this situation that requires the kind of cutbacks that provide real hardships
to American people if we do it in a timely way, if we do it in a variety of ways, that
produce a result without producing hardships or hurting the poorest sector of the economy.
The problem now is I think people don't fully understand a sense of crisis because it's
always off the next decade or two decades or three decades away. . . Let's stop passing
the buck. We must keep in mind, however, that we can't please all the people all the time.
There is no immediate cure, but we can begin to remedy the situation."
Jennifer Cole-Opitz, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"My feeling are that the Social Security system needs to be changed for all of the
reasons I have explained. The system has worked for sixty years, but now there are
problems that need to be dealt with. If actions are not taken, the problems will become
worse and Social security will fall apart. Temporary solutions will not do! The Social
Security system is like a crutch, not a full cast, for retirement. Susan Dentzer says,
‘The message is deadly clear about just how much pain it will take to repair these
programs and restore the nation's fiscal health.’ "
Jessica Bohn, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"I consulted my mother on her views about the Social Security crisis. She believes
that welfare should be eliminated and the funds normally generated for that should be
added to the Social Security budget. ‘But Mom,’ I said to her bewildered,
‘what about people who can't work?’ ‘Name one person who can't work.’
After naming people with all kinds of handicaps and setbacks, my mother answered with five
jobs each could perform. ‘You see, anyone can work. They just need to accentuate
their abilities, not their disabilities.’ She was right; the philosophy ‘you
don't work, you don't eat’ never hurt anyone. Why not make people earn the
no-string-attached money they receive from the government? Whether it's digging ditches or
visiting shut-ins, recipients can take pride in themselves and their work. By eliminating
welfare and turning its annual income over to Social Security, we could support our
elderly and provide assistance to those who really need it. I see nothing wrong with
asking aid recipients to contribute to the society that's contributing to them."
Jennifer Cole-Opitz, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin