Gallup on Bush-style SS scheme

[Andrew English]

When social security privatization is "spun" as "gimme my money and let me
invest it", of course majorities
are going to support it in polls.  But when people are warned that it also
means cuts in lifetime guaranteed
benefits, no inflation-adjustments, and raising the retirement age, they
oppose it overwhelmingly.

You can get people to support their own execution in a poll if you word the
question right.

-Andy English

-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
To: lbo-talk <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2000 3:35 PM
Subject: Gallup on Bush-style SS scheme


>[from Gallup's weekly bulletin]
>
>* Bush on Social Security
>GOP presidential candidate George W. Bush today announced his plan for
>partial privatization of the Social Security system.  In an attempt to
>increase investment returns and prevent bankruptcy of the trust fund in
>2037, Bush's plan would allow workers to personally invest a portion of
>their Social Security taxes in stock market accounts.   A Gallup survey
>earlier this year found close to 2-to-1 public support for this general
>concept. Sixty-two percent of Americans said they favored a proposal that
>would "allow or require people to put a portion of their Social Security
>payroll taxes into personal retirement accounts that would be invested in
>private stocks and bonds," while just 33% opposed it. [January 13-16, 2000]
>Governor Bush is clear that individual workers, but not the government,
will
>be allowed to invest Social Security funds in the stock market.  Indeed,
>when Gallup asked about this two years ago, a sharp distinction in public
>opinion was revealed: 66% favored individual investments, compared to only
>38% who favored the government investing.  [July 13-14, 1998]