Friday, June 30, 2006

LMS for Conservatives

Writing in the American Spectator this week, David Hogberg asks some good questions about how conservatives should react to the LMS plan and Social Security reform more broadly:

Since the LMS plan is a sincere effort at compromise, and since much of the left would still oppose it were Congress to seriously consider it, it would be worthwhile for those of us on the political right to contemplate just how much we would be willing to give up to achieve reform. Of most concern would be the increase in the earnings cap, a tax increase that would fall hard on small businessmen and women, some of conservatives' biggest supporters. Could we, say, accept a plan with only an add-on personal account in exchange for only a minimal rise in the earnings cap and the rest funded via debt? Or should we demand a carve-out in exchange for any increase in taxes?
I think the answer to the last two questions should be affirmative.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Conservatives should decide on what one thing they would like to see in such a plan and allow liberals to craft the balance, or they should simply abandon it altogether. Conservatives will never be trusted to redefine it to their ends.

flanok said...
This comment has been removed by the author.