Doing just fine

A big triumph of the progressive movement is the adoption of Social Security expansion. Democrats from Obama on down have signed on to the idea. Joan McCarter of Daily Kos posed five questions to Nancy Altman, founding co-director of Social Security Works. This is some of what was said.

In spite of those on the right convincing the Millenials that SS system is so broken it won't be around for them, SS is doing just fine. The right has been pushing that idea since about the time SS was signed by Franklin Roosevelt and it hasn't come true yet.

SS benefits are quite modest – we can afford it. And it is well run with administration costing less than 1%. So it won't take any more admin costs to expand the SS system. The expansion issues are:

* Help with the looming retirement income crisis.

* Add paid sick leave, paid family leave, caregiver credits, children's allowances.

* Lower the age to qualify for Medicare, the medical part of the SS idea, until it becomes Medicare for all.

Expanding Social Security can cultivate allies among the young. The SS system works better when the workforce is better educated and has well-paying jobs. So supporters of SS should also support debt-free college. They should also support workers rights, collective bargaining, and raising the minimum wage.