Solutions

RECORDED OUTSIDE ALL SUMMER !!!!!! Though some might still deny it, there is growing bipartisan belief that our nation’s level of indebtedness is unsustainable. How we reduce the debt burden is another matter; this is where political knives are sharpened. Yet there is one uncontroversial issue that could result in dramatic savings and, interestingly is almost never mentioned: fraud, fraud in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The Social Security Administration (SSA) manages cash benefits for people with disabilities accounting for approximately $150 billion. There are two programs in this category, Disability Insurance (DI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the former for workers with disabilities including family members and the latter for individuals with disabilities who have limited income and resources. Few political issues unite Americans more than congressional term limits. A Gallup poll from 2013 found that an astounding 75 percent of Americans—including huge majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents—support limiting the number of terms that a member of Congress can serve. When American public opinion is this lopsided on an issue, one typically sees politicians scurrying to show themselves to be on the public’s side. This is not the case with term limits.