Moore Supports Massive Budget Cuts?

Today the Washington Times have some interesting comments from Representative Dennis Moore regarding his proposal for solving Social Security's massive funding gap. Moore says:

"Rep. Dennis Moore, Kansas Democrat, agreed yesterday that his party members "need to start talking" specifics. Mr. Moore, who represents a district that voted for Mr. Bush last year, offered a "lockbox" proposal in February that would ensure that Social Security trust fund dollars are saved for the program and not used on other government expenses, as now happens. "I'd like to see our party come up with an offer, something to get the dialogue started," said Mr. Moore, who has conferred extensively on the issue with a group of House Democrats, including one party leader. Another Democrat, Rep. Allen Boyd of Florida, is the only party member to have publicly backed any private-accounts plan. "

Moore has supported the idea of a "lock box" before, and it sounds like a good plan, in fact it is a necessary start to dealing with our nations massive fiscal commitments. However there is one big problem with the idea, a problem Moore doesn't have the political courage to deal with. This year the Federal Government will borrow almost $200 billion from Social Security. Additionally the Federal Government will run a budget deficit of approximately $400 billion. That means that in order to "lock box" Social Security you would have to reduce Federal spending by about $600 billion. So, if Moore wants to build this "lock box" then he needs to find a way to cut $600 billion, that will be tough for a man who seems to have "grave concerns" about any proposal to reduce the growth of Federal spending.

This is classic Moore, bemoan a serious problem, come up with a simple sounding solution that requires serious discipline, propose no plan to actually implement the needed changes, criticize those who do come up with a plan.

On another note: Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi is apparently bent out of shape because other Democrats are beginning to offer plans for dealing with Social Security, it appears that Pelosi has intentionally declined to offer a plan instead opting to criticize President Bush.

Democrat Robert Wexler has become the first Democrat to propose a fix for Social Security, as you would expect the plan is simple, an additional 6% income tax imposed today to fund the gap, nice plan.

Timothy Burger