Sunday, October 17, 2010

Two Questions for Candidate Rob Woodall

I have two questions. The first is rhetorical for Tea Party supporters and Republicans but I would like an answer from Mr. Woodall. I will preface this question to Mr. Woodall and this audience by telling you I’m a big and small L libertarian and I plan to vote for Mr. Woodall.

We all say we are for small government. We all are concerned about the deficit and the mounting national debt that we will leave for the next generations to pay. We also all know that entitlements, particularly social security and medicare benefits for the Baby Boom generation are the crux of the problem.

Many think it is immoral for the government to tax us and redistribute the money. Well, the government has been taxing us for social security and medicare for decades and redistributing those funds. When the system began to slip toward insolvency in 1983 Congress increased social security taxes ostensibly to shore up Social Security but put the money in the general fund and spent it, leaving IOUs that will need to be funded soon.

Without discussing the constitutionality of SS and Medicare as a redistribution program it is immoral. If so why is it moral for us, when it’s our turn, to accept medicare and social security, knowing full well that we are burdening the next generation with economically debilitating debt and/or additional taxes? Is that not just as immoral? That’s question one. So, we have a choice, or do we, which leads to my second question.

There’s no law that I can find requiring me to register for social security but it appears to be illegal to NOT sign up for medicare when I turn 65? Is that true?