Before last week’s presidential and legislative elections, which were on everyone’s minds, many people sent me emails saying something like this: “I’m afraid these next elections will bring radical changes to social security . So, even though I didn’t want to apply for Social Security for a few years, I’m going to do it now so that I’m grandfathered into the current system and no President or Congress pulls the rug out from under me! » Then they ask me if I think it’s a good idea.

Here’s my answer: NEVER make a decision about when to start your Social Security benefits based on policy. Instead, make this decision based on your financial situation, expected longevity, marital status and other personal considerations often discussed in this column.

Why not politics? Well, think about this. For 50 years now, people have made the same comment to me. In other words, as early as the 1970s and 1980s, people were telling me, “I’m afraid that so-and-so (insert your political villain here) is elected and that he (or she) will ruin Social Security like that.” we know it. .” Of course, that never happened. Social Security continues to move forward, no matter who is sitting in the Oval Office.

Certainly, Social Security has been reformed over the years and changes have been made to laws affecting people’s eligibility for benefits. But if these changes were major, they almost always took place over a long period of time.

Case in point: In 1983, Congress raised the retirement age from 65 to 67. But he didn’t do it overnight. They have gradually increased the increase in age over a period of more than four decades. In fact, it won’t be until 2027 that people born in 1960 will finally reach full retirement age, 67.

If in the near future Congress raises the retirement age again (and I bet it will happen during my next 10 Social Security checks), it won’t be people currently in their 60s who will be affected by this change. Instead, it will be our children, and more likely our grandchildren, who will have to wait until an older age before they can retire with full Social Security benefits.

Many readers have also lamented to me that with 10,000 baby boomers retiring every day, the Social Security system is heading toward a financial cliff, and yet no one seems to be doing anything about it .

Well, there’s a lot of blame to go around. Liberals and Democrats deserve their share of responsibility, because they very often tend to bury their heads in the sand and ask themselves: “What problem with Social Security? They’re running on a platform that basically says, “I won’t let these evil Republicans play with your Social Security benefits!” »

Some conservatives and Republicans deserve praise for at least being willing to discuss Social Security reform. But they also deserve their share of the blame, because they often propose far-fetched and completely impractical solutions to the problem – such as “privatizing” the system or eliminating the taxation of Social Security benefits, which would drain $48 billion per year. year of an already underfunded program. .

You may remember this phrase from Shakespeare Julius Caesar when Cassius tries to convince Brutus that Caesar was not chosen by the gods to rule Rome, but rather by the actions of the citizens. Cassius said: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves. »

If I were a great bard today and wrote a piece about the lack of progress on Social Security reform, I would say: “The fault, dear reader, is not with our politicians , but to ourselves. » In my humble opinion, the public deserves its share of responsibility because they say they want reform, but they tend to vote otherwise.

For example, if I ran for Congress with a plan to raise the Social Security retirement age to 68; slightly reduce future increases in the cost of living; and by raising Social Security’s payroll taxes by just a quarter of 1 percent (three very viable solutions to Social Security’s long-term fiscal problems), my opponent would run offensive ads claiming that “If you vote for Tom Margenau, he will increase your salary.” taxes and cut your grandmother’s Social Security checks at the same time! And guess what? Gullible people would fall for this argument and I would lose the election in a landslide.

Not long ago, amid ongoing budget negotiations between then-President Barack Obama and Republican leaders in the House of Representatives, the president resisted pressure he felt to from many members of his own party and proposed a reduction in future costs. living increases for Social Security recipients as a way to reduce government spending.

You would think that Republicans would have welcomed this proposal with open arms. But what happened? Many of them immediately took to the airwaves and their Twitter accounts to lambast the president for “trying to balance the budget on the backs of our poor and deserving elderly citizens.” This is the same thing Democrats said when the president first proposed the COLA reforms.

Do you see why Social Security reform can be so infuriating and frustrating? Do you see why there is a lot of blame for the lack of meaningful change? Do you see why Democrats should be ashamed of themselves? Do you see why Republicans should be ashamed of themselves? Do you see why the people and voters should be ashamed of themselves?

I guess everyone says they want reforms, but what they mean is they want reforms that impact each other. They don’t want their Social Security checks reduced or their grandmother’s benefits reduced, but they wouldn’t mind if this other, less deserving man’s benefits were reduced. And they don’t want their Social Security taxes to be increased or their kids’ taxes to be increased, but they wouldn’t mind if this other guy’s payroll taxes were increased.

So what to do? Here is my suggestion. Go to Amazon.com and buy my book, Social security – Simple and smart. There is a chapter in this book that explains the financing of social security and offers very achievable and realistic reform proposals.

And the next time a candidate presents himself on a program including one or more of these reforms, give him your vote.

If you have a question about Social Security, Tom Margenau offers two books with all the answers. One is called Social Security – Simple and smart: 10 easy-to-understand factsheets that will answer all your questions about social security. The other is Social Security: 100 myths and 100 facts. You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book sales outlets. Or you can send him an email at [email protected]. To learn more about Tom Margenau, read previous columns, and see features from other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.createurs.com.