Solving the Social Security Problem by Raising Taxable income to $180,000-Robert Reich makes Gov. Christie look moronically partisan.

The most difficult debate to argue is the one about Social Security. The solution is an easy one, raise taxable income, but because of ideology Republicans refuse to do the "easy" thing. Tough decisions like raising taxes is irrationally, out of the question. No body said it would be easy, and nobody said elected lawmakers shouldn't make tough decisions.  

My other big question to anyone advocating raising the retirement age; who's hiring the 60 plus? Besides denying the job creating future economies of high speed rail and internet, one blustery governor's condescending style has diverted attention away from solving problems. Someone in the awestruck crowd should have asked Gov. Chris Christie recently, who's hiring the 60 plus and why not make the "tough"  easy decision:

Robert Reich added a whole new dimension to the easy solution I mentioned above with this recent post;

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican presidential hopeful, says in order to “save” Social Security the retirement age should be raised. The media are congratulating him for his putative “courage.” Deficit hawks are proclaiming Social Security one of the big entitlements that has to be cut in order to reduce the budget deficit. 

This is all baloney. 

In a former life I was a trustee of the Social Security trust fund. So let me set the record straight. 

Social Security isn’t responsible for the federal deficit. Just the opposite. Until last year Social Security took in more payroll taxes than it paid out in benefits. It lent the surpluses to the rest of the government. 

Back in 1983, the ceiling was set so the Social Security payroll tax would hit 90 percent of all wages covered by Social Security. Today, though, the Social Security payroll tax hits only about 84 percent of total income. It went from 90 percent to 84 percent because a larger and larger portion of total income has gone to the top.  

In 1983, the richest 1 percent of Americans got 11.6 percent of total income. Today the top 1 percent takes in more than 20 percent. 

If we want to go back to 90 percent, the ceiling on income subject to the Social Security tax would need to be raised to $180,000. Presto. Social Security’s long-term (beyond 26 years from now) problem would be solved. 

Not incidentally, several months ago the White House considered proposing that the ceiling be lifted to $180,000. Somehow, though, that proposal didn’t make it into the President’s budget. 

But that's too easy, especially when you can divide the public and create social chaos.