As usual, the country is dealing with many controversies, most of which tend to be debated as standalone issues. The fact is, they are often intertwined with one another.
Take the case of immigration and Social Security. No matter what opinion you hold about immigration, many political liberals and conservatives agree that the future of Social Security will be much worse without an inflow of immigrant workers.
A Bipartisan Policy Center white paper states that immigrants “can help boost economic growth and mitigate some of the demographic challenges created by an aging population and declining domestic birth rates.”
And N.Y. Post columnist John Crudele agreed earlier this year, writing that “the only answer to keep the Social Security pyramid functioning is to allow people from other countries to come here to work, pay taxes and contribute to Social Security.”
I have written about potential solutions in the design and financing of Social Security here, here and here. The longer we wait to address the issues, the more difficult it will be to solve them.
Share your thoughts about Social Security. Write to me at Ask Jerry.