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Christopher Reed on Social SecurityRepublican challenger |
Reed was confronted by crowd member Robert D. Williams, a 79-year-old Democrat from Indianola, who said poor people were left with nothing before Social Security was created. "The Social Security system, the only way it's going to be solvent, is that we have none of this talk about or action about people opting out and taking their money and doing something else," Williams said.
Harkin also expressed opposition to the idea. "If privatization is so good, why didn't it work for all those years before we had Social Security?" Harkin said. "The reason we have Social Security was because the private sector wouldn't do this, couldn't do it."
A: Well, I think that is a broken promise to Americans. They were sold a bill of goods when the Social Security came out, that's a promise this country made people, we have to honor it.
Q: How do you feel about something like means testing, where wealthier Americans don't get the same Social Security benefit that lower income Americans get?
A:
Q: So you favor some kind of a private account?
A: I would favor the option. You should be given the option in this country. You shouldn't have to be given to a socialized system. If you want to opt out of and be in control of your own retirement you should be allowed to in this country. Q: Let's look to history. Social Security was a Depression era program when the nation didn't have a retirement system, a lot of people were in poverty. Was it a mistake?
A: I think it was a benevolent idea but when you take the power out of the people's hands and put it into the government hands that's not going to solve anything.
Q: So, it was a mistake?
A: Possibly yes.
