Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for April 10, 2005

Transcript:

George W. Bush: See...look...ocst drivers! Helps on the red! Make any sense? Mark: This must be shared! Hey, folks - confused about the Bush plan for Social Security? Well, help is on the way! Here - in his own words*-the president explains! George W. Bush: Because the - all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases...there's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those - changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be - or closer delivered to what has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cuase the - like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate - the benefits will rise based upon inflation, as opposed to wage increases...There is a reform that would help solve te red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those - if that growth is affected...it will help on the red. Mark: 'Nuff said!