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Article: Social Security: "sacred cow" of entitlement programs.
- Article from:
- USA TODAY
- Article date:
- November 1, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Society for the Advancement of Education. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In August, 1994, the Federal Bipartisan Commission on Entitlements and Tax Reform issued a preliminary report warning that government spending for entitlements--including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Unemployment Insurance--is growing at such a rapid rate that, unless Congress acts soon, it could bankrupt the country. The public has been hearing that message for some time now, but not paying heed to it.
While the possible bankruptcy of Federal entitlement programs is a very real prospect, there is another issue that needs to be addressed first. Politicians must start dealing honestly with the public about these programs, especially Social Security, in ...