Newsweek blogger and former Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in California Mickey Kaus backs not just cutting but eliminating Social Security benefits for those earning $200,000 a year or even less. He asks, "What's a better use for our money: sending retirement checks to rich people or providing modern health care to everyone?"
The "our money' formulation is a classic. Not even liberal Ted Turner buys it: "I paid for Social Security. It's my own money I'm getting back. Social Security, we get taxed for Social Security. In my opinion. I think Social Security -- since you paid for it, it's yours and you're entitled to get it."
Kenneth Langone does, though: "it makes little sense to send Treasury checks to high net-worth people in the form of Social Security....I guarantee you that many millionaires and billionaires will gladly forego it."
