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Anyone paying attention to the debate over Social Security has heard a litany of dates. There’s 2018, when the program is expected to start taking in less in taxes than it pays out in benefits. And there’s 2042 (or 2052 by some estimates), when its trust fund is supposed to run out of money.

(41)___________________

For years, the government has collected more in Social Security taxes than it needed to pay current benefits, Those excess collections are credited to the Social Security Trust Fund, ostensibly to pay future retirees. But there is no actual money in the fund. Instead, the government spends the money for other purposes and issues the fund IOUs.

In 2009, the shell game begins to end. The amount by which Social Security taxes exceed benefits starts to shrink. (42)___________________

The problem could have been avoided, and it still could be reduced.

If the rest of the budget was in good shape--and particul

Anyone paying attention to the debate over Social Security has heard a litany of dates. There’s 2018, when the program is expected to start taking in less in taxes than it pays out in benefits. And there’s 2042 (or 2052 by some estimates), when its trust fund is supposed to run out of money.
(41)___________________
For years, the government has collected more in Social Security taxes than it needed to pay current benefits, Those excess collections are credited to the Social Security Trust Fund, ostensibly to pay future retirees. But there is no actual money in the fund. Instead, the government spends the money for other purposes and issues the fund IOUs.
In 2009, the shell game begins to end. The amount by which Social Security taxes exceed benefits starts to shrink. (42)___________________
The problem could have been avoided, and it still could be reduced.
If the rest of the budget was in good shape--and particularly if the gov