Jill Stein on Social Security Green Party presidential nominee; Former Challenger for MA Governor

System perfectly solvent when rich pay their fair share

STEIN: Both Obama and Romney-Ryan are both aiming for essentially for the same targets. They're both aiming for Social Security to be about 5% of GDP some years down the line whether it's four or eight years. Obama is already calling for some cuts, basically to the cost of living reimbursements. So, heads up about what is going to happen after the election. You will see the walk differ from the talk. We can fix this. For Social Security, we simply need to raise the cap on Social Security. It will be perfectly solvent when the rich are paying their fair share.

ANDERSON: The Social Security payroll tax is as regressive a tax known to mankind, because if you make one $110,000, you don't pay anything on the income over that amount.

Social Security is not in crisis; and it's not a handout

A: Social Security needs to be protected. People have put into Social Security--it is not an entitlement program in that sense. It is not a free lunch, not a government handout--it's a return on what people have put into it. It's critical to elders--their resources are being drained. Debt among elders is skyrocketing--we can hardly afford to trim back Social Security as would happen in a privatized system. We would challenge the very notion that Social Security is in crisis mode warranting messing with its foundations. It's not in crisis at all.

Q: Do you support raising the cap on Social Security deductions, above the current limit of $106,000?

A: The cap could be lifted to ensure that Social Security should be solvent m without question forever.