SS is but 1 of them...& the only 1 where the inflow/outflow can be directly ID'd.
Insolvency by 2042 , etc ??? what BS.
If the Fed needs money, they can sell something, or not build something.
All this "reform" discussion, to what end ?
To what end?
What sort of person are you to ask such a question?
The "end" is to end theft.
Perhaps, but the trend has always been for the Gov't to acquire more 'Assets' and lock them up (Example - Expansion of Wilderness Areas) or expand spending on ever more expensive and intrusive programs (Medicare/Medicaid among a few). I don't see this mindset changing anytime soon since the constituencies of these Programs will not permit any retrenchment and will, IMO, actually fight for even more expenditures. Similarly, I don't envision a Gov't Asset Sale to fund any needs.
"Insolvency by 2042 , etc ??? what BS."
By most any pension accounting protocol the System is virtually bankrupt now. The present value of future benefits greatly exceeds the amounts retained as accumulated surpluses over the past 70 or so years of the program. If you doubt this, just stop everything in place right now, take no new participants in AND do not make ANY further contributions. Then simply pay out the benefits that all existing participants have vested and you'll see this fact in action.
The only way to bring it into balance is to 1) Increase the age at which benefits begin (i.e., reduce the future benefit payout) or 2) Increase the funding rate to make up for the shortfall (i.e., increase either the rate of tax from the current 12+% and/or increase the Cap from 90,000 to some higher number)
I could write several books on this topic but trying to do it through a keyboard on a Thread is the best we've got.