[Mr. Bird]

Remember when Newt brought up orphanages, and there was a public outcry lamenting images of Oliver Twist and abused children? Well if they don't want to "reform" SS to allow for personal ownership and savings, this is what I propose:

No more cash payments of SS, starting in say, 25 years. If you are old and need assistance, you can either get help from your family, or you can check in to a nice, government run retirement hell hole. You get a roof over your head (and probably a roommate), 3 squares a day, and a nurse on hand to wipe your chin.

I believe that would provide a decent incentive for people to save for retirement, and would cut costs tremendously. Never mind the details right now, just threaten them with "the home", and see what kind of reform we get.

[cupcakes]

If you are saving it for 25 yrs out, I doubt you'll get much since a good number of the boomers will have kicked off by then. You'll be threatening an already strapped generation of xers and y with something when they would be happy right now with reform.

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

No more cash payments of SS, starting in say, 25 years. If you are old and need assistance, you can either get help from your family, or you can check in to a nice, government run retirement hell hole. You get a roof over your head (and probably a roommate), 3 squares a day, and a nurse on hand to wipe your chin.

Close, but this idea can be improved upon.
Instead of a nurse on hand to wipe your chin, save the nurses for medical stuff, then take all the welfare, food-stampers, AFDC, etc. freeloaders and put them to work in these hell holes wiping up chins, behinds, changing depends, moping up spills, etc.
Then, take all the retired congress critters and put them to work in the kitchens.

Works for me!