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I have a fix for Social Security, and it has been in my mind for 35 years. Had we done “it” 35 years ago, every working American would now be putting 35% of their FICA tax, PLUS 35% of the employer’s payroll tax, into an account with his or her NAME ON IT.

But, of course, “it” wasn’t done 35 years ago, nor any time since; but it is not too late to start.

Here “it” is: the first year, 99% of FICA and payroll goes where it has always gone — into the Social Security fund — very little pain there for current benefits. Might ask for a 1% cut in present benefits (on average maybe $13 a month), just to show good faith. Also in the first year, 1% of FICA and payroll tax goes into an account with the employee’s name on it. No one but the employee or his/her survivors has any access to it.

In the second year, 98%—2%. Third year, 97%—3% and so on. How painless is that? Almost imperceptible.

Along with the one-time 1% benefit cut, enact a 1 year per decade increase in retirement age (so people have plenty of time to prepare). Then, sunset the ridiculous SSI boondoggle. It is nothing more than a Christmas tree ornament that has millions of Americans feigning bad backs or jake legs and hiring lawyers to help get them into SSI heaven, thus to help them live out their lives in Snaggletooth Estates, wearing sleeveless bare midriff T-shirts and selling dogs — while costing taxpayers a fortune.

It would take 100 years, but it would totally end Social Security as we know it, an allow our descendants to have a far better form of it. The beauty is that the process would begin immediately; and decade-by-decade, we would see a greater and greater increment of the entire society being invested in work and saving for retirement.