The American Spectator

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br> South Carolina /p>

I, for one, am delighted that the debate over real reform of Social Security is coming at a time when the facts at hand give us (gasp, choke) privatizers some potent ammunition to use against those who want to build a bridge to the 19th Century.

One needs to look no further than the Federal Government's own Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) to see what a "basket" of professionally managed investment options can do to supplement a necessarily reduced social security benefit. The TSP basket of investments includes moderate risk as well as low risk investment options.

Since the late '80s, when civil service retirement was bifurcated into two programs (we older feds were allowed to opt out if we had substantial time under the old system), the TSP has accumulated some very good data that will show that the growth over time which works for federal employees can and will work for the larger population.

Of course, many TSP participants weren't thrilled with their rate of return (actually shrinkage in assets) when the tech bubble burst in 2000, but markets have recovered, as history teaches us, and the arrival of TSP statements are once again a happy event at Federal employee homes.

p>We have the ammo to win this argument. The only question remaining is does the Administration and the Congress have the grit to pass something meaningful? If they do, the investor class will swell, to the detriment and woe of our socialist, income transfer loving "friends" on the left. br> -- Frank Stevenson br> Williamsburg, Virginia /p>

"Let people manage the money themselves: They have to do better than the .86 percent annual return the Feds get for them."

p>How hard will that be? I could almost match that return by hiding the money in a coffee can. Even CD's would outproform such an anemic return. br> -- Boris Berejan M.D.

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