Testimony of Michael Bateman

President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security

September 6, 2001

My name is Michael Bateman and I am a 34 year old entertainment industry professional. The cyclical nature of employment in the movie business often allows me to have another profession in the summer months as an ocean lifeguard, and that is how I am currently employed.

Before I dive into what I think is the raw deal my generation is getting with regard to Social Security, let me first say how grateful I am to be an American and to live in this day and age. I am currently reading “The Greatest Generation” by Tom Brokaw, and as I turn each page I am reminded of the selfless sacrifices previous generations have made to make this country great, and how good I have it. This great nation has a proud tradition of each generation building for future generations, dating back to the founding fathers of our country.

The Social Security system was born of this endowment mentality, but sadly, as your commission’s interim report makes clear, it seems to have lost its way. It seems that it has become a system where each generation will pay more, and get less. As with my peers, this deeply troubles me, since it means that for decades I will knowingly contribute to a system that is taking advantage of me. If that doesn't undermine young people's faith in government, I don't know what does.

But beyond this, there is a larger point that I encourage you to be more aggressive in pointing out to my generation: A poor rate of return means that people my age will not be able to retire with dignity. And creating a system that enables low-wage workers of my generation--and those that follow--to retire with dignity should be the goal of your reform.

We should learn a lesson from today's seniors, the majority of whom rely on Social Security for a majority of their income: A generation that is over-reliant on Social Security is a generation that, by and large, is just scraping by. Narrowly escaping poverty is not dignity. This commission's goal should be to provide all workers with at least two streams of income in old age, not just one.

The goal for the 20th century was to lift seniors out of poverty. Our society was remarkably successful in meeting this objective. The goal for the 21st century should be to provide dignity in retirement. As long as you and the Administration act as passionate advocates for dignity in old age, no one can question your motives.

Specifically, I support the idea of individually controlled, voluntary personal retirement accounts for younger taxpayers such as myself. Having read your report, and having followed this issue closely for the past ten years, there is no other way to make a valid promise to my generation without short changing today’s retirees and without over taxing the children of my generation.

And if you fail to make this promise, you will lose the confidence of my generation, and worse, we will be robbed of our ability to make this promise to the next generation, and continue our nation’s great tradition of building for the future. For me, dignity in retirement will be having the honor of knowing that the children of my generation will have it better than we did.

Let me end with a plea to my peers, Americans in their teens, 20s and 30s who may hear my testimony. We must become engaged in this debate, no matter how far off the problem seems. Write to your congress members, write to your senators, write to this commission, and above all: Vote. For if we do not seize the moment now, our leaders will be free to balance this burden on our backs and the backs of our children, and we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

Thank you.