Senator Clinton recently announced her plan for yet another new government subsidy for the middle class. This one is to encourage investment: if an individual puts away money for retirement, the government would match some portion of it, depending on their income level.
But as George Will points out in an op-ed today, in the past Senator Clinton has tarred the idea of investing in the stock market as a "risky scheme." Senator Clinton opposed proposals to allow individuals to use a portion of their Social Security contributions to fund personal retirement accounts as "a dangerous gamble that would make retirement insecure by linking retirement savings to the stock market. Echoing a trope from Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign, she said investing retirement funds in the stock market was a "'risky scheme.'"
Will uses this as just one example of Democrats' attempts to pander to the middle class with promises of government largess.
It's important to note that not only are Democrats like Senator Clinton promising a slew of expensive new taxpayers-provided programs for favored voters, they are also ignoring the problems in existing programs. Senator Clinton, for example, has yet to provide any hint of what she would do to solve Social Security's financial problems, as I wrote about here.
Investment in the market is a good idea, but creating costly new government entitlement programs is not. Let's hope that Senator Clinton applies her new love of saving and investment to the federal retirement program that's already exists.
3 Comments
len hrica | October 19, 2007, 3:20pm | #
like her hubby before..hilary will say and do whatever it takes to secure power...sans ethics/values/honesty...she might make a good waffle maker....
Oscar S. Booth | October 23, 2007, 1:03pm | #
I want to think one and all for the attention Given to Hillroy Clinton.
With all the attention and comments given, I don't see how she could possibly loose.
ron jones | October 24, 2007, 10:29pm | #
I cannot believe the vitriolic diatribes that all of you conservatives are preaching about Hillary. How come there was never anything about Cheney and Halliburton, or Ken Star and the false accusations against the Clintons for which the taxpayers spent $40 million. Look at all of the deception on the aprt of the administration. Is this the pot calling the kettle black or what?