Better Tomorrow Challenges

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Elder Welfare (age eligibility): Sets the minimum age for males to collect from Social Security to

that of the average life expectancy of males and the minimum age for females to collect to that of the average life expectancy of females. This does not affect those already in Social Security as they are grandfather-caused in. [When Social Security was first introduced, most people didn’t live to the age of 65, the age of eligibility. While white female life expectancy was of 65 years, white male life expectancy was only 61 years, black female life expectancy was only 55.2, and black male life expectancy was only 51.1. Now, on average, white men typically live to 75 and white women to 80 and even black women live to 76 and black men to 70. Having different minimum ages for men and women also recognizes the fact the men die earlier.

This challenge will force Baby Boomers to not retire for another ten years (men) and fifteen years (women) but it will solve the Social Security problem once and for all. Creeping up the retirement age every so many years is NOT the way to go as there will be as much resistance for this major shift as for a long series of little shifts. In fact, there will probably be as much resistance for EACH of the LITTLE shifts as there will be for a single big shift. In other words, you can either slowly pull the band-aid off or quickly rip it off. This challenge quickly rips it off and thus gets the pain done and over with quickly. And once this age escalator is installed in Social Security, the band-aid will be constantly gradually automatically adjusted up so SS will not later become a financial burden on future young workers as currently it is on today's younger workers.

The reason for grandfathering in those currently on Social Security is because they've already left the workforce and thus it would be very difficult for them to re-enter it now. The jobs they left have already been filled (and possibly no longer even exist ... possibly their old employers no longer even exist) and their job skills are also very likely out of date and too rusty.]

Future Challenges:

1) Making the same change for Medicare.

First US Baby Boomer radio talk show host to champion this challenge and:

2) Start and spearhead a crowdfunding project (IndieGoGo, RocketHub, etc.) to create TV commercials featuring the host advocating this challenge and then paying for a national advertising campaign on at least the cable news networks. At least one of the commercials must call upon Baby Boomers to call their US House Representatives and US Senators to bring about this change so they themselves don't bankrupt their children, grandchildren, and society as a whole.

3) Get a sitting member of the US Congress (either chamber) to come onto her/his show and be on record as being in favor of this challenge. Their discussion lasting at least five minutes on the air and then its available for listening on the show's website.

4) Same as Future Challenge #3 but from the other political party.

5) Same as FC #3 but numbering 10 congresspersons. They do not have to all appear at the same time on the show and can appear individually. However, it is preferred that at least one Democrat and one Republican appear together each time to show bipartisan support for the challenge.

6) Same as FC #5 but numbering 25.

7) Same as FC #5 but numbering 50.

8) Same as FC #5 but numbering 100.

9) Same as FC #5 but being a majority of the US House.

10) Same as FC #5 but being a majority of the US Senate.

11) Same as FC #5 but being a veto-proof majority of the US House. By being "veto-proof" it is meant that if the US President vetoes the bill proposing the challenge that there are enough votes in the US House to over-ride the President's veto.

12) Same as FC #11 but being a veto-proof majority in the US Senate.

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