It's clear that no one wans to privatize Social Security, but polling has shown that the Republicans have managed to convince people that Social Security has some long-term financial problems.
On Sunday's Meet the Press, when Gov. Dean suggested to Tim Russert that removing the cap on income subject to Social Security taxation was one path to long-term solvency, Russert called it a tax increase.
We should take a page from the Republican play book.
They used getting rid of the "marriage penalty" as an excuse for a tax cut. They used getting rid of the "death tax" as an excuse for a ridiculously huge tax cut for a tiny number of superwealthy people. Let's call Social Security cap-busting what it is - an end to the two-earner tax penalty.
I don't believe Social Security necessarily has long-term solvency issues, but this would take care of any perceived problems. And the point of it wouldn't be solvency (just a nice side effect) but tax fairness.
A double-income couple earning $75,000 each pays substantially more in Social Security taxes than does a couple with one stay-at-home and one earner making $150,000.
End the Two-Earner Tax Penalty! Having both parents work is hard enough on families without taxing them more. And no one can suggest we cut the two-earner families' taxes instead, because Social Security can't take the hit. And the Republicans have made sure that everyone knows it.