Forum looks at Social Security

Austin was selected to host the first in a series of groundbreaking citizen forums on Social Security that will be held in five cities across the nation. Sponsored by Americans Discuss Social Security and funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Austin forum was held in April. Working in groups of 12, the 500 Travis County residents who participated in the nonpartisan event examined their knowledge of the Social Security system, intergenerational views on aging, the obligations of one generation to another, and the proper role of government in providing financial security for senior citizens. In a letter to forum participants, President Bill Clinton described the forum as an unprecedented opportunity for citizens to engage in a discussion that will have broad implications in the future.

"There is no issue more vital to the future of our nation than ensuring the solvency of the Social Security trust fund for our children, their children, and the children of future generations," he said. "Doing so will require the best of our lawmakers and the public alike. It will require us to be open to new ideas. Most of all, it will require the involvement of the American people, working together to identify common ground and common values, and contributing to the ongoing public policy debate." The Austin event was cohosted by the LBJ School and the Office of the Austin Mayor as well as Austin Community College and St. Edward's University, the Austin Concord Coalition, Public Citizen, the YWCA, three groups dealing with aging and the retired, and four area chambers of commerce.

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