2011 OnTheIssues interview with Jill Stein: on Social Security

Social Security is not in crisis; and it's not a handout

A: Social Security needs to be protected. People have put into Social Security--it is not an entitlement program in that sense. It is not a free lunch, not a government handout--it's a return on what people have put into it. It's critical to elders--their resources are being drained. Debt among elders is skyrocketing--we can hardly afford to trim back Social Security as would happen in a privatized system. We would challenge the very notion that Social Security is in crisis mode warranting messing with its foundations. It's not in crisis at all.

Q: Do you support raising the cap on Social Security deductions, above the current limit of $106,000?

A: The cap could be lifted to ensure that Social Security should be solvent m without question forever.