Janet Jeghelian is best known for her 18 years in Boston talk radio and television. Served as a selectman in Westwood; ran as a candidate for US Senate in 1994, and lieutenant governor in 1998. Has BS and MA degrees and served as a trustee of Boston University. Currently she 's a PT and Rehabilitation Director at Stone Institute, Newton.
Question: Given the current economic climate, what are your priorities for the budget surplus and why?
Answer: Washington spends and wastes too much money on an ever broadening array of projects, preempting the roles of state and local governments, families, religious, social, and private organizations. Currently America is economically healthy, more prosperous and highly productive. The Congressional Budget Office reported a surplus of $123 billion for end of 1999 ... ($124 billion in Social Security - $1 billion deficit) but a deficit for all other programs rising by 2000 from $1 billion to $17 billion dollars. Productive, hard-working Americans are responsible for the surplus. The surplus should be divided ... to help shore up Social Security liability - help reduce costs for prescription drugs for the elderly, and provide a tax cut for the workers who created the surplus. A tax cut will further help generate more tax revenue and add to the surplus.
Social Security is a financial disaster and actuarially bankrupt because Social Security funds are taken off budget and used for other programs. Up to a third of an individual 's taxes should be allowed to be used in a privately owned retirement account. Surplus tax revenues could help facilitate the transition.
Government spending should move toward federalism. Federal government should focus on national issues and let the state and local jurisdictions deal with the issues closer to the people through financial block grant method. If Congress can manage to rein in spending, a balanced budget and tax cuts can be easily achieved. The next president should form a Cabinet Council to evaluate and reform federal financial management.
