Never Say Never, but Newt?

It is my understanding that by next February Mr. Gingrich will consult with his wife and family and decide whether he should make a run for President in 2012. He was such a lightening rod can't help wondering if he can ever shake the scandal of notifying his wife while she was in the hospital that he "had other plans." Somehow I'm thinking that's doubtful.

This does not mean, however, that he isn't a man of good, even great, ideas and interestingly enough his take on Social Security changes matches much of what my message was a few years ago.

Briefly, I had figured out the costs and actual personal benefits to making just a beginning of a move to individuals taking ownership of a part of their benefits in the SS program.

If individuals were able to invest just 1/6th of the amounts they contributed to FICA on average and at retirement receiving a thousand dollar average which is what it is right now, over a 40 year working life, the worker would have $100,000 in a personal account. Investment proceeds could add to the income or they could do something really special. It'a quite difficult for families earning $30,000 to be able to start savings plans. One fact usually overlooked would be that this would be passed to heirs in case of death which does not happen now.

Granted there are market ups and downs, but over 40 years of stock market history there would be little loss. And of course this would be totally voluntary. The Newt outlook sounded like 100% privatization, but if phased in over perhaps 60 years it would arguably be something we should look at. In fact, given the possibility of the Obama and liberal/progressive politicians who want to change everyone's 401Ks into annuities and combined with the Social Security program, I'm thinking most people would jump at the opportunity. (This doesn't have all the details, but you get the idea.)

Anyway, with all these possibilities being dropped into the mix, we should be looking at many ideas for the "food for thought" category. Forewarned is forearmed?

God bless.......