Anyone curious as to why the GOP wants to turn Social Security over to the states?

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46777.html

Let states go bankrupt

By GROVER G. NORQUIST & PATRICK GLEASON | 12/24/10 8:52 AM EST Updated: 12/24/10 9:48 AM EST

After two years of bailouts, “stimulus” spending, TARP and earmarks, the country took a deep breath and is now beginning a discussion about the unsustainable trajectory of federal expenditures and the reforms necessary to right the country’s fiscal ship.

This is all good and healthy. However, Washington is not the only place with an overspending problem. We are now starting to see greater attention being paid to the dire financial straits of state governments — which pose just as grave a threat to the country. snip

Heading into 2011, states are facing an overspending-generated budget shortfall of $72 billion, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Coupled with unfunded state and local pension obligations estimated in excess of $3 trillion — a half-trillion in California alone — one understands the concern that states are the next “too big to fail.”

In a recent Wall Street Journal interview, Richard Ravitch — the New York state lieutenant governor and real estate developer, who is best known for helping save New York City from financial ruin in the 1970s — laid out why bankruptcy may be the only way to sort out the mess in Albany.

[CTyankee]

1. They just want to get rid of Social Ssecurity for good!

And Medicare, for that matter.

I don't know why they don't just come right out and say it, instead of all this pussyfooting around.

[Kingofalldems]

2. Pure vandalism meant to destroy.

[CanonRay]

3. Because the Rethug states can turn it over to wall street

and what would be left would be too weak to stand, effectively ending the whole program.

[NNN0LHI]

4. And they can do it one state at a time with little uproar

Try stopping everyone's SS check in the US at once and they know the pitchforks would come out.

The GOP knows this has to be done incrementally and they are patient bastards. This has to be done one state at a time to succeed.

Don

[HappyMe]

7. Yes, that's true.

Tiny baby steps towards eliminating SS altogether.

[doc03]

5. The Rethug states would start cutting SS

and that would start a domino effect for the race to the bottom for SS. Just like jobs have done the last 30 years. At first manufacturers moved south because of the Right to Work laws and then they came up with NAFTA to send jobs to Mexico now they are moving to China. I think Africa will be the next step in the race to the bottom.

[ThomWV]

6. Short Answer: "Divide and Conquer"

Easier by far to concentrate all of your resources on small opponents one at a time than to take on a single big opponent.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. They want to secede

and "reassure" their Teabagger supporters that their SS will be "safe."