August 06, 2010
Much of the whining over current and projected future deficits is couched in terms of inter-generational equity. The story goes that we are doing bad things to our children and grandchildren by running up a huge debt that will threaten their living standards. In this story, the bottom line is supposed to be the living standards of future generations.
This should leave the public wondering why it seems that absolutely no one among the deficit whiners (including the reporters and editorial writers) commented on the fact that the Social Security trustees report released yesterday showed much higher wage growth than the previous year’s report. According to the new report, average annual wages (adjusted for inflation) will be 47.8 percent higher in 2040 than in 2010. Last year’s report showed wages would be 39.1 percent higher in 2040 than in 2010.
This higher wage growth projection dwarfs the impact of any potential tax increases that could be necessary to deal with budget deficits. For example, the change from last year’s projections to this year’s projections, if it proves accurate, would have more than twice as much impact in raising living standards as a 3 percentage point increase in the payroll tax would have in reducing living standards.
If the deficit hawk gang was actually concerned about the living standards of future generations, it is inconceivable that they would not be discussing these new projections. The fact that they have completely ignored them suggests that their concern with deficit projections have nothing to do with the living standards of our children and grandchildren.
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