Strengthen not eliminate Social Security

Social Security, created in 1935 as a safety net for Americans in their golden years, has been a target of Republicans for generations. During the Reagan administration, Congress was pressured to raise the age requirement for collecting full benefits and reduce the amount paid to recipients. Moreover, President George W. Bush advocated privatizing Social Security, and Mitt Romney famously called it a Ponzi scheme. Despite Republican opposition, the plan has survived intact for the future.

If the GOP dismantles Social Security or trusts it to the states or private sector, it will be destined to fail, and the death knell of the party as Americans rebel. 

Unlike the past, significantly fewer companies offer employee pension plans, forcing Americans to rely heavily on Social Security or savings when they retire. Today, most pensions are provided in the public sector for those lucky Americans.  Now that the Trump Administration and Republican-controlled legislatures are fighting to eliminate retirement packages for federal and state employees and replace them with a 401 (k), the future looks bleaker. 

 The 401 (k) retirement system was introduced in the 1980s as a safety net for Americans, alongside Social Security.  The employee contributes a percentage of his earnings, which the employer matches. The downside is that it is not mandatory and, in most instances, is based on the Stock Market. Additionally, many companies fail to offer them, and for those that do, employees are allowed to borrow from their 401 (k) and replenish it, which could spell trouble for the future. 

While facing financial uncertainty about their future, Americans will not go down without a fight if Social Security is drastically modified or eliminated. Because of inflation, high rent, and unrealistic mortgages, citizens are guaranteed to pack town hall meetings, picket Congress, and engage in violence if Republicans make good on a promise since the Sixties to do away with this government entitlement. They will also show up at the polls in large numbers to reject the GOP.

Instead, Social Security should be strengthened, along with a mandatory national savings program, like that proposed by President Obama.  It would soften the landing pad of retirement and give Americans something to look forward to when they leave the workforce.

Trends in Georgia Higher Education: Update from February 1 2, 2017

 African American students in Georgia have always looked forward to attending a historically black college or university in the University System of Georgia.  Many have enrolled as first-generation college students or followed a path set by their parents.  However, due to a recent phenomenon in higher education in the State, this may no longer be the case.

Historically black State institutions of higher learning in Georgia may be forced to combine with predominantly white public colleges and universities to streamline services if the Board of Regents has its way. It could spell the end of one endangered HBCU's motto of "education on a personal level."

Only Albany State University, one of three State-supported HBCUs in Georgia, has seen its mission altered thus far. It recently merged with Darton State College in 2015, a predominantly white institution located on the city's Westside, with ASU serving as its flagship campus. With expanded course offerings in nursing,  biology, and education, it is a force to be reckoned with in Southwest Georgia.  The two campuses recently combined their athletic teams to serve a student body of nearly 8,000 men and women.  It should translate into jobs in an economically strapped area.

Savannah State University,  the second of Georgia's three State-funded HBCUs, is being considered for a merger with Armstrong State, a public, predominantly white university also in Savannah.  With the consolidation of similar institutions already finalized by the  Board of Regents, these schools may not escape their fate despite being located on Georgia's booming coast. However, unlike Albany and other places where downsizing has become the new normal on the college level,  Savannah boasts old money capable of fighting such a move all the way to the State capital.  If not, it could lead to an educational powerhouse in the State's oldest city, with better opportunities for those in the area. 

Lastly, historically black Fort Valley State University, the state's only other public HBCU, may be spared for obvious reasons. There is no compatible institution within proximity that hasn't already lost its independence, such as Macon State College or Middle Georgia State College in nearby Cochran.  In addition,  African Americans in Georgia will insist that at least one state-sponsored HBCU remain intact to welcome students from challenging backgrounds.

The reaction around the state has been mostly positive, which could bolster post-secondary education in the state.

Update:  Armstrong State University in Savannah recently merged with Georgia Southern University, fifty miles away, leaving Savannah State University intact. The Board of Regents has also decided to merge nearby East Georgia State College in Swainsboro with Georgia Southern University in Statesboro for economic reasons.