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A new study shows health disparities cost Texas billions of dollars; Senate rejects impeachment articles against Mayorkas, ending trial against Cabinet secretary; Iowa cuts historical rural school groups.

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The Senate dismisses the Mayorkas impeachment. Maryland Lawmakers fail to increase voting access. Texas Democrats call for better Black maternal health. And polling confirms strong support for access to reproductive care, including abortion.

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Rural Wyoming needs more vocational teachers to sustain its workforce pipeline, Ohio environmental advocates fear harm from a proposal to open 40-thousand forest acres to fracking and rural communities build bike trail systems to promote nature, boost the economy.

Wave Of Baby Boomers Won’t Overwhelm Social Security

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Wednesday, January 5, 2011   

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - The first wave of the baby boom generation, born in 1946, officially hit retirement age on January 1, and analysts say the system is well-prepared to handle the influx of retirements. According to Ted Boettner, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, even if nothing changes, there is enough money in the system to pay Social Security benefits for the next two-and-a-half decades.

"If nothing were done, the program could pay full benefits until the year 2037. Social Security is in great financial shape and will be over the next 25 years, even if we do nothing."

Congress has borrowed money from the Social Security trust fund over the years, but Boettner explains the obligation to pay that money back is well understood and, in his view, completely doable.

Another factor is the number of 'boomer' retirees who are likely to keep paying into the system instead of getting benefits. Sam Wilson with AARP says their surveys show a lot of people in this age group have already decided to keep working instead of heading to the sidelines.

"About half of them do plan to retire, but then there's another one-third of them that are going to continue to work just as though nothing happens when they turn 65."

Some in Congress have said they want to cut Social Security benefits and raise the retirement age. Boettner believes that would be unfair to the people who lost much of their savings in the recent stock market crash.

"The workers who are near retirement who have lost most of their money in their retirement savings in the market collapse of 2008-2009, they're going to need Social Security, now more than ever."

A Widener University study of working baby boomers found seven out of ten indicated they may work longer, if for no other reason than to continue to receive medical benefits.



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