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On World AIDS Day, New Mexico activists say more money is needed for prevention; ND farmers still navigate corporate land-ownership policy maze; Unpaid caregivers in ME receive limited financial grants.

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Secretary of State Antony Blinken urges Israel to protect civilians amid Gaza truce talks, New York Rep. George Santos defends himself as his expected expulsion looms and CDC director warns about respiratory illness as flu season begins.

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Congress has iced the Farm Bill, but farmer advocates argue some portions are urgent, the Hoosier State is reaping big rewards from wind and solar, and opponents react to a road through Alaska's Brooks Range, long a dream destination for hunters and anglers.

Strong Support for Social Security – Even With Higher Taxes

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Monday, November 3, 2014   

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - A new survey finds broad support across party lines and age for the value of Social Security - even when it comes to paying a little more to expand benefits.

The survey of Americans 21 and older finds three out of four value Social Security, with 86 percent agreeing the current program does not provide sufficient income for beneficiaries. Stephen Gorin is a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance, which issued the findings.

"Large numbers of people, including many Republicans who you might not expect, were willing to pay a bit more to ensure that Social Security is solvent well beyond the next 75 years," he says.

The study was based on an online survey in June of more than 2,000 Americans aged 21 and over.

Gorin says the new survey finds more Americans are willing to make tradeoffs such as a gradual increase of one percent over 20 years on the Social Security tax rate.

"A worker who's earning $50,000 a year, might wind up paying 50 cents a week more each year, and that would be matched by the employer," says Gorin. "That would go a long way towards ensuring the stability of the Social Security Trust Fund."

He says most of those surveyed want to see a package of fixes that would support and expand Social Security for 75 years and beyond.

According to Ted Boettner, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, the survey results make sense, especially for younger people with a lot of debt. He says they've been told by critics of the program Social Security won't be there when they're older and will have to be changed. But he says they like the program the way it is now, only stronger.

"With so many students having so much debt piled on their back, the one thing that they do need is a defined benefit that they can count on in the future," says Boettner.



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