Candidates in 8th District differ on Social Security

Long-term Social Security solvency is one issue where voters can find differences among three candidates running in the 8th Congressional District's Republican primary.

Steve Greenberg of Long Grove and Gurnee residents Ken Arnold and Kirk Morris are in the race. Declared Republicans will select from the candidates in the Feb. 5 primary, with the winner moving on to the November general election.

All three candidates addressed Social Security's future in response to written questions from the Daily Herald and follow-up interviews. The 8th Congressional District stretches across Cook, McHenry and Lake counties.

Morris, 49, said Social Security should be restructured so citizens at the beginning or middle of their working careers can become empowered to more effectively manage their retirement decisions.

One idea Morris said he'd push for is allowing a portion of Social Security taxes to be placed in personal, portable investment accounts.

"Social Security was never designed to be a primary source of revenue in our retirement years," said Morris, a biofuels manufacturing company sales executive whose Marine son died in the Iraq war.

Greenberg, 36, said the federal government has a duty to provide all the Social Security benefits that have been promised. Greenberg said he wouldn't change Social Security benefits.

Money to ensure Social Security funding could be found by eliminating wasteful government spending, in part by having an annual return-on-investment study of federal agencies, he said.

"I think the biggest thing is it's more than a revenue issue; it's a spending issue," said Greenberg, a former minor-league hockey player whose family franchises the Ben Franklin variety store chain.

Arnold, 51, said he would push to ensure Social Security benefits aren't paid to those who have had short earning periods and didn't pay an adequate amount of taxes into the system. Benefits should never be paid to illegal immigrants, he said.

In addition, Arnold said, a full review is needed of certain Social Security benefits.

"Any incumbent or candidate who states they will keep benefit levels and (eligibility) as they are, without also stating that tax rates could very well double, is lying to you," said Arnold, a senior benefit plan management consultant.

Lindenhurst activist Randi Scheurer is up against incumbent Melissa Bean of Barrington in the Democratic primary.