8th Dist. hopeful Greenberg: Privatize social security

The two candidates for Illinois' 8th House District seat have similar stances on some hot-button issues, but differ dramatically on others.

U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean and political challenger Steve Greenberg have nearly identical feelings about citizenship for illegal immigrants, gay marriage and gun rights.

They stand apart, however, on the future of Social Security, abortion rights and health care.

Bean, a two-term Democrat from Barrington, and Greenberg, a Long Grove Republican making his first bid for public office, shared opinions on many issues in interviews and questionnaires for the Daily Herald.

The 8th District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties. The seat carries a two-year term.

Social security

Greenberg, a business owner and former professional athlete, believes Social Security should eventually be privatized so people could use payroll taxes diverted to create their own private retirement accounts. That can only happen, he said, after current senior citizens receive their payments.

"We need to make sure we protect those who have bought into the system," Greenberg said.

Starting with a future generation, people gradually should be allowed to opt out of the traditional Social Security system, he said. For example, a new system could start by allowing people 40 or younger to maintain private funds, he said.

Bean, who joined the House in 2005, doesn't believe Social Security should be privatized. Allowing even a small portion of workers to opt out of paying into the current Social Security system would create a dangerous shortfall, she said.

"We wouldn't be able to cover the checks that current recipients are receiving," Bean said.

Gun control

Bean said she has consistently supported gun rights and doesn't advocate new legislation restricting gun ownership.

Greenberg also supports the right to bear arms, but said he would consider legislation banning a certain type of weapon or ammunition if a sheriff told him it was creating hazards on the streets. He cited armor-piercing rounds as an example.

Abortion

Greenberg said he believes abortion is right only in cases of rape or incest, or to protect the life of the mother.

Bean supports a woman's legal right to have an abortion.

If the landmark Roe v. Wade case were to be overturned, both candidates said, states should decide whether abortion should be legal.

Gay marriage

Bean said marriage should be between a man and a woman. However, she said the states should decide whether gay couples should be allowed to wed.

Greenberg said he would support a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

"I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. And I would have no problem reaffirming (that)," he said.

However, like Bean, he said it's an issue best left to the individual states.

Citizenship

Greenberg and Bean both oppose creating a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Both oppose a general amnesty, too.

Health care

Both candidates oppose universal health care, a system in which all residents of a nation are offered government-funded medical services, but have different ideas for the future of the system. They both say health care should be more affordable and more widely available.

Bean said lawmakers must eliminate waste and fraud in programs such as Medicare and Medicaid to ensure their solvency. She has voted to expand health care to more children, and supports legislation that would improve health-information technology, reduce duplicative paperwork and keep patient records up-to-date and thorough.

Greenberg said health care can be made more affordable by trimming back covered medical services for 18- to 33-year-olds. They should only get basic insurance covering two checkups and a catastrophic emergency, he said.