My grandparents are great. My dad's parents come up to Milwaukee every now and then to take me around town and then out for a nice dinner. My mom's parents send me some money and a really nice card every month. They always call to make sure I'm alive and to remind me that they are proud of me even after another mid-term F.

They are truly in the golden years, not working much and living pretty comfortably. They don't want for anything and they are happy. I just hope that 60 years from now, when I am old and gray that I have that same kind of comfort. That's why I hope Social Security gets a major facelift before it starts to look like Liz Taylor.

President Bush's overhaul plan for Social Security has lost steam. Privatization was a tougher sell then people in the administration thought. Hurricane Katrina hasn't helped the sell either. The media took the Bush administration to the woodshed because of its slow response to Katrina. Top GOP members like Charles Grassley concede plans to revamp the system are likely, "dead until next year."

Four or five presidents down the road we will be able to judge President Bush and the major changes that took place in his presidency. How, or if, he restructures Social Security is going to be the second most defining moment of his eight years in the Oval Office.

By 2017, the Social Security system will be paying out more money than it takes in. While there are many opponents to the idea of privatization I applaud Bush for acknowledging the elephant in the room. The archaic pay-and-go system needs to be eradicated.

The best plan of action would be a middle ground between privatization and the current system. People should have a percentage of their paycheck taken for Social Security but should also be given an extra portion of their paycheck to manage on their own. That way households can manage money as they choose but can also have a safety net to fall back on.

Social Security was created to make sure people could live the latter years of their lives without dumpster diving for food and clothing. If something doesn't change soon we are likely to see hundreds of grannies fighting over a dented can of peas from garbage cans.

OK, that may be a bit of an overstatement. But it is reasonable to think that the Social Security system needs an overhaul. When I get to be a card-carrying member of the AARP I want to know I'll be able to live as comfortably as my grandparents. A change to the Social Security system will assure there is enough gold for everybody's golden years.

This viewpoint was published in The Marquette Tribune on October 4, 2005.