First things first?

Social Security's annual surplus nearly evaporated in 2009 for the first time in 25 years as the recession led hundreds of thousands of workers to retire or claim disability.

The impact of the recession is likely to hit the giant retirement system even harder this year and next. The Congressional Budget Office had projected it would operate in the red in 2010 and 2011, but a deeper economic slump could make those losses larger than anticipated.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-02-07-social-security-red-retirements_N.htm

Before we start new programs, can we fix the ones we have?