Social Security - There is no locked box!

From Chicagotribune.com

The entitlement crisis existed long before the current recession. Consider Social Security: In 1950 there were 16 workers for every person receiving Social Security benefits; in 2015 there will be only three workers for each beneficiary; by 2030 the ratio will be down to an estimated 2.2 to 1.

Perhaps the greatest misconception regarding Social Security is that a trust fund exists. There is no locked box! Since 1939 a federal law has required Social Security to "invest" its extra money in Treasury bonds. In other words, the government lends the money to itself. The extra money then becomes part of other tax revenues and is spent on programs such as education, foreign aid and defense.