U.S. can't sustain current revenue, spending trends

From Kansascity.com

Now we are concerned about the solvency of Social Security and Medicare (K.C. Star, “Recession Pushes Funds Even Closer to Insolvency, 5/13), yet these are about the only federal programs that still pay for themselves. The 2.9 percent of wages and salaries for Medicare, however, cannot keep up with double-digit inflation in medical costs.

Even though employers pay half of the 15.3 percent in retirement payroll taxes, over 70 percent of taxpayers pay more to Social Security and Medicare than income taxes. High-income taxpayers pay nothing to Social Security on earned income over $102,000, nothing on municipal bonds, and a maximum of 15 percent on capital gains and dividends.