The Next Generation's Voice

By Jonathan Karl/CNN

NORMANDY PARK, Wash. (March 18) -- At 30, U.S. Rep. Randy Tate (R-Wash.) is the youngest Republican in the U.S. Congress.

But when he meets with his constituents at town hall meetings in his Puget Sound district, the audience more often than not is much older than he is.

"Okay, I want to ask everybody a question," Tate asked at one recent meeting. "I want you to raise your hand if you believe you had more opportunities, better opportunities and are better off than your parents were. How many people think they had more opportunities than their parents?"

Several people raised their hands. Tate then asked: "Do you believe your children and your grandchildren will have the same opportunities that you've had? I didn't see as many hands go up that time."

The exchange featured the young congressman and his most vocal constituents: senior citizens. At this public meeting, not a single voter younger than 35 showed up.

Tate worries about that. "There's a real danger that they won't have a say in the process. Politics many times is driven by those active in politics. As you know, in town hall meetings, you've got to speak up to have your voice heard (149K AIFF or WAV sound) ."

It's a basic political reality: politicians respond to those who make their voices heard. With high voting rates, heavy involvement on the local level and a powerful national organization, seniors are able to fight for their interests.

For the younger generation, the reality is much different. Meridith Bagby, a 22-year-old author, caught the attention of Texas billionaire Ross Perot when she wrote an annual report for the United States, looking at the government like a business.

"When we get to the level of retiring or raising our families, we're really going to suffer quite a bit because we are not going to see Social Security," Bagby said. "We're not going to see Medicare or Medicaid because there simply aren't going to be the funds for them. What we are going to see are really high tax rates. (215K AIFF or WAV sound) ."

Bagby believes that her generation's lack of political power will hit them right in the pocketbook. She says politicians have passed a $5 trillion debt on to future generations. That's nearly $20,000 worth of debt for every man woman and child in the country.

A team of leading economists has developed "generational accounting," a way of measuring the impact of the debt and programs like Social Security on future generations. Generational accounting calculates net taxes for each generation, which is total taxes paid minus direct benefits received.

For those born in 1900, the average tax burden was calculated at 23.6 percent. For those born in 1940, the tax rate climbs to 31.3, while Americans born in 1980 would face lifetime tax rates of 34 percent. But the most devastating consequences come for future generations, which according to generational accounting, could face tax rates of more than 84 percent if current policy doesn't change. It's a huge problem, but not one Tate heard much about at his town hall meetings.

"I'd like to see people my age get more involved because we are kind of the silent voice," said one 16-year-old boy -- the only person under 35 at this meeting (66K AIFF or WAV sound).

The 1996 campaign is a test of the political power of young voters. Neither party is likely to look out for the interests of the next generation until it makes its voice heard, not only in the voting booth, but also in town hall meetings across America.

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