PRESIDENT BUSH LEAVES EVERY CHILD BEHIND

Amid all his great troubles, President Bush hopes there will be a positive aspect to his legacy. He has high hopes for his "no child left behind" educational initiative.

Unfortunately, President Bush's primary legacy will probably be his handling of the economy. His economic policies will become known as the "every child left behind the eight ball" program.

By refusing to deal with Social Security's looming insolvency, he is leaving every child with a staggering debt to pay for future retirees.

By ignoring the rapidly escalating Medicare deficit, he is adding to the sea of red ink which will drown our children.

According to a recent study, the unfunded debt of Social Security and Medicare amounts to about $66 trillion. If you can't get your mind around "trillions," think of the debt being more than five times more than the entire U.S. economy.

In twenty-five years, that means that 50 percent of all our income tax dollars will go to Social Security and Medicare payments. By 2050, an incredible 75 percent of income tax dollars will be sucked up by Medicare and Social Security. And in another twenty years beyond, Social Security and Medicare will sop up every single income tax dollar collected by President George Bush V.

This means the government will not be able to do anything at all. No more fat pork projects for future Congressmen. No more B-2 bombers. No more huge aircraft carriers. No more Star Wars or moon shots. Indeed, no more Admirals and Generals. No more fancy highway bills sailing through Congress. And no money available to fund another Gulf War over oil. In fact, there may be no more oil available to the citizens of a future broken U.S. economy. Think of our future as becoming Amish. No cars, just horses and buggies.

If you think I am exaggerating, consider two potential solutions:

We could solve the problems by raising the eligibility age for Social Security and Medicare from 65 to 80. This would eliminate the human numbers problem and allow a compassionate and conservative President Bush V to ease the pain by offering a coffin deduction in the income tax.

We could also solve the problem by raising payroll taxes 50 percent or so but, like his predecessor, President George V won on a platform of "God, guns and tax cuts."

Even though our children and grandchildren are going to be enslaved in a disastrous social debt, no one seems to care about 2030, the year the bottom falls out.

In 2030, Karl Rove and President Bush will still be spinning the Iraq War while dedicating a library of comic books in Crawford, Texas.

Congress doesn't care. Very few of them will be around when the bill comes due. Besides, their full-salary retirements are guaranteed by law.

The churches don't care because they're still fighting over abortion and their desire to create as many unwanted and untended children as possible.

Retirees don't care because everyone over 65 will probably collect his full benefits.

Gen X-ers should care, but they're too busy with Desperate Housewives and the NFL.

The children should care, but they are too busy playing "Grand Theft Auto" and watching TV.

In 2030, Jeff Shaara will write his final historical novel, titled The Last Full Measure of Irresponsibility. In it, he will observe that the Bush legacy was one of leaving the nation and every child behind a monstrous, indestructible, economic eight ball.