The first wave of baby boomers appears to be getting more optimistic about the long-term health of Social Security, according to a 2000 CBS News/New York Times poll.
The poll found 56 percent of those ages 45 to 59 believe the system would have enough to pay their benefits when they retire, compared with 33 percent who believe it would not.
That marks a significant shift from just the year before. In a May 1999 CBS News/New York Times poll, just 37 percent of those boomers believed Social Security would have enough money to pay their retirement, to 51 percent who thought the retirement fund would lack enough money to pay their checks.
An overwhelming majority of all respondents said those who invest their money and lose it should not get help from the government.
Whether the government should be allowed to invest the Social Security trust fund got a decidedly negative response. Those polled opposed the idea by a more than two-to-one margin.
The nationwide telephone poll of 947 adults conducted May 10 to May 13 had a margin of error of three percentage points for the entire sample and seven percentage points for the first-wave baby boomers.
