More often than not Social Security and other safety-net programs get a bad rap. Politicians and reporters call them “entitlements”–which sounds derogatory to me–and popular wisdom says they’ll need to be curtailed or they’ll eventually break the federal budget. But there’s no hint of doom and gloom on Bascom Hill, where this sign proudly proclaims University of Wisconsin Professor Edwin Witte‘s role in the development of Social Security. And this bold declaration is within sight of the Capitol Building, where Scott Walker, enemy of labor unions and public education, is trying to leverage his governorship into a presidential candidacy. Fortunately, Social Security has lasted longer than the careers of many nay-saying politicians and hopefully will continue to help government secure “the well-being of its citizens” for many years to come.