In 2004, George Bush made a huge push for allowing private accounts in the place of portions of the social security benefits.  The liberal democrats stuck it to Bush and shot down.  However, in Ohio, the Democrats’ largest voting groups, the Ohio Federation of Teachers is paying into their own privatized social security program.  They may opt out of paying social security and pay into a privatized retirement plan.  They receive the following retirement benefits:

Retirement Income
Unreduced benefits are determined by multiplying your years of credited service by 2.2% of your final average salary for the first 30 years of service, plus 2.5% for the 31st year, 2.6% for the 32nd year, 2.7% for the 33rd year and so on, until 100% of the final average salary is reached.
With 35 or more years of contributing service, the first 31 years are multiplied by 2.5% of your final average salary; then the escalating formula described above is used.
If you retire with 30 years of service under the current formula, you will receive 66% of your final average salary as an annual retirement benefit. With 35 years, you will receive 88.5% of your final average salary.

Cost-of-living Adjustment (COLA)
You will receive a 3% cost-of-living increase each year, calculated on your original benefit.

I want their deal. Why can they opt out of social security, but I cannot? Why is it that the very people that were elected by the teachers' unions stalled the privatization of social security despite the fact that their supporters are receiving it?

My generation will not receive a penny from social security.  We should reconsider a plan similar to the one that is working for the Ohio teachers’ union.  Despite anything you may hear from teachers, they have it good.  They have a sweet deal.  I will get a 0% return on my investment.  They receive a majority of their salary annually after working 30 years of service.  I want that deal.  America needs that deal.