Resolving the nation’s crisis over budgets and the Social Security and Medicare entitlements is never going to be easy, as anyone who’s tuned in to any of the Capitol Hill drama over the past year can attest. But the AARP has at least clarified the process, enabling people beyond the Washington beltway to see more of the issues through all the spin.

The reason citizen education matters here is plain: Both these programs have been considered the third rail of politics for decades, and elected officials have needed a nudge — a hard shove, really — to touch it. And now that the national debt has pushed the issue to the front burner, members of Congress need some sense of what the electorate might support.

Aiding in this community education effort is the pre-eminent senior-citizen advocacy group, which already is in the spotlight — its "You’ve Earned a Say" campaign is now the focus of television advertising. For its less tech-savvy constituents, AARP also has fat brochures containing the results of its fact-gathering that it will send out; the Hawaii office is reachable at 545-6024.

But the most potent assistance does come from the Web (earnedasay.org). A good starting point lies right in the middle of the home page, under the heading "Pros and Cons: What’s on the Table in Washington?" The links beneath lead the reader to an examination of a dozen reform proposals related to each of the Social Security and Medicare programs.

AARP executives from the Hawaii and D.C. offices say the organization will take a position once there is actual legislation — which undoubtedly will emerge after the November elections — and is striving to remain neutral in the meantime. Meanwhile, AARP has enlisted the analysis of experts representing liberal and conservative thinking on the issues. The most valuable service: AARP insisted that these scholars — Henry J. Aaron of the Brookings Institution and Stuart Butler of the Heritage Foundation, on Medicare; and the National Academy of Social Insurance’s Virginia Reno and the Heritage Foundation’s David John, on Social Security — pare down their positions to the leanest, most essential arguments.

A few of the options examined here: raising the Medicare eligibility age, changing Medicare to a premium-support ("voucher") program, raising the retirement age for Social Security and "means-testing" the benefits so that mid- to low-income groups receive the richer benefits. The bare-bones versions of the arguments are under 100 words. Those who want to comb through the full commentaries will find those posted, too, but most people will prefer cutting to the chase.

Other site features:

» A survey that collects responses to specific policy choices and allows the user to relay those views to presidential and U.S. House and Senate candidates in their district.

» A build-your-own-ballot tool that lays out the positions on these issues for candidates in the user’s districts — presidential, congressional and state races. Where they’re available, there’s a link to that candidate’s reply to the AARP survey.

» A roundup of statistics, including state fact sheets. Here’s an excerpt to give anyone pause: The average annual Social Security benefit for recipients in Hawaii last year was $13,900.

It’s tempting to yield to the cynical view that individuals have no effect on these national debates. But in reality, elected officials have only as much courage as people give them. Squeaky wheels get the grease, to paraphrase another truism.

"You’ve Earned a Say" is the name of this outreach; in fact, "You’re Guaranteed a Say" is what the U.S. Constitution provides. That guarantee is worthless, however, unless it’s claimed by its owner — every American voter.