| I have read all about the various cures for Social Security; however, I have not seen the basic reason for its problems. There is a lot of talk as to why there is a problem, but they don't go back to the start in 1937. This program was made to help people in retirement, to supplement their incomes. It was not a retirement policy to pay for their retirement, only a supplement. Unfortunately, it has not worked out that way for millions. When Social Security started in 1937, my employer paid 1% of my salary to S.S. I made $20 a week. I continued paying into it until 25 days before my 80th birthday. I was collecting S.S. from my 65th. I would like to see any organization, whether it be A.A.R.P., NBC or any newspaper or magazine do a report covering all of the various groups of people who have been added into S.S. over the years who haven't paid a dime into the fund. I would also like to see which party controlled the House and Senate at the time of each added group. It would be nice to see how much our government owes S.S. and also if they pay interest on that money. Maybe I'm a dreamer, but I feel that the American people are entitled to a complete report and I do mean a complete report on the status of S.S. All of the add-ons were done by our so-called representatives in Congress! I believe during Mr. Carter's regime they changed the way they figured S.S. and used age discrimination to steal from those born between 1917 and 1926. It was a dirty trick. There has been a bill in Congress to pay some money to the "gap" people but it has been in "committee" for years under both parties. They're waiting for all of us to die off! They have been doing the same with Medicare over the years and now it has problems. So it goes. W.M. Osgood Springfield |
