Social Security and Sharing Sacrifice

Regarding Ernest Conine’s “Time to Share the Sacrifice” (Editorial Pages, May 12) Social Security is again tied in with the general budget deficit in his column.

It is time again to point out, as even Mr. Reagan has stated, that the Social Security fund was, is, and should always be separate from the general budget funds. Social Security is self-sustaining, and even has a surplus at this time. Moneys have been borrowed from the fund for other purposes by other government bodies, and the legality of such diversion is questionable.

Please, let’s get it straight in the minds of your writers and of the public--the Social Security fund does not affect the balance of the general budget! Tying them together is a misstatement!

It’s time to stop making the senior citizens feel guilty, and the younger public resentful, over this issue.

Bearing in mind that all that you’ve printed, and continue to print, placing Social Security on a par with other budget drains, please give equal time to clarifying and emphasizing this separation of the funds hopefully avoiding such errors in the future.

S. A. KIRK

North Hollywood