Future Retirees May Have to Get By on Less

“GOP Divided Over Pushing Reform of Social Security” (Dec. 7) pointed out that the GOP wants to substitute private investments to generate income that Social Security won’t be able to pay because there will be fewer workers per retired person in the future. If the future workforce won’t be able to generate enough wealth to pay the needed Social Security tax, how will it be able to generate enough wealth to pay for the additional dividends that will be needed to substitute for Social Security?

There is only one workforce that generates all the wealth. There is not one for Social Security and another one for dividends. It is the same workforce. If the future workforce can’t generate enough wealth to support the retired, regardless of whether the money is to be raised through the Social Security tax or dividend payments, then the retired people in the future will have to get by on less income. As they say, you can’t get blood from a turnip.

Robert C. Mason

Simi Valley