Bush Pushes His Social Security Plan

In your Dec. 20 editorial “Unconnected Dots,” you point out that the administration’s spin with respect to the reform of Social Security is as equally disingenuous as that used to sell the war in Iraq. In the same issue, you note that President Bush is sidestepping the Medicare problem, which the U.S. comptroller general acknowledges to be much bigger, much more immediate and much more difficult to address than the Social Security issue (“Medicare’s Troubles May Be Sleeping Giant”).

This administration indeed is very short on substance (like solving real problems) and very long on ideology (like “privatization” whether it makes sense or not), and the only medical care that may still be covered for baby boomers when they retire will be the spin doctor.

Jean-Pierre Swennen

Laguna Niguel

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The liberals’ fix, like The Times’, is to always raise the tax limit. Why throw good money after bad? The real fix is simple: Stop paying those who don’t pay into Social Security; stop giving away the funds to the poor group du jour; and let those who want to opt out of that Ponzi system do so. It is a retirement fund, not for social engineering.

I have almost $70,000 in lifetime extortion money I have paid into that antiquated system, so let me invest my retirement money as I see fit, not the government. Please don’t forget, that is just what I paid; add another $70,000 for my employer’s contribution. Now we’re talking real money. Give it to me; it’s mine.

Alas, Social Security is a complete joke. Just maybe Bush can let people like me have some control of the thousands of dollars I have paid the government.

Tim Luckett

Rancho Cucamonga

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Your editorial misses the obvious. Bush’s intent isn’t to “save” Social Security; it’s to create upward pressure on the stock market by luring in millions of new small investors who can ill afford the gamble.

It takes a little misdirection to create the illusion, of course, and there may be hell to pay in the end, but what a nice reward for Bush’s core supporters!

R. Douglas Collins

Hermosa Beach

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I can imagine that the Wall Street brokerage houses are ecstatic about Bush’s plan to privatize part of Social Security. They are hoping that he will make them the same kind of sweetheart deal that he made to the drug companies. Then they can double their commissions, nonnegotiable.

Fred Tilker

Yorba Linda