Problematic Solutions for Social Security

Re “Social Security Ain’t Broke, so Bush Is Obsessed With Fixing It,” Commentary, March 8: Kudos for Robert Scheer’s observations about the fiscal stability of Social Security. Sure, there are some foreseeable problems, and better to solve them sooner than later, but we must see the issue in the context of overall economic policies riddled with budget deficits, trade deficits and red ink flooding a landscape of Republican fiscal irresponsibility.

Social Security’s projected solvency through 2042, based on assumptions far more conservative than President Bush uses in any other forecast, shows it to be one of the few fiscally sound cost centers.

Does Bush want to drag Social Security (solvent) down to the same level of debts and deficits as the rest of his budget? Any future problems can be addressed by minor tweaking of Federal Insurance Contributions Act rates or caps. Massive restructuring would exchange the safety-net “guarantee” for the possibility of higher individual returns for some but also devastating individual losses for many others.

If we do nothing, the program won’t pay out more than it takes in until 2042. If we adopt the Bush proposal with its multi-trillion upfront transition costs, the program pays more than it collects immediately.

Douglas Dunn

Escondido

Once again we’re subjected to fantasy posing as legitimate commentary from Scheer. Mr. Scheer, please for once stop with the party-line rhetoric. President Clinton talked about Social Security’s problems before President Bush did.

Why the objection to personal accounts? They won’t solve everything, but they won’t hurt either. Safeguards can be put into place so management fees are kept low and restrictions limit the amount allowed in investments with more risk. This will save the people from those greedy, evil Wall Street investors.

Protect the poor and raise the cap or even remove it, but don’t deny demographics and that this system needs adjustments, specifically for the younger workers. This issue is too important for all of us to be reduced to a left-versus-right ranting.

Keith McAfee

Santa Clarita

Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) thinks his idea of increasing the eligibility age for Social Security to 68 is a great solution (March 7). The eligibility age was raised to 67 not too long ago. These solutions are recommended by people who are not there yet. They do not realize what old age is like. Some people begin to face serious medical problems.

We do not need heartless people coming up with solutions.

Priscilla Lazzara

La Puente

Regarding Bush’s obsession with “fixing” Social Security: Bush and the Republican right have been telling us for years that government is the problem, not the solution. So long as Bush and the Republicans are in charge, I think everyone can agree they are 100% right on this point.

Jeff Furchtenicht

Santa Maria