Thanks to U.S. 1 for the Interchange article on Social Security (“Problems and Logical Solutions,” January 2) by Richard F. Keevey. The program, to which beneficiaries paid into, has been a life-blood to millions of working Americans for close to 85 years and assists in their daily and financial survival. Yet many are unfamiliar with its history, operation, mission, and challenges going forward.
Keevey gives a nice synopsis. Contrary to the point made that there are three options to maintain the program’s viability, the option of privatization is a false flag. This is due to the demagoguery of Republicans including Mitch McConnell who want to undermine and diminish the program for ideological reasons. As Keevey points out, the program is not bankrupt and does not contribute to budgetary debt. But some steps need to be taken sooner rather than later to maintain the trust fund funding.
So the three options stated are actually these: increasing taxes, reducing or modifying benefits, or thirdly, integrating and combining options from one and two. This third option was taken during the Reagan administration with bipartisan support and has worked out very well. Calculations can help in determining what proportion of the dozen or so choices available will be needed to accomplish this goal if congress really wants to do it and not keep kicking the can down the road as has been the case for the last 20 years.
While the retiring boomer generation will put a strain on the program, simple, clear-headed pragmatic, and non-political options are at our disposal to accomplish a resolution of this issue rather quickly. And perhaps, with the now larger demographic millennial generation workers starting to pay into the program, they also may become part of the solution.
— Peter Kernast Jr.
Redwood Avenue, Hamilton
