Payers are entitled to Social Security

It was late in the summer of my 18th year when the farmer who was my employer told me that my income for the year had reached $600 and he must now deduct Social Security payments from my pay. Wow, $600 and it’s only September, I thought. I might. I might hit a thousand.

From that day on I paid into Social Security and my employer matched it until I retired 48 years later. Then I started receiving monthly benefits for my 48 years of payments. Actually, my payments didn’t stop there. Because of temporary and part-time employment, I still make payments from time to time. Of course Social Security payments aren’t free of deductions. Money is deducted each month for Medicare. I don’t begrudge that because without it I simply couldn’t afford health care.

Politicians often refer to my Social Security benefits as entitlement and many want to cut it. I suppose they are right in a way. I paid and paid and paid and now I am entitled to it. I wonder what they call their own plan? I call it a good place to start making cuts.

Ron Flowers

Elk Grove Village