‘Entitlement’ is wrong word for what we’ve earned

I do not like the word entitlement. To me, it sounds as though the people are asking for a gift from the government. In fact, I (we) have paid and continue to pay for social security and Medicare with every pay check.

I have paid into Social Security and Medicare since I was 13 (or for nearly four decades.) My children have also began paying into the system when they began umpiring Little League and refereeing soccer games at 13.

When they changed the age limit from 65 to 67, I thought it was discriminatory and outright wrong. They are changing the rules in the middle of the game, but not for themselves. There is no real talk about changing the age limit on pensions for Congressmen or other public employees — federal or state. In Illinois, my understanding is they may have made changes for new congressmen, but current pensions remain intact.

If they can change the rules of Social Security and Medicare (supplemental retirement programs), why would they not change the rules on their fully funded retirement benefits?

Every time I see the word entitlements, my blood boils. Poorly managed, misused, and unreliably administered are all reasons we have to continue to pay. We are told to not count on it in our retirement, but why not? We paid for it.

Do our congressmen have the moral integrity to fix the entire system so our government can deliver on their obligations to the people?

Barbara Evans

Deer Park