D.C. thievery has hit Social Security

The latest Treasury report states that Social Security is facing a $13.6 billion shortfall. But hey, like all omniscient politicians. they have a solution. They even promise that using their method Social Security will be made permanently solvent How? Take a guess. It is simple. Their plan is being tossed around right now in Washington. The solution, cut benefits, and raise taxes. How about that?

Initially the program was set up to be voluntary. Participants would only pay 1 percent of annual income into the program. That money would be deductible from their income for tax purposes. That money would be put into a trust fund and only be used to fund the Social Security retirement program, and no other program. Annuity payments would not be taxed as income.

However, Lyndon Johnson and his thieving cronies put these dollars into the general fund. Wow, now we can have a party. But they weren't through. Next, they eliminated the income tax deduction for Social Security, and then began taxing Social Security annuities, with Al Gore casting the tie-breaking deciding vote as president of the Senate while he was vice president.

Could these well-meaning politicians plunder even more? Under Jimmy Carter, immigrants moving into this country at age 65 began receiving Social Security payments, although many had not paid into it. Then in 1980 100,000 Cubans came into Florida by the Muriel boatlift. Not having paid one dime they each received a monthly Social Security check.

Our cunning and roguish politicians have bastardized President Roosevelt's program. They not only bastardized this program, like a thief in the night they committed thievery, they stole from a trust fund. Unfortunately their ego corrupts them and distracts them from the problems they swore to repair. Diogenes with the sun for his lantern would not be able to find an honest politician in Washington.

Robert Gosch

Arlington Heights