Viewpoint- Social Security not a "gimme" - WDAM.COM - TV 7 - News, Weather and Sports

April 6, 2011

Amidst all the partisan bickering and finger pointing about the national budget and a possible governmental shutdown…I keep hearing politicians say that we need to get rid of entitlement programs.  One of the programs they love to target as an entitlement program is Social Security.  I suppose it depends upon one's definition of entitlement.  You're darn right I feel entitled to draw my full Social Security benefits when the time comes.  After all…I've been paying in since I was about 14 or 15 years old.  I believe I am entitled to a return on the money that has been taken out of my paycheck for all these years.  The government has already welshed on the deal in a way.  My age group can't draw full Social Security benefits until we are well over 66 years old.  The deal was for 65.  Nevertheless…Social Security is in the hole mainly because it was never set aside and protected in some sort of trust to begin with.  It was treated as just another tax that the Washington politicians could rob at will for whatever purposes they chose.  In other arenas that is called misappropriation of funds.  Ask the Reverend Jim Baker former head of PTL what happens when you take money intended for one purpose and use it for something else.  He went to prison.  Who do we see about all the politicians than broke their contract with the American people and raided monies that were supposed to pay for Social Security to pay for pet projects?  Why should we have to pay for their duplicity and ineptness?  Yes I am entitled to the Social Security I've paid into for most of a lifetime.  Quit making it seem like we're wrong for wanting it Washington when you squandered it.  I'm Jim Cameron and that's my Viewpoint.   I'd like to hear yours.