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Barter system next?
Dear Editor,
Donald Trump's interview with Mitt Romney seemed to go well. I'm sure they discussed our country's debt crisis. Their conversation was not televised. Just the pictures.
If they discussed the future of Social Security, I'm sure Romney would have responded with a statement found on page 58 of his book "No Apology." In it, he says "Social benefits are proportional with what an individual has paid into the system. Congress and the president could raise the Social Security tax rate and apply it to an individual's earnings. This would raise benefits, but compound the problem. We would be saddling the next generation with the very tax burden we are seeking to avoid."
Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska recently answered a letter I wrote to him about Social Security's future.
He states in it that Social Security paid out more benefits than it received in 2010. According to him, Social Security trust funds are estimated to run out in 2036.
His comment about Medicare was very, very discouraging. The new health care law includes nearly $500 billion in cuts in health care benefits. Sen. Johanns also warns that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are on an unsustainable course.
"The cost of our country's national debt is swallowing up our resources," is an exact quote from the letter.
As a senior citizen, I am very worried about our future. My children and grandchildren probably won't have financial security. They may have to barter for things they need like their pioneer ancestors did.
Helen Ruth Arnold,
Trenton, Nebraska