Social Security and Medicare are entitlements that politicians want to reform. I have been collecting a paycheck for more than 38 years and I have seen a deduction every week for both of these entitlements. As an employer, I have been matching these items each week, as well.
So I think most would agree that after paying into programs for your entire working career that, yes, you are entitled to the benefits.
The following are the real “entitlements” we should be discussing:
1. Congressmen who get a guaranteed pension after five years in Congress. Why not just Social Security?
2. Congressmen who have “Cadillac” health-care plans for life, while voting against any type of health-care reform.
3. Congressmen who vote for their own pay raises, and currently get paid more than $170,000 per year. The average middle-class worker has actually lost wages.
4. Oil companies make record profits, yet receive billions of dollars of subsides each year from our tax dollars.
5. Defense contractors get huge contracts even when our military leaders do not agree with the purchases and then waste millions rebuilding overseas.
6. The big banks and Wall Street got bailed out with our tax dollars and then got a pass on being held criminally responsible for their criminal actions.
7. Tax breaks for the most fortunate 1 percent of Americans during war time, while our middle class and poor kids go off to protect our freedoms. Absolutely disgraceful that less than 1 percent of American families actually have their sons and daughters at risk.
It looks like we are a true entitlement society. Unfortunately, the only entitlements under attack are the ones we have paid for, not the ones paid to the entitled wealthy and powerful in America.
Mark D. Voorhest
Anniston
