In 1967 I graduated from high school the same day that I turned 18. The next day I started work in a factory. The work was to pay for my college education.
My first day at work I signed all the necessary papers. Including the Social Security deduction. I was not asked if I wanted to enroll in the Social Security Program. It was not an option. Throughout my entire career I contributed to Social Security both as a payroll deduction and contributions from my employer on my behalf. I planned my retirement knowing that I would have Social Security available to me.
My wife and I both contributed to Social Security, and now that we are retired, depend upon the monthly checks we receive.
Currently Social Security is under a lot of stress. This is unnecessary stress. There have been no review of the program showing that the current employee layoffs or closing offices, or adjusting contact with Social Security will improve the program in any way.
Social Security is something I depend upon after working for 57 years. I consider it getting my money back after letting the government handle it while I worked. Any disruption in my monthly payments (return of my money back to me) would be considered the government breaking a contract between both me and the government. I didn’t sign a contract, but it exists none the less.
Please do your part, Mike Carey, as my representative, to assure that no further harm will come to the Social Security Program.
- Patrick Konkol, Troy
I am furious about remarks made by Chief Justice Roberts at Georgetown Law School’s graduation blaming our education system for the “trashing” of justices. He accused teachers of failing to provide adequate civics education and warned, “We’re developing a situation where a whole group of young people is growing up having no real sense about how our system of justice works.”
It’s easy to “trash teachers,” but the real problem is the disconnect between how our system of justice is supposed to work and how it actually works under the Roberts Court. We teach students that not even the president is above the law. However, under the Roberts Court that’s no longer true. We teach that voting rights are protected, but after Shelby County v. Holder those protections are gone. And don’t even get me started on Citizens United or Justices Thomas and Alito’s shady dealings!
Many of our justices have, at great personal risk, courageously adjudicated to protect democracy and our rule of law. To be clear, it’s not been our young people who have threatened them, but rather, those at the highest levels of power!
- Kathy Swensen, Miami Twp.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
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