Re: Let Congress Lead (NYT 01/08/05)

(NYT 01/08/05  Let Congress Lead)

To the Editors -

Conservatives are wasting great energy trying to figure out how to mess with Social Security, but the real problem is the false assumption that it is broken.  What Social Security was designed for, and is doing a great job at: a fail-safe to keep out of poverty those citizens who worked hard all their life.  It's very point is it's safety from the vagaries of the market.

We don't need another way to risk savings in the market because we already have lots of ways: 401ks, IRAs, Keoghs, SEP-IRAs, etc.

Sure, we should look at ways to encourage more savings in America but, by definition, the poor can never save significantly, no matter the program.  The problem isn't Social Security, it's low earning power for most citizens which has been uspurped by the super-rich who we are subsidizing with tax-giveaways.

We need to broaden prosperity for average Americans, not break a working system.