Letter to the Editor:

It’s about retirement – that time people hope to enjoy, and the reason they save money for those years. Now we have Mitch McConnell telling us that Congress must -address” entitlements, meaning cut Social Security and Medicare. There is a better idea – both parties need to quit raiding Social Security to make up shortfalls in their spending. And both parties need to pay back what they have “borrowed” before they address anything! Also, it would be a good idea if wealthy people, who receive Social Security, actually paid into it, which they do not currently do. That would bolster the funds.

Unfortunately, we have Republican control in both houses and the presidency. We have no Democrats to block this plan to “address” Social Security. Those people who are concerned about cuts in entitlements need to show that concern by voting.

Then at the state level, IPERS, the retirement system that teachers, government employees, firemen, and police pay into, could also be on shaky ground. Kim Reynolds seems to have had some sort of epiphany and is now going to protect Social Security. Her statement lacks certainty because she supported a bill to change IPERS and not for the good, as well as repeating several times that she wanted to make it sustainable ( it’s already sustainable and she would not change IPERS benefits for those who are already receiving them. That leaves out people paying into IPERS now and those who will enter the above professions.

It is possible that her epiphany was the realization that she would not be elected were she to mess with something that doesn’t need fixing. Again, our state has Republican control of both houses and the governor. There are not enough Democrats to block this if she is elected, and her epiphany fizzles.

Anne Michael

Tama