DEAR EDITOR:
This letter is regarding the story headlined "Poll: Public OK with tax hike to save Social Security'' printed on Monday. It is too bad that when the first problem with Social Security arose, that the public was not consulted. The pundits in Washington came up with the "notch" solution. Just cut out a notch of future retirees and cut their benefits, and all will be A-OK.
It did not work. Let's review the history. When the Social Security Act of 1935 was signed into law, the life expectancy was 63 years, and in its infinite wisdom, 65 years of age was set as the retirement age. Big deal.
Do you think that a poll in 1960 or 1970 would have been different than this latest poll on the subject? I think not. In the 1960s and 1970s most people were working, and the results would have been the same as they are today. Raise the tax base, and the amount of tax. We would be in a lot better shape than we are now, and I would be about $50,000 richer not including interest or dividends.
Get with it Washington. We out here are a lot smarter than you think, even though we sometimes send the wrong representatives to Washington.
Leonard J. Sainato
Warren