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To: RealMuLan who wrote (21244)	1/13/2005 1:42:31 PM
From: RealMuLan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116555

The AARP's Demented Perpetuation of Social Security Myths Bonnie Alba Either the AARP is the Devil in disguise or they are the most naive organization in America. The AARP operates as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. Yet it has supported and stuck like velcro to the Democratic Party of Welfare for over 45 years. Now that the power has shifted in Congress to the Republican side and Pres. Bush has taken on the challenge of reforming the Social Security Program, they are floundering in an ocean of their own Social Security myths. Using the same tired, outdated propaganda machine -- spending $5 million in a “Scare the Seniors and workforce” campaign, running full-page ads in 53 papers across the nation, declaring the “sky is falling” if Social Security is touched, changed, turned upside-down, etc. -- will not work this time. In past decades when people still trusted their government to do the “right thing,” naively believing they knew the truth, it worked. Here’s what the AARP would have “We the People” believe: There is “$1.4 trillion in the fund and growing.” Their solutions for any problems and (their words) “strengthening Social Security” are: “1) Invest part of the annual surplus so that it earns higher returns than those offered by U.S Treasury bonds; (myth) 2) Raising the cap on amount of wages taxed ... from $88,000 to approximately $140,000; (collect more taxes) 3) Include all newly hired state and local government workers in Social Security.” (collect more taxes).” AARP is all about “increasing taxes” on the backs of the present-future workforce. What previous generational elders did not know and many “We the People” still do not comprehend is the complicity of Congress in this sorry mess. Social Security is the “sacred cash cow” for Congressional spending. Why? Because every fiscal year, the government collects social security taxes and spends all of it, but not on Social Security. For example: In year 2000, “we the people” paid an extra $131 billion in FICA (social security taxes). Was that Surplus really placed into the so-called “social security trust fund” to grow? No. The Surplus was added to the General Funds and spent by our elected representatives on anything from national art to pork to “other stuff.” On the accounting books, worthless IOUs (special-issue bonds the government borrows from itself) were placed in the Social Security credit side of the ledger. This is exactly what happens every fiscal year with any Social Security Surplus. There is no investment of surplus funds. There is Z-I-P in Social Security. This is deception at its worst. “We the People” have suffered under an illusion for decades that Social Security was a “real Trust Fund;” one where taxes were collected and invested for the future “golden years” generation. “We the People” believed the AARP was looking out for everyone, present-future generations of seniors. For an organization like AARP to perpetuate the Social Security myth and claim to represent present and future generations of seniors is a senile and demented travesty. The trail of incompetence leads directly to, not supporting seniors, but serving as an arm of the Democractic Party. Neither have done their homework. The bigger fallacy concerns “We the People’s” congressional representatives who have also perpetuated the myth by not educating their constituents. Is it because as products of the dumbed-down public school system and the liberal halls of academia, they’re unable to do basic math? By the same token, it could be the mindset: “If it’s not broken (yet), don’t ‘touch’ it.” What we do know is those congressional rascals can’t stand to have “We the People’s” money just sitting around. They must spend it. In a gentler era, earlier generations believed their government would do the “right thing” and the AARP was on their side. Today’s generation is a little more savvy in knowledge of their government. The AARP’s resistance to change will increase their loss of credibility with “We the People” who comprehend the truth. Pres. Bush has decided this issue is the one he must tackle in this term. He knows he will be reviled, accused, blamed, criticized and viciously attacked by the media and by Americans who are ignorant about Social Security. The younger workforce of today should be praising Bush in his attempt to transform this system so when they reach retirement age, they will receive something for their money. It’s not an easy task set before him, but I believe if anyone is able to push through this needed reform, he is the one to do it. As for the AARP, my honey and I just keep tossing their membership invitations in the round file. © 2005 Bonnie Alba balba2@earthlink.net Sources: 1) About Social Security, AARP; www.aarp.org/socialsecurity-about/Articles/a2003-04-02-ssfinancing.html 2) Social Security: Where We Stand, ltr to members, AARP; www.aarp.org/socialsecurity/Articles/a2004-12-01-social_security_wherewestand.html 3) Misleading the Public: How the Social Security Trust Fund Really Works, David C. John, Heritage Foundation, www.heritage.org/Research/SocialSecurity/em940.cfm 4) CNN News, AARP Fights Social Security plan: NYT, 12-30-04; money.cnn.com/2004/12/30/news/economy/aarp_socialsecurity/ opinioneditorials.com