Public Isn’t Buying Bush Social Security Revision

Re “Overhaul a Tough Sell, GOP Lawmakers Find,” March 1: Something stinks in the GOP’s belief that, regardless of the fact that most Americans are wary of (if not downright against) President Bush’s plan to “overhaul” Social Security, their constituents need convincing that it’s the right thing to do. Sounds to me like Americans understand more than their representatives give them credit for. They understand the impact of a trillion-dollar shortfall. They don’t like the idea of receiving lower benefits, or of raising the retirement age.

And although most believe the program should be shored up for the long run, they have yet to see concrete proof that it’s an impending “crisis,” as Bush repeats ad nauseam.

It doesn’t help that partisan pot-stirrers like Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, make political threats either. He’s not just threatening senators, he’s threatening millions of Americans who have expressed their opposition to the plan.

The people have spoken. Maybe it’s time their representatives went to work convincing the president of what their constituents want, rather than the other way around.

Mike Laskavy

Oak Park

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President Bush says that we will make more money in the stock market with private investment accounts. If the stock market is such a sure thing, why hasn’t the Social Security Administration been investing in the market all along? That would make the fund large enough that there would be no shortfall.

As individual investors with small amounts to invest, the brokerage charges for both buying and selling would be higher than a large investor. Small investors also would not have enough to diversify as a larger investor would. There are very smart investors losing fortunes in the stock market every day, yet Bush claims that a small investor has a sure thing.

The only sure thing about the stock market is that the brokers get paid whether the investor wins or loses.

Jack Tatham

Irvine