It's So Simple-Why don't they?

Dear editor:

We hear all kinds of possible solutions to the Social Security “crisis” funding. All of them seem to include either an increase in the withholding tax for working Americans or, pushing back the age people can retire and receive their benefits or, cutting benefits. These “solutions” all hit middle and lower income Americans in the pocket book. Is there another answer that would not have this woeful effect on working America? Yes, but no one in our government seems to want to talk about it.

Let’s face it, Social Security taxation is a regressive tax that takes more from the average American (percentage-wise) than it does from the high earner. A person earning less than $90,000 a year pays 6.25% of their gross income and an individual earning $180,000 a year pays half of that, or 3.125%. Why? Because there is a cap (or limit) set at $90,000 for paying Social Security tax. If Congress and the president would do away with this limitation and everyone would pay 6.25% on all their earnings it would make the fund solvent for 75 more years. None of the other Draconian steps would have to be taken. Simple? Yes! So why isn’t Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, and the president pushing that solution? Easy answer.

Mr. Bush is busy “staying the course” with his “solution” of privatization, which solves nothing and costs the country trillions of dollars. Republican senators and congressmen don’t want to upset the big contributors and corporations that donate to their campaigns. Democrat senators don’t want to upset big givers either and surely don’t want to propose anything sensible, and instead only want to knock the opposition. And while all these people play, we pay.

It’s about time Americans demand that Congress and the president look out for the middle and lower income earner and stop their catering to the wealthy. We need to do away with the “cap” on Social Security taxes.