Newspaper Article

Don't short Social Security, Medicare

Horace B. Deets, Executive director, American Association of Retired Persons

1992

Overview

The federal deficit and the growing interest payments it causes pose a serious threat to our nation's economic security. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) strongly believes that a solution to the deficit needs to be developed that is equitable to all Americans. While it is encouraging to see that more attention is being focused on the deficit, some commentators are placing the blame on entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare that help older people. This argument suggests that these programs are bankrupting the federal treasury and that older people are benefiting at the expense of younger people. Social Security is lifetime protection program that helps all Americans plan for their old age as well as protects them from economic hardship caused by disability or the death of the wage-earner in the family. While Social Security alone will not ensure a comfortable retirement, it provides the foundation for economic security for workers and their families after they retire.

• Publisher: Tribune Publishing Company, LLC