Letter: Social Security is for the people

Thursday, Aug. 30, 2001 | 9:40 a.m.

Are you listening, America? President Bush wants to put the Social Security fund in the hands of the bankers and the stock brokers.

They covet it because it is the last real chunk of money in the world, and having blown their last wad, they now want more action. I do not want to invest in the stock market. The corporate community in the United States considers its labor force to be expendable, and that does not inspire trust in me.

I have been putting money into Social Security all my life. It does not belong to those who consider themselves more of an expert on financial affairs than I do. It belongs to the American public. It's there when working people need it. It's not supposed to make anyone rich.

If there isn't enough money in the fund, then raise the interest rates on those who have borrowed from it. Attach the assets of those who profited from the savings and loan scandal. Invest part of the fund in oil stock, with no commissions, and with no private brokerage funds benefiting, and no segregating of profits. There are lots of ways to make the fund solvent, and there is lots of time to do so.

The people without time are the folks who make their living placing bets on the stock market. There is no crisis concerning Social Security. The crisis involves the experts who are trying to steal the money. Tell them no.

ANN REYNOLDS