Letter: Safety net must not be destroyed

Monday, March 28, 2005 | 9:07 a.m.

Social Security is the last significant vestige of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs. The New Deal has been a thorn in the side of Republicans for decades. Slowly but surely they have dismantled Roosevelt's legacy to secure a state that does little for its citizens except defend them from the boogey man.

Here are some personal facts about me. I am a 51-year-old male, married with two small children ages 4 and 5. I was self-employed for nearly 25 years, and between the good years and not-so-good years I was able to save a little money that I invested.

I also paid into Social Security. If I died tomorrow, my investment account would provide my family security for about five years. But Social Security would pay them roughly $2,700 a month until my youngest reaches the age of 19. That amounts to $453,000. Now that is monthly security that I can live with and my family can live on. Take away this safety net and my wife will have to work full time until she dies. Good deal? Hardly.

We can address the problem without dismantling the entire system. So join me in a pledge to fire any politician who talks of Social Security in terms of a "crisis."

LANCE T. WEIL