Letter: Facts don’t support right wing’s hyperbole

Monday, Dec. 17, 2007 | 7:08 a.m.

My wife and I just received our notification of the cost of living increase in Social Security of 2.3 percent for 2008. Wow! After Social Security deducted the increase in Medicare premiums, our net increase was 1.01 percent.

After paying into the Social Security trust for 42 years and the Medicare fund for 35 years, I deeply resent the right-wing crackpots for saying these are socialistic welfare programs.

The real thrust behind those statements from the right is that they want all of our insurance premiums to go to their benefactors who heap upon the Republicans huge contributions from the health care sector and insurance sector.

Between our 2008 Medicare premiums and my private retirement insurance premiums, our health care insurance in total will be $4,864 for the year.

Let us not forget that in 1969 when a president was facing an embarrassing deficit in his first year, raiding the Social Security Trust Fund surpluses became a practice. Who was that president who was sworn in in January 1969? Check your history books if you don't remember.

James J. Poupard, Henderson