Letters: Reform Social Security to save it

Years ago it was understood that no single reform would fix Social Security, but it was projected as late as 2012 that it was not too late to save Social Security if all the aspects were addressed: taxes, retirement age, cost-of-living adjustments and benefits.

Social Security has changed many times to meet social demands. Today’s Social Security covers far more people with far more benefits than originally conceived.

Earlier this year, the head of the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office reported to Congress that unless there were reforms to entitlements, the federal government’s fiscal house risked going into a “death spiral.” Ugly rhetoric, harsh rhetoric, but as we approach the 2016 presidential election, we are facing ugly choices, harsh realities, and the sooner we make needed reforms to the social safety nets, the sooner we can protect the long-term sustainability of these entitlements.

When I write to my friends about entitlements, some, if not most, refuse to accept that Social Security is an entitlement, because they paid into Social Security, exactly like they pay into Medicare. The truth is that Social Security and Medicare are entitlements by federal definition; and the truth is that together we can reform and secure Social Security for the foreseeable future.

This story was originally published August 20, 2015 at 5:44 PM.