Vote them out
For decades, Republicans and their billionaire paymasters have worked to destroy Social Security, but the system’s overwhelming popularity with the American people has protected it.
So now, President Donald Trump is executing a strategy to make his billionaire buddies’ plan come true, while claiming he is a savior for seniors.
He has touted the temporary $6,000 Social Security tax deduction in the One Big Beautiful Bill as a huge boon for retirees instead of addressing the real crisis facing seniors.
Social Security trustees recently announced the trust fund will be depleted in 2032, a year earlier than expected. The trustees’ annual report indicates this will trigger a benefits cut for retirees of 22% – catastrophic for millions of seniors already struggling financially.
The Republican trifecta in Washington could easily solve this now by eliminating or raising the wage cap, which limits the amount of Social Security taxes high-wage earners pay. This year’s cap is $184,500. Estimates indicate eliminating the wage cap alone would extend solvency into the 2050s and address from 50% to 70% of the solvency gap for the longer run.
Vote against Republicans who aren’t interested in ensuring seniors get the promised benefits they paid into for decades.
Sue Engelhart, Barberton
Protect our rights from Big Tech
Our government is heavily promoting AI.
The Farm Bill pays farmers for up to 90% of the costs they incur using this technology. That is 15% above the highest previous reimbursement rate. The sailing drones deployed by the Coast Guard in Lake Erie use AI, radar and cameras to monitor water traffic.
AI can be a useful tool.
Farmers may be able to track inputs and outputs more efficiently using it. Sailing drones may help boaters in distress and fight drug smuggling, though few illicit drugs enter the U.S. by land or water from Canada. The danger is that there are no controls on how the tech corporations who collect our data use it.
Inserting AI into our lives enriches corporations while giving them detailed information on what we do while sailing and farming. This is just the beginning. Can we trust them to use the data they collect responsibly? What safeguards are in place to guarantee our privacy?
Please call on our elected officials to demand that any use of AI in government programs protects our rights and serves the common good.
Edward Schortman, Granville
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Warning to lawmakers: Protect seniors or get voted out | Letters
Reporting by Letters to the Editor, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Letters to the Editor, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
