THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 1, 1995 TAG: 9502010009
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
Several years ago, my then 70-ish father and I got into another one of our generational viewpoint discussions about Social Security, etc.
I grabbed a chart showing the tax withholdings and ceiling amounts of the Social Security tax going back to its inception, and then we calculated how much he had paid in his entire 30 years as a New York City fire officer.
When we came up with a total, he realized that within the first two years of his retirement at age 62, he had gotten back every penny he had paid in.
``Where does the money come from?'' he asked, this most wonderful, kind-hearted man who had no working knowledge of the tax distribution in this country. I showed him my pay stub. I had paid in one year half of what he had received, and the company I own (me again) had paid the other half.
He was stunned. ``But you are trying to grow a business and raise five kids!'' he exclaimed. ``My home is paid for and I get a nice pension from the city. That's not right.''
We went on to lighter topics and dinner, but my father must have been agonized at the thought of taking money from his son. A week after he went back home, I received a check in the mail amounting to his Social Security money for the year, and a note of apology. He had no idea he was taking money from a young man with a family. He thought it was coming from a ``Social Security bank account'' that he had paid for.
How many seniors with wealth, interest and dividend income to live opulently partake of the biggest entitlement of them all - Social Security? How many millionaires indulge themselves to their piece of what is now the largest single tax bite on the average American?
If our elders were all as good, well-intentioned and well-versed in the concept of what is right and what is wrong as my loving father, we would not have a militant AARP group making this welfare system untouchable.
If elderly people in this country need a helping hand, let's give them what they need. More than they get now. Let them live in dignity.
But for those who have reached their golden years successfully and are more than comfortable: For crying out loud, get your hand out of the cookie jar and stop stealing from your kids and grandkids. Take back the money you put in and call it even. That's my family values.
ANDREW C. KLINE
Chesapeake, Jan. 11, 1995 by CNB