Letter to the Editor: The Big Scare

The big scare is coming up as President Biden is about to propose his budget for next year. He wants you to believe that in every election cycle republicans want to cut social security and medicare. I am sure you know that neither party would dare propose that. Those programs both have to be strengthened for the future, but no cuts will be on the table.

If the president was smart he would set up a bi-partisan commission with probably the fed chairman as the leader, like Reagan did back in the early 1980’s, that preserved these programs for two generations. It’s now time to do that again, not come out with the stupid idea that anyone wants to cut these programs. Reagan and Tip O’Neil got it done in a bi-partisan way by raising the social security tax and the age of retirement from 65 to 67 over about 40 years. President Biden voted for these changes back then.

Something similar needs to be done, and it needs to be done in a bi-partisan way. Biden wants to tax the rich. You’ve heard that before. Who are the rich? Look in the mirror. Probably the retirement age will have to be raised again over like 40 years. I guess I don’t understand why there is a cap on earnings over $160,200 this year. That can definitely be raised. What ever needs to be done will have to be agreeable with a majority of both political parties.

There definitely needs to be cuts in the federal budget. If we can’t balance the budget in peace time, what would it be like if we were in a war? Hopefully the Supreme Court will not allow the president to forgive student debt. He also needs and to stop putting off the payments on student debt, which is at this time I believe to expire June 30th. There is no need to extend that. Why is this so much more important than any other debt?

The presidents own party don’t want him to run for president again, but what alternative do they have? I remember when he was all for heavily taxing millionaires, but now that he is one, it has changed to heavily tax billionaires.

Wouldn’t it be nice to see something in his budget to help fight the presently high inflation.

I would guess there will be nothing said in his budget message about having the IRS crack down on tipped workers.

As the president criticizes the republicans for wanting to cut social security and medicare, he won’t be able to tell you what cuts they would make, because there are none. Isn’t it nice that apparently only politicians can tell lies enough times to get gullible people to believe them. The friendly television networks will parrot the lies.

I think blue collar Americans including union workers aren’t as stupid as they are made out to be. They have to balance their budgets all the time and can’t find money growing on trees to help out.

We will survive this budget after much negotiation and the country will go on with maybe a little bit less deficit spending. The president has a lot more on his plate that needs fixing if he plans to get reelected. Anyone in congress or the white house that proposes cutting entitlements won’t get reelected, but it will take more than the slogan, “Tax the rich” to get the job done.

Mr. President, don’t forget to do something about illegal immigration, and the cartels involved, homelessness, crime, drug addiction, transportation safety, energy independence, etc. Remember where the buck stops.

Thanks for your time, and may God Bless you and your family as well as the United States of America. Jim Crease thank you for your input editorial.

Ray Rinebold — Chemung, NY