Letters to the editor: Saving Social Security

Saving Social Security

I watched the State of the Union address and agree with President Obama that we must lower the budget deficit, but I'm worried that Congress will try to do this by cutting Social Security.

Social Security hasn't added one dime to the deficit because it is fully funded by workers and employers. To me, creating Social Security may be the best thing our government has ever done. As a retired auto worker, I know that many seniors in our area are having trouble making ends meet. I worry about today's workers - tomorrow's retirees. Just what will be there for them when they get to my age? They'll definitely need Social Security.

The two main Republican responders to Obama's speech, U.S. Reps. Paul Ryan and Michele Bachmann, were outspoken critics of Social Security. The new House speaker, John Boehner, has said he wants to raise the retirement age, a raw deal for everyone, particularly people in blue-collar and service-sector jobs.

Washington needs to cut the deficit, but let's not try to do it on the backs of current and future retirees.

Wellington

Regulate panhandling

Citizens are very aware of the problem with the homeless begging for money on street corners. However, the thought of banning the local firefighters from collecting money during their annual fill-the-boot campaign for MDA is appalling. In today's hard economic times, families need the help of charities more than ever. I know this because my daughter, Allison, age 5, has Spinal Muscular Atrophy and needs MDA's help to provide medical care for her. Please regulate, not restrict, panhandling.

St. Petersburg

Street flooding

In the piece on Mayor Iorio ("Iorio legacy: Stability, better lives," front page, Jan. 23), it was stated that she "created a stormwater fee in an attempt to fix chronic flooding problems."

Have you driven up Florida Avenue or many other streets in the city after a heavy rain? I see very little improvement as I egress from downtown other than way too many street closures at the same time. The flooding issue is still a problem despite the fees collected and the studies done.

Tampa

Gun problem

It has been reported that police fatalities jumped 37 percent in 2010 to a total of 160, up from the previous year's total of 117. The loss of two St. Petersburg police officers is a bad start for 2011.

Our research supports what we have asserted for decades: As our unregulated domestic arsenal grows, so will the number and frequency of police officer and mass shootings.

You can build more jails and give longer prison sentences, but taxpayers will resist because of the cost. Most gun control costs very little.

For example, it doesn't cost a dime to pass a law that requires a background check before all gun sales at gun shows. It doesn't cost a dime, and it's perfectly legal to require better oversight of gun stores or force them outside the city limits. Some areas of our cities are crime-ridden, and we need to sweep these areas for illegal guns.

As this problem gets worse, our elected officials seem frozen, unable to act. America has a gun problem that we can solve but which we refuse to solve.

Wesley Chapel