Thank you for adding your perspective. You raise some important points.
I share your concern about whether we will have problems again down the road and have to come back and fix the system again. In the Kolbe-Stenholm plan, we took great pains to put together a plan which we felt would hold together and keep the program on a solid course for the long term even if conditions changed. I believe we have met that objective.
It is important to remember that Social Security was never intended to be the sole source of retirement income. Social Security was intended to be one of the three legged stool for retirement, with private pensions and personal savings. I realize that many workers don't have access to pensions or have the resources to save much for their own retirement. For those reasons, Jim Kolbe and I have worked along with Rep. Earl Pomeroy and many others to look for ways to expand the availability of private pensions. In addition, the Kolbe-Stenholm bill does contain provisions to help low income workers save for their own retirement.
Your comments about health care are well taken. The costs of health care are a topic that is too large to discuss in this forum, but I would say that reforms of our health care system and the Medicare program must be a high priority in addition to Social Security reform.
