RE: What are the values you would have underlie Social Security

[Ruth Reilly <achren2@aol.com>]

Brief introduction to Ruth Reilly

I have degrees in social studies and history.  I have 
worked as a teacher and in clerical occupations at a newspaper 
and at universities.  I have supported the Republican, the 
Democratic, and the Reform party in different years.  I am
what Henry B. Gonzalez, retired congressman from Bexar County,
Texas, called a consiberal:  liberal on human rights, conservative
on most other political matters.  I believe with Jefferson that
the least governed are the best governed.  But history has shown
that without strong governmental intervention some fraction of
the strong will destroy some unacceptably large number of the
weak.  

My own economic security was destroyed by layoffs and illness in
my family.  I had to choose between helping my four orphaned 
children get an education and saving for my own retirement. I
retired at 65 and living mainly on Social Security.  I don't expect to
be around when SSA runs out of funds, but I'm sure there will be
people around who need it then, and I believe some of them will
have worked as hard and as well as they could and still not have
accumulated enough for a decent retirement.