Re: Question on Charity

["Sundeen" <sundeen@galesburg.net>]

I will respond to these questions one at a time.

1.  I believe that allowing individuals to have personal accounts
with 2 percent of the 12.4 percent invested in those accounts will
decrease the necessity of redistributing benefits to lower income
people.  It would be great if this could decrease the number of
SSI beneficiaries, and for those who need SSI assistance, decrease
the monthly amount they would qualify to receive.  This would go
a long way to assure the financial solvency of the social security
program for the foreseeable future.

2.  I do not believe that the social security program was developed
to assure that everyone's needs would be taken care of forever.
I do not think that the choices of food, lodging and medicine are
my responsibility to make for other people, or my responsibility
to make sure everyone in America has what they need when they need
it.  I will not be held responsible for people who make poor life
decisions, or have bad luck, or find themselves confronted with
difficult circumstances.  It is important that a resource be made
available to people who need temporary or long term assistance.
I belive that social security has and will continue to play a role
in this matter.

3.  Charitable organization have and will play an important role
in providing temporary or long term assisitance to people.  I do
not believe that the changes I advocate to the social security
program will increase the number of poor and dependent people in
America.  This sounds like a question posed by someone who believes
that the role of government should be expanded.  The solution to
poverty has not ever been found in this or any other society since
recorded history.  Charity is not the solution to the poverty
problem, I do not know what the solution to the poverty problem.

Regards,
brs