With recent debates about what to do to sustain Social Security, some have suggested completely doing away with it in the future. They say people can save their own money, it's too expensive and it was never meant to fund workers' full retirements. Before people make any decisions about their views on Social Security reform, they should seriously consider what the country would be like without it.
Without Social Security, about half of those 65 years old and over would be in poverty, according to the U.S. Social Security Administration. Instead, 10.2 percent of people 65 and over are in poverty in the United States, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. It is less than the poverty rate for the general population, which is at almost 12 percent, and senior citizens fare much better than children. The United States, though the wealthiest of all industrialized nations, has the highest rate of child poverty at 17.6 percent.
The United States places last in terms of its social welfare policies compared to other industrialized nations. We've all heard this before -because of America's intense reliance on individuals to succeed no matter what their backgrounds are, we are apathetic to those who need financial help. We think everyone, whether they grew up in rural Ohio or the O.C., has an equal ability to make it on his or her own. Going from rags to riches is rare, although those stories are treasured in America. People call those who use the few social welfare programs the government provides lazy and irresponsible. What people don't realize is the majority of people in the United States will experience a bout of poverty sometime in their lives -a little more than half will experience at least one year in poverty. And without Social Security, the most vulnerable time would be after retirement.
For 70 years, Social Security has kept senior citizens safe from economic stress and hardship. It is the one program the United States can be proud of in terms of its social welfare policies. More than 65 percent of senior citizens get half of their income from social security, and for 20 percent, Social Security is all of their income, according to the SSA. Some say that if the United States didn't have the system, senior citizens wouldn't be so dependent on it.
But many in the United States do not have the luxury to set aside money for retirement. Two-thirds of people in poverty in the United States work, one out of seven of them in full-time jobs. For example, if someone is making minimum wage, which has not moved from its $5.15 rate since 1997, even if they work full time they would only make about $10,700 a year, a salary below the poverty rate if they are providing for two. But many people have to take part-time jobs -which usually do not provide benefits -especially single mothers who cannot afford day care for their children. Many people live on a paycheck-to-paycheck basis and cannot think about their retirement. Even those not financially struggling on a daily basis still find it hard to save with things like their children's college educations and medical expenses to worry about.
Social Security is a necessary safety net for retired workers. They paid into the system -they should get money back. It helps not only retirees but also those who are unable to work and children who have lost a parent. Instead of cutting back social welfare policies like Social Security, the United States should strengthen these programs. It is a fact that in the United States there are always more willing workers than jobs available -capitalism guarantees some will lose. The government should do more to provide for citizens, especially children, who suffer in poverty while living in the richest nation in the world. Instead of cutting funds to retirees to save money or taking a higher percent out of their paychecks, the United States should consider allocating more money to welfare programs like Social Security. Do we really want to be a nation where a fifth of our children and half of our elders are in poverty?
-Michelle Simakis, a junior journalism major, is The Post's campus editor. Send her an e-mail at ms282702@ohiou.edu.
17 Archives
Letter to the Editor
