The federal government’s independent General Accounting Office confirmed that the Social Security fund needs more money or we will face benefit cuts, a higher retirement age or tax increases (BDN, Jan.16). This is not surprising since experts have warned us for years that when the baby boomers retire, the trust fund will be depleted unless steps are taken to assure its long-term survival.

What’s especially pathetic about this situation is the current Democratic Party effort to politicize the nation’s economic downturn. Rather than find a reasonable way to cut income taxes across the board to stimulate the economy, Democratic leaders like Tom Daschle propose stopping payroll withholding for an extended period. Talk about reversing their field; two years ago they preached about the sanctity of the Social Security system. Now they’re proposing to divert funding away from it for short-term political gain.

Let’s hope Maine representatives and senators in Washington don’t make the Social Security funding shortage worse by supporting this theft.

John P. Edwards

Surry