Letter From Freddie Plato to a Newspaper Editor

     One of your readers, Bill Lynch, was exactly right in his defense of Social Security, which has proven to be well managed and solvent, having made every scheduled payment for 75 years with no prospect of not doing so any time soon.  The only problem is that the Treasury owes Social Security about $2.6 Trillion which it borrowed but doubtless would rather not repay.

     What disturbs me is that some of my fellow conservatives have been making derogatory statements about Social Security which are not true simply because they think that they should be true.  This includes such distinguished analysts as Pat Buchanan and Charles  Krauthammer.  Let's be clear.  As Mr. Lynch states there is nothing wrong with Social Security, which has not missed a payment in 75 years.  During the 2000 election campaign none other that Al Gore of all people proposed lock boxes to protect Social Security from the greed and overreaching of the general Treasury.  He was ignored.  Whose fault is that?  Conservatives are no different than liberals in losing credibility when they deny facts that they do not like.
                                  
                                                                   Sincerely, Freddie Plato