‘Too complicated,’ says retired teacher

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, February 2, 2005

Phyllis Fiege knew she wasn’t going to like what President Bush had to say. But she got to see him say it in person.

Fiege, who lives in Snohomish County north of Woodinville, was flown to Washington, D.C., by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee to witness the president’s State of the Union address Wednesday.

Fiege, 80, sat in the gallery in the House chamber. The president didn’t say anything to change her mind about his policies, particularly his proposal for revamping Social Security.

“I was saying, ‘No, no, no’ with the Democrats,’” Fiege said from her hotel room in Washington.

The president said the Social Security fund would be completely bankrupt by 2042 unless action is taken. He proposed that workers be allowed to set aside a portion of their Social Security tax in the form of “voluntary personal retirement accounts.”

Bush said the money would be conservatively invested and its benefits paid out gradually over time.

He indicated that benefits would be left alone for those over 55 and reduced for workers below that age.

“I thought, ‘This is getting too complicated,’” Fiege said.

But it was exciting being in the room for the speech, she said. Security was tight, and she wasn’t allowed to bring in a purse or take notes.

Fiege is a retired special education teacher and program manager for the Edmonds School District. A widow, she has two children and three grandchildren.

Fiege receives Social Security and said it helped her son finish school after her husband died. The system also helped her daughter raise two children when her son-in-law was killed.

Inslee said she has attended several town meetings he hosted and has talked to him about the Social Security plan.

“I thought the country ought to hear from some people who are impacted by this,” said Inslee, who represents south Snohomish and north King counties and Bainbridge Island in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Fiege flew to Washington on Tuesday. Wednesday morning, she, Inslee, other Democratic representatives and their citizen guests met to share their thoughts about Bush’s Social Security plan. Then came a news conference.

“We sat around a table and introduced ourselves and expressed our concerns, then the press came in and asked us questions,” Fiege said.

An Inslee staff member took Fiege on a tour of the Capitol building, where she caught part of a session in the House and another in the Senate.

“It’s been very interesting,” she said. “It’s really impressive to visit the Capitol, to visit those institutions and buildings. I think the citizens can be very proud of their Capitol.”

Fiege is less enthusiastic about the president and his Social Security plan.

“It’s gambling,” Fiege said before leaving for home. She said she believes in an old saying, “If you can’t afford to lose it, you shouldn’t invest it.”

Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com