War, not Medicare, is causing deficit

Regarding David Broder’s June 15 column, “Perot returns with another warning of fiscal disaster”;

The giant sucking sound you hear at the edge of the United States budget deficit cliff is attributable to Social Security and Medicare, according to Ross Perot. Forget the charts, Ross, you seem to be lost, or perhaps trying to scam us, as nothing could be further from the truth. Social Security and Medicare are, in fact, not contributing to the deficit.

The huge deficit is directly attributable to military revenue expenditures in the billions for the Iraq war that are in no way offset by an increase taxes. We borrowed the money for the war and in fact financed another substantial loss of revenue to give tax cuts to wealthier Americans and hedge fund managers.

The last time I looked, however, I was paying for Social Security and Medicare equal to the amount withheld for my income. If I’m paying for it, Social Security is not an entitlement program, so back off the rhetoric. Social Security is not set to incur a loss of income versus expenditures until 2028. It is currently solvent and not a drain creating a budget deficit as Ross Perot speculates. Medicare, granted, is precarious, but is currently not a budget drain either. It will need to be fixed in the next few years but Social Security and Medicare should never be lumped in the same category of repair.

In short, this time around, forget the stupid charts, Ross. If all you want to do is bait the public and switch our rightful income around for whatever purpose you currently have in mind, this diatribe is simply a disingenuous distraction and disservice to the public welfare.

Douglas McMurtrie

Everett