Letter to the editor: Destroying Social Security, Medicare no way to help budget deficit

Some Republicans have lied repeatedly about the state of Social Security and Medicare. I would really like to know how doing away with these programs will help reduce the budget deficit. These programs are paid for by American employees and employers. If they go away, does Congress expect workers to continue paying these payroll taxes for no benefits? These are mandatory programs that are not under Congress’ control simply because the bulk of the money is paid for by taxes that cannot be used for any other purpose.

So if the programs go away, the funding will go away as well. This money will not be available to be put back into the U.S. budget to reduce spending unless Congress is going to take away these insurance programs (for that is what they are), and tax us all for other issues, like a 30% federal sales tax on everything from houses to cars, everyday consumer products which would raise inflation from the current 8%-10% to 40% overnight.

Sure, they say they will do away with federal income tax, but that will not do away with state and local income and sales taxes. Great plan! So much for helping hurting families.

Harold Franklin Weaver

Hempfield