I felt compelled to respond to Tom Purcell’s column “Biden, Social Security, my retirement and the wealthy” (Feb. 15, TribLIVE). I remember going through the same anxiety prior to my retirement. My husband and I had been paying into Social Security from around 1960 until we retired together around 2000. With each of us having Social Security checks coming in, we were OK. However, when my husband died in 2014, and despite Social Security assurances, I was not OK. Had it not been for some pensions we had, I would be struggling today.

If the private pension plan had been in place for Social Security so Congress couldn’t mess with it and misuse its funds, we would have no concerns about its fiscal survival.

Those with the highest earnings got great tax cuts a few years back, so I don’t sympathize with their whining about raised Social Security payments.

The Rev. Nancy S. Mears

Ligonier

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