Statement By 60 Plus Association President Jim Martin

Not surprisingly, the Board of Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds annual report released Monday covered territory we’ve been over before but is as timely as ever.

The path Social Security is on now is unsustainable. Clearly, the current system that so many retirees depend upon is a ticking time bomb. Only the foolish or those attempting to score political points would want to turn their backs on meaningful reform.

Strengthening retirement security has been and continues to be a priority of the Bush Administration and 60 Plus strongly endorses the President’s efforts.

Senior citizens today know that Social Security is there for them. Baby boomers and those behind them cannot be so sure, however, and that is why the President continues to make reform of Social Security a high priority.

For years, those who would demagogue Social Security — much as has been done with the Medicare debate — have seen their support dwindle. Thank God for that. Claims from as far back as the Goldwater days in the sixties all the way up to today, accusing Republicans of “risky schemes” to somehow take Social Security away from seniors and destroy the system are falling more and more on deaf ears. In point of fact, what would be “risky” would be doing nothing.

-30-