The July 7 Times Record carried an opinion piece by Jan Dolcater. I agreed with very little of what she wrote beyond her first sentence, “It is a fact that far too many individuals today seem oblivious of the problems swirling around us all.”

She goes on to writer her reflections on the most recent Congressional Budget Office report published June 16. The CBO regularly produces these extensive reports, which detail their analyses of “economic and budgeting programs” that are part of the federal budget. However, if you look over the recent history of these reports, you find they frequently change their predictions. For example: In October 2012 they stated Social Security will be insolvent in 2034. This June they decided it will be 2029. In July 2014 the CBO added five years to Medicare solvency. Perhaps this is why they further state “projections so far into the future are highly uncertain, of course.”

It is important to remember that data predictions, even well researched and documented, often rely on current trends and laws. In their 128 page report, the CBO states their data is based on “current laws remaining unchanged.”

It is also a problem with a large volume of broad data that it will be cherry picked to support a preconceived notion. This is why a researcher uses multiple sources to make a point. Social Security has been a remarkable federal program spanning 80 years. There is no other government program that succeeded in doing what it set out to do, despite constant attacks. It does face the danger of shortfall in paying full benefits sometime after 2030, if no changes are made. Part of this has occurred because politicians raided the Social Security coffers and used the money for other programs. Additionally, with the slowdown of the economy under the previous administration, there was a surge in unemployment. When millions of people aren’t working, they aren’t paying payroll taxes. Those losses, along with the stagnated wages of the middle class of three decades, has caused the amount of money going into Social Security to fall rapidly.

The CBO offered a solution of a 4.4 percent payroll tax increase that would cover its obligation for the next 75 years. The Social Security Administration says a 2.88 percent increase would be enough. Either way, the better the wages and employment rate of the workers, the more likely Social Security will be healthy for the long term. Ms Dolcater does mention means testing as one possible solution and another would be raising the cap on wages included in payroll deduction. It would seem that there are may legitimate fixes other than cutting benefits, or raising the age of retirement to near death.

While there are many real threats and crises facing Americans today, including climate instability, the loss of potable water, the rise of “superbug” infections, the decrease of America’s ability to compete in 21st century technology, and the potential destruction of our democracy by wealth inequality, Social Security and Medicare are not among them. We have time to tweak those programs as well as the ACA, should Congress decide to work together writing bipartisan legislation that serves the people, rather than corporations or oligarchs.

Sue Chichetto,

Bath