One small voice in America

Dear George:

Let me first say, I believe are a great President. You are a stand up guy who does not bend on his convictions and I like that!! While you are not always the most popular guy on the block, you stand by what you think and there is a lot to be said for that.

Now, the social security thing. I am 57 year old single woman who is very concerned about what is going to happen. I work full time and participate in my company's 401K program but I don't have to tell you that in the past few years, the market has been up and down and mostly down so I lost alot of what I had in my plan. So do I support the new plan,you bet I do. We should have had this plan along time ago. Social Security should not be a "hand out" program. The people who paid into it should be eligible to receive benefits and those who did not pay into it, should not be. There is the problem with Social Security in the past, people received money even though they never worked a day in their life and paid nothing into it. Anyone can figure out that 1 person paying in and 2 people taking out, simply does not work.I realize when it was started that it was supposed to be short term but it isn't and now is the time for some changes but certainly not at the expense of the people like myself who have worked all their life and now we don't get anything at retirement. That simply does not work and people will not be happy about that. We trusted the government with our money and it appears now that they mismanaged our money. This is totally unacceptable. We get paid no interest for the money they take from our paychecks so I really think it is unfair to tell us now when we are about to retire that there is not enough money there, or that our benefits are going to be cut. Some of us have planned on that money being there for years only to be told now, that it isn't. Has someone mismanaged my money??? Seems we always have money to give to foreign countries to solve all of their problems but we can't take care of our own here.

Another problem is, we let all the illegal aliens come here, make money, don't pay taxes and send all their money back to Mexico. That, my friend, it wrong. You want to come here to better your life, fine, but become an American citizen and pay taxes, just like the rest of us. Don't just work here, send your money to Mexico and never become a citizen and pay taxes. That is wrong. We,as American's,will help anyone but don't make a foul out of us or you can go home!! It would be so easy for a terrorist to sneak through Mexico because they look Mexican so we need to tighten the borders and be a little picky about who comes here. Let's not send all our money over seas and keep it here to help the American's start businesses so we don't have so many homeless people. Most Americans say, we blow them up and then build them up. Why bother in the first place...they all have their hand out to us. Let's take care of our own first and then if we have something left we will help them out. WE can't help EVERYONE!!! Helping everyone is costing the American people in their retirement and lost jobs to foreign countries because of cheap labor. That is wrong....we all have paid our part and with the expectation that the government is doing the job. We elect our senators and house of representatives to voice our opinion and look out for us but so far we don't see that happening. People are sick of being taxed to death only to find out that congress has mismanaged our money and now what we thought would be there when we are old and tired, simply isn't there. What are we supposed to do? We have no one who looked out for us so who are we to look to for help? I have a real revelation for everyone in congress, raising the retirement age is not the answer. No company that I know of wants any employee over 50 years of age. They think we will cost them too much in medical even though we are very dedicated and always show up on time and give 110% to the job. That simply does not matter. They want the job done quickly and the younger people can do that so they target the younger generation. Yes, I know, they are not supposed to discriminate because of age but they get around it in many ways that is legal. The government has no problem handing out welfare money to a lot of lazy folks that won't even try to get a job or SSI to even inmates...let me tell you what happened...I lived in Phoenix AZ and went into the grocery store which had a bank in it. It was round the 5th of the month and there was a big long line to get into the bank and every single person in line was Mexican. I was buying groceries and asked the gentlemen checking me out if they were giving away money at the bank?? He said no, it is welfare check day and it is like that every day the first of the month. Now, what is with that?? They come here, get on welfare and we working people have to pay for that?? That is wrong, if you come here and there is no work, go home, or become a citizen. We have money to pay for that but we have no money for social security???

Now the fuel prices, well I think it is high time that Japan pays us back. Let's send some ships over there and tell them to load us up on oil. We have sent enough of our oil over there and I did hear that we are going to build some oil refiners here. About time, let's put some American's to work instead of relying on OPEC to support our oil. We have enough here to support us and the auto manufactures can get busy and make some cars that don't run on gasoline which will not deplete our supply. We are getting tired of gasoline going up. I wish my paycheck went up as fast as prices of gasoline. We, as American's, cannot keep picking up the tab for every other country who wants to get their hand in our pocket. Japan owes us, so it is time they pay up. Venezuela, gas is .12 a gallon, well, let's send some ships over there too and tell them that we subsidized building their refineries, so they can pay us back with oil also. We have the resources here, from what I understand, Mexico is setting on top of some oil too so if we are going to support their people, then we need some of their oil also. American's are getting burnt out on picking up the tap.

The cost of prescriptions: well now, I was told by my congressman that we pay more because we have to pay for research. How is Mexico and Canada selling the same medicine for half or less than half of what we pay here?? Someone there has to pay for research also but it certainly isn't their citizens. It is no wonder everyone wants to go to Canada and Mexico to get prescriptions just to stay alive.

Again, George, I think you have done a fantastic job as President and I am a registered Republican, and realize that you have to convince the house and senate that we need to make changes but I think it is high time they give up some things for us. They don't need to go to work in a limousine, I surely don't, I pay my own way. I think it is high time someone trims the fat on the budget and we get down to work for the American people. This is our country, not everyone's who wants to come here and if they get mad at our rules, go home!! I don't think we should have a secondary language in Spanish, if you go to Mexico or Arizona for that matter, they don't speak English they tell you they can't. Well, then go home!!

I am truly worried about all the foreigners that we are trying to take care of here and not violate their constitutional rights?? What rights?? They are not even citizens??? The mexicans that live in Omaha know more about their rights as a minority than they know about who is mayor and who is their councilman...that is ridiculous!!

In closing, I thank you for your time and attention, and I am only one small voice in America, but I think I speak for lots of average folks that need your help. We are relying on you to help us.

Thank you,

Mary
Age 57
Omaha, NE