This letter appeared in The Ellsworth American on Oct. 19.
To the Editor:
The Trustees of the Social Security Trust Fund have projected that without action by Congress, the Social Security Trust Fund will be depleted in 2032, and that benefits would need to be cut by over 20%. Such cuts would be disastrous for senior citizens who depend on Social Security to pay for food, electricity, and heating oil, etc. Eliminating the cap on income subject to the Social Security payroll tax, which is currently $184,500, would help ensure that Social Security is funded and that benefits are not cut.
I wrote to Senator Collins and asked what she was doing to ensure that Social Security remained funded and if she supported eliminating the income cap. Her response did not include any proposals she supported for ensuring Social Security remains funded and ignored my question about the income cap. Former Governor Paul LePage referred to Social Security as welfare.
Mainers of all ages deserve representatives in Congress who will fight to protect Social Security. Troy Jackson and Matt Dunlap have both said they will fight to keep Social Security funded and that they support eliminating the payroll cap. Vote for Jackson and Dunlap.
Alan Blume
Blue Hill