Seniors should vote Tritch

To the editor:

Social Security and Medicare are two reasons for seniors to vote for Courtney Tritch.

According to a report by Goldman Sachs, U.S. Corporations are on track to spend over $1 trillion on stock buy back all thanks to the impact of tax reform, which lowered corporate tax rates from 35 percent to 21 percent.

Worse because of tax reform, our deficit is skyrocketing. Currently, our budget deficit is at $779 billion and is projected to grow to $2 trillion.

Our current congressman is touting this tax reform as being great for young families. It has lowered their taxes, but most seniors will get no benefit and those with high medical expenses will be paying more taxes. Now with this back drop of deficits ballooning, let’s look at the impact on Social Security and Medicare.

According to a 2018 government report, Social Security’s trust fund will fall short in 16 years. Some elected officials have proposed cutting Social Security as part of deficit reduction.

If Republicans still control Congress next year, Social Security’s cost of living adjustment could face a major change. Several want to change from the Consumer Price Index, which is based on inflation, to another method which would result in smaller increases. The new method would get worse the longer you receive benefits.

Courtney would not support such a change, as she believes in people not politics. 

In eight years, Medicare’s trust fund will run short. Just months after voting for the tax reduction act, House Republicans proposed a budget that would give seniors a voucher-type option to enroll in private health insurance plans. According to AARP, they also proposed other cuts to Medicare that taken together would cut $537 billion out of Medicare.

A better way to cut costs is to allow Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers and other suppliers. We need someone to fight for Medicare who is not beholden to political action committees and large corporations. 

Seniors, if you want to save your Social Security and Medicare benefits, vote for Courtney Tritch.

Sharon Busick Howell

Fort Wayne