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A Veterans Day message

To the Editor:

As a senior citizen retiree on Social Security and a veteran with a small service connected disability pension, on this Veterans Day, I want to remind you of a couple of things.

If we look around at the roads we drive on, the bridges we use, the buildings we work and live in, the food we eat, we must realize that it all came from the labor and sweat of American workers. Our economy depends on the freedom we enjoy, which was paid for by the blood and dedication of the soldiers, sailors and airmen of the country.

It disturbs me greatly that a grand bargain is now being pushed that will cut the earned benefits of seniors and disabled veterans, a bargain driven by wealthy individuals and corporate CEOs as a way to “fix the debt.” These are the people who have benefited the most from our system and have used their money to tilt the tax policies toward themselves.

Instead of a grand bargain, we could start by removing their tax loopholes. The 2.7 trillion dollar Social Security fund is not a cookie jar to be raided by the wealthy; it is our fire wall against an impoverished life.

STEVE KLOPPENBURG

Milton