Ordinary Citizens Speak their Minds on a Thorny Issue
Here, taken from transcripts, is a selection of questions that ordinary citizens asked President Bush last week during his barnstorming trip to promote his plans to alter Social Security.
Irma H., Tampa
Mr. President, I’m so glad that you won the election. I voted for you and so did all my friends, although I’m not so sure about my husband. I hope you won’t cut my Social Security checks, but if it’s broke, then you better fix it, as long as I still get my checks. Oh, I almost forgot. Please keep sending my husband’s checks, too. But I wish you’d make him put his check in our joint checking account instead of cashing it at the liquor store.
Jordan K., Omaha
You tell Vice President Cheney that when it’s cold outside and you have to sit for hours through a boring ceremony in some end of the world place like Poland where they don’t speak no English, he should wear whatever he wants. We don’t want our Vice President getting chilled and catching the flu when they don’t have no flu shots this year. Tell those media people to give the Vice President a break. If you say that my grand kids will still get their checks when their time comes and they’ll have it as good as me, then do what you have to. I know you always tell us the truth.
Giselle R., Great Falls
Any time you want to run for anything, Mr. President, you’ve got my vote. I can’t agree with you more that Social Security is broken and you should fix it. It’s just not right that Thelma, she’s my neighbor next door, that Thelma gets a larger check than I do. Social Security should be fair. Everyone should get the same amount. What kind of message does that send to our children and grandchildren? I ask you that, Mr. President. What kind of message? Thank you and God bless you. Also, could you fix it so that Medicare pays for my low calorie ice cream I buy at the supermarket? It’s a health food and I need some help paying for it because my Social Security checks are so small.
Harrison F., Little Rock
I can’t tell you how I thank the Lord every night in my prayers that we have a God-fearing Christian and a Republican to boot sleeping in the White House. You do whatever you think is right about all our country’s problems. We trust you to do the right thing. And another thing, I say just kill all those terrorists in Iraq. They’ve got it coming. And the Frenchies, too. They got it coming. Them and their highfalutin’ ways.
Robert P., Fargo
Thank you for taking my questions, Mr. President. I have three questions. First, why do you keep saying that Social Security is broken, when just about every non-partisan analysis I’ve seen says that it won’t experience any problems until at least 2042? How can it be broken? Second, I’ve read that if we just raise the payroll tax a mere one percent, just one percent, Social Security will be permanently fixed. Whats wrong with a small tax increase to insure long-term solvency? Third… Hey! Get your hands off me. Let me go! I’m not finished. I have another question…. I want my questions answered… Help! Someone help me! You can’t do this to me… I’m an American citizen…