BENEFITS: Keep an eye on targets

Reading Wednesday's Press coverage of Rick Santorum's speech in Coeur d'Alene, one comment stuck out in my mind and kept coming back over and over again.

"What group has the largest accumulation of assets in America?" Santorum asked and the crowd responded: "Seniors."

Assuming that is accurate, it's because of unions and government managed Social Security. Most of the "senior" people I know have a healthy retirement in part because they are retired from some aspect of government, or major corporation whose unions fought for benefits for workers.

I don't fall into either category. I'm an entrepreneur. But my parents' retirement was comfortable because of union benefits, Social Security and real estate investments.

I hope people think carefully about this when they vote. More and more people are living longer. Corporations are not as generous in their benefit programs as they were 10, 20 or 30 years ago. Several presidential candidates are all about cutting Social Security benefits. Those programs were more than just savings programs. They represented awareness of saving, thrift and future planning. They encouraged planning for the second half of life.

A large portion of the same seniors I know, aren't living just on government or corporate pensions. It was the focus of those programs that encouraged them to make other investments in real estate, stocks and bonds. Government and corporate retirement programs as well Social Security raised awareness and encouraged "Johnny Lunch Bucket" to plan for his future. The proposed "Do It Yourself" model being promoted by Republicans is short-sighted.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Those retirement savings programs were/are teaching/inspiration to plan ahead.

If what the current Republican candidates are promoting comes to fruition, the next generation of seniors is likely to be street people.

SHIRLEY THAGARD

Hayden