Does Hillary care?
Just how much does our secretary of state care about the morale of our combat troops? From her latest pronouncement on national television, one might guess very little.
Like in Mexico City, where she smugly apologized for the drug demands in this country, she recently announced to the world that, reportedly, four of our combat Marines in Afghanistan have urinated on four dead terrorists.
Mind you, this "big" story came out about the same time that 50 Muslim religious pilgrims were murdered by terrorists in Iraq. It was featured on the back pages of most newspapers. Not a peep from Hillary on this.
Stop the world, I want to get off.
H. L. Hall, Denton
The art of Al Key
Wow! What a wonderful way to start a day - picking up the day's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle from the driveway and opening it to see one of Al Key's masterpieces of nature on the front page: photos of a tree with its leaves in beautiful fall colors; a fiery sunset; an owl or a hawk soaring in the sky; a vulture perched on an old windmill; as well as many others.
DRC readers are fortunate to be able to enjoy Key's talent, and for a few moments take our thoughts off the daily news events, some of which are not nearly as pleasant.
Bill Neu, Denton
'Getting it'
It is Larry Beck [letters, Jan 11] who doesn't "get it" regarding Social Security trust funds.
Below are supporting citations.
--"All securities held by the trust funds are 'special issues' of the United States Treasury. Such securities are available only to the trust funds." (ssa.gov, "Trust Fund FAQs)
That is, the securities are neither Treasury bonds nor marketable (no market value). The government (trust fund) cannot earn interest when the government (Treasury) owes the interest.
--"The federal government's trust funds ... are not trust funds in the usual sense but accounting mechanisms. ... Private trust funds preserve assets for future use. Government trust funds do not. ..." (testimony to House, CBO Director Crippen, Feb. 23, 1999)
--"... Treasury securities held by federal trust funds are nothing more than the government's IOUs to itself ... the Treasury does not hold any net assets; in fact all that remains ... is net debt. ..." (testimony to House, CBO Deputy Director Anderson, Jan. 19, 1999)
--"Social Security's trust funds are not like private trust funds. They are simply budget accounts. ..." (David Walker, U.S. comptroller general, Feb. 23, 1999.
--"... Long-run program costs for both Medicare and Social Security are not sustainable. ..." (Social Security and Medicare trustees, annual report 2011)
Bush did not cut payroll taxes; therefore cuts did not cause trust-fund deficits, which began in 2009.
The "securities" are properly called IOUs because they represent only debt.
I never touted the private market as risk-free, but neither has it been called "unsustainable."
Absent reform, Social Security is not risky, it's doomed.
Robert G. VanStryland, Denton
Gingrich the jokester
I had a good laugh recently.
In a television interview after the New Hampshire primary, Newt Gingrich actually said, "I'm middle class with middle-class values."
Oh, come on, Newt, give me a break.
Polly J. Shaw, Argyle
