DEAR EDITOR:

In following the statements and comments of Alan Greenspan on Medicare, Social Security, further raising the age to retire, as well as to receive Medicare and how the Social Security cost of living raises are way too much for the poor saps trying to exist on Social Security.

His biggest problem seems to be the 77 million “baby boomers” who will reach the normal retirement age in seven or eight years. His description of whom he makes sound like they are tons of fleas weighing down the government’s back.

All 77 million he predicts will live too long. I would say, Mr. Greenspan has been number-crunching way too long as the pittance cost of living raises given to Social Security recipients do not come anywhere near the rising cost of living for those who receive them. Their indexes are faulty, but not as Mr. Greenspan perceives them to be.

In the next eight years, in order to secure the boomers’ retirement and Medicare benefits, the government needs to put the incoming taxes paid in for this purpose into interest-bearing accounts and leave them alone to grow there, instead of helping the Mexican government, by supporting its citizens here in the U.S. who entered illegally and are not legal U.S. citizens. Why not expect Mexico, who has some most talented artisan craftsmen, furniture makers and others, to seek out markets for their goods, open more of their own manufacturing companies and to create more jobs for their own people.

Those who wish to enter the U.S. legally and become citizens of this country – great! Our borders are open to non-criminal, legal aliens.

When we finish rebuilding Iraq, our government needs to rebuilt America. Create more jobs for Americans. Stop buying overpriced goods made with cheaper labor abroad by American companies who choose to move out of the country, taking tax profits with them.

Roll back the taxes on prize monies, allowing winners to be real millionaires who may start new businesses and create more jobs from the new-found wealth. Broaden our vocational and technical schools, offer scholarships to help pay the cost of tuition for high school graduates and GED graduates to prepare them for jobs where skilled workers are needed to fill the gaps in technology, industry, oil company jobs and medical offices and other secure working fields.

And stop training for fields that have too many applicants and not enough real or full-time jobs in our colleges.

If Mr. Greenspan has not noticed, American workers, even baby boomers, are the heartbeat of America. Not its worst nightmare for simply expecting to retire one day and live long enough to actually relax and enjoy the American Dream.

Lillian Ridlen

LaPlace