Letters: Retirement benefits worthwhile

One would gather from the letter "A fix for Social Security" [July 22] that if the system raised the retirement age to 70, you would have to work or wait until 70 to receive benefits. This is certainly not the case.

You would still be able to draw benefits as early as age 62, with a slightly greater reduction than in past years. While we are seeing the retirement age increase to age 67, there has been no outcry over this change.

It is one of many tweaks that Congress could enact for the system to remain solvent. However, as usual, representatives are afraid of losing votes if any reduction in benefits or increase in taxes is involved. They would rather see the system go bankrupt on someone else's watch -- not on theirs!

Bob Dunne, Eastport

Editor's note: The writer is retired from the Social Security Administration.
 

The article "Young-old, and in working retirement" [Act II, July 16] struck a chord with me, a 71-year-old raised on Long Island. After a career of full-time enjoyment, I joined thousands of Long Islanders finding purpose and meaning as a volunteer using my life learning to benefit future generations. Of particular note is my work with Seniors4Kids, which advocates to our elected officials for quality early childhood education programs, including the adoption of Quality Stars, an early education rating system.

Long Island's former teachers can parlay their educational backgrounds to effect federal and state legislation by joining us.

"Young-old" voices can demonstrate to our elected officials that older people think about more than Social Security and Medicare.

Paul Arfin, Hauppauge