Soup to Nuts "Letter to the Editor"

Barbara Collins is fucked up like a soup sandwich!!! I wasn't going to write another letter to the editor but when someone posted a comment to the Rant and Rave (Thomasville Times) that said, "Thanks for telling the truth Barbara!!", I had to write something. Below is the letter from Barbara Collins and if you continue on down you'll find my response.


May 20, 2011
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Government ignores needs of Americans

THOMASVILLE — The government is now calling Social Security and Medicare “entitlements” — even though most of us have paid for it all our working lives. Now when it’s time to collect, the government is running out of money.

Why did it borrow money from these two programs in the first place? Just because it borrowed money from them doesn’t make these benefits some kind of charity or handout!

Congressional benefits (aka free health care), outrageous retirement packages, weeks of vacation, numerous holidays, unlimited sick days — now that’s welfare, yet it has the nerve to call retirement benefits “entitlements.”

Wake up, America! Could someone please tell me what’s wrong with all the people who run our country? In the last few months, we have provided billions of dollars in aid to Haiti, Chile, Turkey and Pakistan (home of Osama bin Laden). Last year alone, we sent Pakistan more than $300 billion.

Here in our country, our retired senior adults live on a “fixed income.” They receive no aid and don’t get any breaks while our government and other organizations pour hundreds of billions of dollars and tons of food to foreign countries. With gas prices sky high and food costs at an all-time high, it is difficult for senior adults to make ends meet.

In America, we have homeless veterans and our elderly going without needed medications and food. Right here in Thomas County, there are numeorus elderly people on a waiting list to receive “Meals on Wheels.”

Despite this, our government has benefits for other countries — ships and planes lining up with food, water, tents, clothes, bedding and medical supplies. Imagine if our government gave our own the same support it gives other countries.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe in helping other countries in times of need, but I want to know that they get the help we so freely give. For example, what happened to all the money we gave Haiti? Where did it go, and who received it? This, as of now, has not been determined.

God, bless our country and help our leaders recognize the needs of our own citizens.

Barbara M. Collins



OK, it's my turn!



I truly don’t know where to start with Barbara Collins letter to the editor. It appears to be a regurgitation of an internet letter that has been going around for some time. I have found at least 5 internet sites which have almost the same verbiage. Very little in the internet letter or Barbara Collins letter is factual.
I’m not sure what to make of the opening paragraph; Social Security and Medicare are entitlements. An entitlement is something a person is entitled to by law. And we are all entitled to draw our Social Security, and use Medicare since we pay into these programs from our payroll deductions. The government does not put any money into these programs. Social Security taxes only the first $106,800 of a person’s total income. If Barbara is worried about the amount of money in the Social Security funds (there are two funds) might I suggest we raise the payroll ceiling. Let’s tax the first $500,000, or my personal favorite, raise the ceiling to tax the first million. For more factual information pertaining to Social Security I suggest the website, http://www.ssa.gov/oact/progdata/fundFAQ.html.

After ranting about Social Security and Medicare Barbara turns to Congress and congressional benefits. Let’s be clear about this, Congress does not receive free health care. This is another inflammatory rumor that has been circulated on the internet. Members of congress are enrolled in the same Federal health care program that all federal employees have access too. Saxby Chambliss has the same health care program that any USDA inspector is enrolled in.

Barbara then goes on another rant about “retired senior adults” living on a fixed income and not receiving any aid. Social Security, Food Stamp Program, Medicaid are just some of the programs provided by our government to assist the elderly and needy. I for one am glad we have these programs. She also claims the US government provided billions of dollars to foreign countries including $300 billion to Pakistan. Really, $300 billion dollars to Pakistan! The actual figure is around $20 Billion. The Bush administration started this program in 2002; I don’t remember hearing Barbara or anyone else getting upset about the amount of money given to Pakistan under the Bush administration. There is a misconception among some Americans regarding the amount of money we give to foreign aid. In a recent poll people were asked how much of the federal budget goes to foreign aid, the median estimate was 25 percent. When asked what they thought an appropriate percentage would be the answer was 10 percent. Actually it’s only about 1 percent of the federal budget goes to foreign aid. What does this money do for Americans? The U.S. was the largest single donor in a global campaign to wipe out smallpox. We also provided funding for a program to prevent river blindness in West Africa. 18 million West African children are free from river blindness because of our aid. The World Food Program feeds 104 million starving people in 81 countries; its budget is $3.2 billion. The cost of 2 B-2 bombers is $4.4 billion. For the cost of 2 bombers we could feed more starving people than the World Food Program.

Barbara Collins is entitled (there’s that word again) to her opinion, if she thinks all congressmen and congresswomen are low life bottom feeders then that’s her opinion. But what Barbara is not entitled to is to make up her own facts.