Signs point to Trump, DOGE and Republicans getting ready to cut Social Security | Opinion

I spent approximately 50 years working and paying into Social Security. When I finally retired, I was happy to start collecting what was due to me. I am very concerned with what I am hearing about this decades-old program.

Elon Musk and his DOGE people plan to cut workforce, with some reports saying as much as 50%, making it difficult to get help from a person when needed. He recently went on a podcast and called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme.” This past Sunday U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said they’re finding “enormous amounts of fraud waste and abuse” in Social Security. Even Donald Trump, who swore up and down he would not touch Social Security, recently added the caveat unless we find fraud.

Don’t get me wrong, of course no one wants fraud in Social Security. But these statements to me are a blinking red light. To me it seems they are laying the groundwork so when they do cut benefits they can say We had no choice. There was fraud. Please call your legislators.

Laura Reich, Charlotte

Sanctuary city?

Is Charlotte a “sanctuary city?” Mecklenburg County Sheriff Gary McFadden has refused to cooperate with ICE in the past, most recently in 2020. I know of no change in McFadden’s policies. Is that the position of our Democrat-dominated city council? Is the tail wagging the dog in Mecklenburg County?

George Rose, Charlotte

Embarrassed

I have never been so embarrassed to be an American. Trump and JD Vance’s meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made me physically nauseous. When did it become acceptable to invite our allies to our White House only to belittle, humiliate and disrespect on national TV? It’s not acceptable now, nor has it ever been.

As Americans, we should all be angry and ashamed. This was an abhorrent master class on being classless. Trump’s lack of diplomacy, ineptitude, and unwavering admiration for Russia’s Vladimir Putin will only weaken relationships with our global allies. We should all be deeply disturbed and concerned. We need our allies as much as they need us. Wake up, America!

Sham Ostapko, Huntersville

National debt

There is general outcry against the $36 trillion debt. But where is the outcry and anger that the “DOGE dividend” will be used to send checks for 20% to Americans, use 20% to pay down the debt and use the rest to finance another tax cut? How is that going to trim the debt or balance the budget? It won’t.

The U.S. will have to borrow more to pay for the tax cut. If your answer is “return tax money to the taxpayer,” well, that’s a lot of how we got to $36 trillion in debt.

Hank Durkin, Charlotte

Vouchers

There is a television commercial asking a man, after double dipping chips into a bowl of guacamole, “How do you sleep at night?” The man of course is oblivious to the real meaning of the question.

I want to ask our state legislators the same question. “To make matters worse, statewide politicians are getting double the pay raises that educators and school employees are receiving,” Rep. Zack Hawkins said in his Mar. 3 op. ed.

School choice also includes the choice (or calling) of people choosing to teach in our public schools. Show them more respect, legislators. They deserve it.

Claude Underwood, retired educator, Charlotte

Birkdale Village

I’ve lived in Huntersville for 27 years. I was against the Birkdale Village rezoning request in 2022 based on traffic concerns, crowding concerns, failure to comply with height restrictions and lack of aesthetic continuity. Since then traffic has gotten worse, crowding has gotten worse and height and aesthetic concerns have not been addressed by the developer.

It appears town commissioners are leaning toward approving rezoning to increase the tax base. Huntersville’s tax base is already growing: apartment complexes, three hotels already approved and awaiting groundbreaking in the Birkdale area, Town One development at Hambright Road and numerous subdivisions.

I ask Huntersville residents to urge town commissioners to vote no to rezoning Birkdale Village.

Cynthia Holland-Mitchell, Huntersville