The President's plan to privatize Social Security would actually take away guaranteed benefits and put the promise of a secure retirement in jeopardy.

President Bush believes that the promise of Social Security fulfilled over the last 70 years ought to be a promise we keep for future generations. Scoring political points by shirking responsibility for tomorrow's seniors is not a birthday party Americans can afford to attend.

We need to take steps to strengthen and mend Social Security so that its promise of a secure retirement is just as real for seniors in the future as it is today.

The major impact of Sept. 11 on privatization is the disappearance of the Social Security surplus, ... Before the attacks, it was questionable whether we had enough money available to pay for the transition to privatization. This makes the issue even more difficult.

We can set aside a surplus to save Social Security or Medicare, or we can pass the burden of the baby boomers retirement off on to our children,

I believe keeping our promises should be our highest priority and that means saving Social Security and Medicare while preserving the American dream for our children and grandchildren.