Domestic Spending And Social Security

To the Editor,

Representative to Congress from the 5th District, James Maloney is hopping mad about Republican TVs ads accusing him of favoring a raid on Social Security surplus to pay for higher domestic spending. In a Washington paper, Maloney was quoted as calling the ads “clearly false.” He and a group of other Democrat congressmen went so far as writing to television station managers pleading that they turn down the ads.

It is no surprise that Maloney is howling, but he’s got one problem; the ads raise a fair and legitimate question of whether he prefers higher domestic spending or a strict Social Security “lock box.” He can’t have both. The Republicans have proposed a budget that spends the entire non-Social Security surplus, but places the current Social Security surplus in a “lock box” so that it will be available to fund Social Security payments in the future. Jim Maloney has voted against several of the individual appropriations bills that make up the Republican budget. If he were to get his way, and the government were to spend more than the Republicans want, there is only one place the money could come from.

Sincerely,

James Smith

2 Little Brook Lane, Newtown                            October 19, 1999