Why does Al Gore say that a plan to invest part of our Social Security payment in the stock market is “risky” when the federal government does exactly that for its employees? The arrangement is called the “Thrift Savings Plan” and allows federal employees to select government securities (G Fund), fixed income index (F Fund), or common stocks (C Fund), and how much money will be invested.

One can choose the least risky plan, government securities, for their entire investment if they wish. The plan is similar to an IRA, but could easily be converted to serve the same purposes for social security.

Instead of income redistribution from worker to nonworker — or from one generation to another — with a return of about 2.5 percent, over time, to the retired member, one could be earning about 6 percent in U.S. treasury bonds.

Does Al Gore really have our best interests in mind? For 44 years the Democrats controlled the Congress and could have written legislation to solve the Social Security mess. They preferred to raid the the accounts and use our contributions for “rat hole” social programs that habitually failed, and still do (just look at the millions wasted by HUD), and for foreign aid to tyrants that ended up in Swiss bank accounts.

Just visualize “President Al Gore.” Now that's “risky,” if not downright terrifying.

William Fielder

Peachtree City

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