Why Seniors should vote Republican in South Dakota

South Dakota is the 7th oldest state in the nation. One quarter of the population is retired or will be retiring within 10 years.

South Dakotans born before 1950 have seen a lot of changes in our state, our country, and most importantly our culture over their lifetime. The promises the government has made to this group of people has nearly bankrupted our country. It is not the fault of the people, but of the political process.

Social Security began in 1935 as an effort to combat poverty of senior citizens during the Great Depression. In 1950, it grew into a program that provided coverage to all workers as an insurance program based on a whole life insurance policy. Basically, pay in for a certain number of years and upon retirement, remove the money paid in. However, the promises of an "insurance" policy was misguided as it included benefits of those that didn't pay into the system, yet qualified for benefits immediately.

But that was how it was sold to the American people by politicians. I pay into the system. I retire and I take what I put into the system.

The benefits were increased by 135% over the next 20 years and came to include health insurance benefits for retirees, and most recently prescription drug benefits in 2003.

There are many problems with the Social Security System, but the two largest are the mistruths this system is built on.

First, it is not an insurance program. It is a pay as you go system. The current workforce pays the benefits of the current retirees. The AMOUNT received is based on the payments made into the system.

Secondly, people are led to believe there is a Social Security Trust Fund. Al Gore even wanted to place that fund in a lock box. How it worked is a mistery, since the Federal Government is incapable of saving money.

Third, there is $145 billion excess payroll taxes collected each year in Social Security. That money is tossed into the the general fund and spent on all the other programs. In 2017, the imbalance begins going in the other direction and the Social Security program will either need to raise taxes or lower benefits.

These are the realities of the Social Security Program.

But how did we get here?

The life expectancy has grown 10 years since 1950, when the Social Security Program became the retirement program for American citizens.

The baby boomer generation consists of 55 million people placing untold stress on this social program.

The program benefits have been increased