(Letter to the Editor - Graphic Illustration/MetroCreativeConnection)

Most people believe Social Security is a contract with the government — you pay in and you are paid back. The sad truth isn’t readily known. Back in 1960s, the left-leaning Supreme Court ruled in Flemming v. Nestor the government has no legal, contractual obligation to pay us our hard-earned Social Security benefits.

In Flemming v. Nestor, Ephram Nestor paid Social Security taxes for 19 years and was receiving benefits when the government stopped paying him. Nestor appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, arguing having paid those taxes, the government owed him “his” Social Security benefits. Nestor lost. The Supreme Court ruled it was irrelevant Nestor paid into Social Security.

Washington politicians have been spending Social Security funds for other purposes for decades, bankrupting Social Security to the point benefit payments may soon be reduced.

Currently, politicians continue spending our Social Security on their own pet projects. These politicians can cut our benefits at any time, for any reason, with our $31 trillion national debt, budget cuts will be aimed at Social Security by both parties in Washington.

This raid on Social Security began in 1967, by Lyndon Johnson, to conceal his mounting budget deficit. In 1990, this raid on Social Security was called out by Sens. John Heinz, R-Pa., and Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., but to no avail. This raid on the Social Security trust fun has continued since.

$1.7 trillion of our Social Security trust fund has been spent on projects like:

* $15 million for overseas dairy development

* $3 million to teach golf to youngsters in Florida

* $50 million to build an indoor rainforest in Ohio

* $200,000 to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This list of outrageous government wasteful spending goes on and on.

Congressman Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., has re-introduced HR 521, the Social Security Guarantee Act in Congress. This act would guarantee anyone eligible receives their benefits in full — they would get back everything they’ve paid into it and politicians would be prohibited from cutting the amount of benefits.

Congress will not likely pass the Social Security Guarantee Act, unless millions of taxpaying voters pressure them into doing so.

Everyone should contact their Washington representatives and demand they pass HR 521, the Social Security Guarantee Act.

My source of information is the 60 Plus Association.

Steve Wolverton

Parkersburg