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Show I Your Man rVf In Washington fiJ By U.S. Senator Orrin G. Hatch Social Security Reform During the 1976 Senatorial campaign in Utah, there was extensive debate about the stability of the nation's Social Security system. Hearings in the U.S. Senate in early 1977 confirmed fears that the system was not paying for itself. The Annual Report of the Trustees of the Social Security Trust funds, as released in those hearings, shows that the program is underfinanced. The Carter Administration Administra-tion has announced an extensive ex-tensive overhaul of the Social Security system but has delayed in bringing its proposal to the Congress. Congress, itself, is now moving ahead to correct the Social Security situation situa-tion through a variety of programs. In the Senate Finance Committee work has started on a plan with several pieces which would "jack-up" the sagging Social Security Trust Fund -- the fund that most Americans will rely on for supplemental income in-come during retirement. The package is designed to place the system on a sound financial basis for the next 70 years without raising taxes until 19H2. It would also eliminate many inequities by lilx-nili.ing IxTirfits for women and eliminating the earnings limitations on beneficiaries. bene-ficiaries. Benefits under the proposed package would he bused on a new formula that would throw out the consumer price index in-dex as the source for increased in-creased benefits and substitute sub-stitute general expansion of wage levels. The retire ment age for maximum earnings would be increased in-creased from the mandatory man-datory 65 to 68. As previously suggested sug-gested by members of the Senate, the optional age of 72 could be offered for working people whose productivity pro-ductivity is not impaired by aging. This approach would be conditional on agreement by both employer em-ployer and employee. Additional Ad-ditional social security payments derived from additional ad-ditional work would be added ad-ded to retirement benefits for the extended employee. 'Hie mandatory age limit of 08 would apply through the year 2(KH) but reduced benefits would still be available at age 62 as they are currently. Additional social security changes might include in-clude bringing federal employees under the system, sys-tem, increasing payroll taxes after 1(H2 to add much needed stability to the fund, and adding a new "working spouse's Ix-nrfit" to reduce the marriage time limit for receiving benefits from a deceased partner. Many more ideas will be coming into the debate to improve the Social Security system because of the great dependence by the citizenry on the system that has developed since its establishment in l'U7. Without reform there is no doubt that Social Security is doomed to failure in the lifetime of most of our young adults an unacceptable unac-ceptable prospect to 1hIi Congress and the American Amer-ican people. days. Busy, but enjoyable and entertaining. At the evening i banquet, awards were given for the best photographs in several categories, as well as door prizes. The four wheel drive trips were all day trips into the beautiful red rock country of Utah. Both tours took the members into areas not generally gen-erally seen by the casual tourist. The first four wheel drive trip was into Canyon-lands Canyon-lands National Park and the second trip was into back country areas that should be, and hopefully, will be designated desig-nated as a national park. The mammoth red rock formations were truly a beautiful, almost unbelievable work of nature. Fran Barnes, a member and local resident, did a wonderful job organizing tours, accomodations accomo-dations and entertaining the members with a slide show of Utah. The local merchants donated many door prizes and a local archery manufacturer gave the members a guided tour and first hand information informa-tion on how bows are made from handle to limbs. The Rocky Mountain Outdoor Out-door writers and photographers photogra-phers membership is composed compos-ed of professional writers and photographers and illustrators. illustra-tors. The club was organized to help its members in the area where a strong representative represen-tative association can be valuable. valu-able. Its further purpose is to assist young writers and photographers pho-tographers by association and correspondence with professionals. profes-sionals. We would like to thank the residents and merchants of Moab for their friendliness and cooperation while we were in your home. Thank you- Moab, Utah. Wo would like to express our very special thanks to Fran Barnes whose hard work and extra effort at organizing the meeting was very rewarding, reward-ing, entertaining and increased increas-ed our knowledge of tho Moab area - both tho beauty of the country and tho friendliness of tho local people. Thank you, Fran, for making mak-ing our visit with you and tho people of Moab rewarding in many, many ways. Thank youl Jim & Dusty F.wing Scooter Jones Dear Sam, On behalf of the Fire Department, De-partment, I would like to publically thank our local law enforcement departments and officers for participating in the Donkey Ball we sponsored here recently. People tend to be quick to criticize, but don't always express appreciation when it is called for. We want everyone every-one to know how much we appreciate the law enforcement enforce-ment officers. The Donkey Ball raised over $1,000 which we plan to use for new equipment for the new pumper. Sincerely, |