Gary Crooks’ column on Feb. 20 discussed Social Security and stated that its problem is not that it is a Ponzi scheme but that the government cannot continue to keep up its funding.

I suggest that S.S. is indeed a mega Ponzi scheme and that both are doomed to financial failure. In both cases present income must exceed future payouts. Neither will.

S.S. payouts will exceed income in 2011 and beyond. S.S. began in 1936 when life expectancy was 61 years. Today it is 78 years. Birth rate in 1935 was 18.7 (births per 1,000). The birth rate for 2009 was 13.5 and falling. Since there exists no actual trust “fund” (merely T-bills or government monies) the financial future for S.S. is in dire straits.

Any immediate solutions to S.S. would be too draconian and painful for politicians and citizenry to accept; but play itself out it will. Ugly scene!

David Groenig

Spokane