SAME  OLD: With a nod to today’s general election, we pass along
some interesting political fodder from RTS reader Jan Graham:

“In doing some genealogical research, I came across a Nov. 2,
1936, article in The Era which has an ironic relevance with
everything that is currently before Congress and all of today’s
headlines about our nation’s financial situation.”

“A full-page article titled ‘The Insecurity of Social Security’
explained how employers would be compelled by law to deduct 1
percent of wages for a new program being enacted on Jan. 1, 1937.
The tax would gradually increase until it eventually amounted to 9
percent. This new program: Social Security.

“The article, which appeared to be leery of the government’s
intentions, warned readers that ‘if you live to be 65 years old and
want to quit working, you will receive a small monthly pension
until you die if some New Deal administration has not spent your
money to build dog houses in Tennessee or some other cockeyed
project which only the Brain Trusters could think up. Roosevelt and
Farley are pretending to take care of your own money for you and
want to be your fairy godmother.’

“The article went on to say that ‘there is nothing in the law to
compel the government to pay you even when you got to be 65 years
old. All you have is their promise and the New Dealers have never
kept a promise yet so why would you expect them to keep this
(unless you believe in Santa Claus). Judging by the past record of
President Roosevelt, the average American wage earner is far more
capable of handling his own financial affairs than Roosevelt.’

“This article was written 73 years ago, yet it still reflects
the concerns and interests of Americans today. It appears that the
more things change, the more they remain the same!”

ELF FUND: The Bradford Era has been sponsoring the Era’s Less
Fortunate Fund, a program to provide a Christmas gift to need
senior citizens and children in the Bradford area for the past 26
years. As part of that process, people apply for gifts and must
document their need for assistance. Even with Social Security, many
senior citizens are unbelievably needy in Bradford. We shudder to
think what it would be like without this program.