Time to engage Social Security dialog

I want to thank Hernando Today for allowing me this space over the next few weeks. My name is Jim Gries, and I live in Weeki Wachee with my wife Barbara, and our two cats.

We arrived in this area from Houston, Texas, in 2003. Together we have six children, and are blessed with 15 grand children, ages 5 to 24, two currently serving their country, one in the Air Force, and one in the Navy. My tour on this Earth spans eight decades and, like those of you who have children and grandchildren, it's my personal relationship with each them and my role in helping shape their future that motivates me to do what I do on a daily basis.

You should know that I possess no professional degrees or have I ever been appointed to a presidential commission. The truth is I've had my share of business upsets in my entrepreneurial career.

However, like those who end up in the hall of fame, I never quit swinging, and my lifetime batting average is somewhere north of the hall of famers. I do, however, possess a very basic talent, and that is the ability to recognize a duck when I hear it quack, watch it walk or examine its tracks. It's those tracks left behind by those who've been entrusted with preserving, protecting and defending the funds we depend on in our golden years that I would like to share with you.

Social Security has never been a dinner table topic of discussion. In fact, it's not a subject we like to talk about very much at all. But those of us who depend on it do love having that monthly check deposited into our bank accounts. With this social experiment now celebrating its 75 anniversary, and election season once again upon us, it seems an appropriate time to engage in a serious dialogue.

Although most of my peer group (me included) feels like we're entitled, any meaningful conversation can't begin with I'm entitled. It must begin with I'm interested, interested in exploring the possibilities of opening a dialogue for the purpose of working together with those who fund our monthly checks - our children and grandchildren. No longer can we avoid this conversation out of fear of losing something, but rather we should embrace it, motivated by believing we can be a catalyst for saving something.

Over a period of years Social Security that began with the best of intentions, has morphed into a precision political instrument, with both major parties taking their turns at wielding the scalpel. It's become divisive, with one side leaning toward privatization and the other expanding it far beyond its original intent.

Collectively we've chosen to publically ignore the issue, treating it like the crazy aunt who is locked up in our basement. Politicians have taken our vigil of silence, as a green light to mismanage the assets now so desperately needed to fund current retirees, and the newly retiring 78 million baby boomers.

Each election year we are wheeled in for political surgery, and systematically they cut another inch off of our financial legs, and as our financial legs are shortened, our welfare arms grow longer. Consequently, millions of average working Americans end up walking on financial stubs in their golden years, and have no choice but to reach out to the very political surgeons who amputated their legs in the first place. For the sake of this and future generations, that plan needs to be changed.

We've arrived at a fork in the road, and unlike politicians, we can't take it; it's time to choose which path we go down. Members of the current custodial generation have a wonderful opportunity to ensure the generational chain of trust is not broken on our watch. Social Security and those who receive it are not part of the problem, we are the solution. All we have to do is begin the dialogue.

To that end, this five-week column will begin sharing some facts regarding how Social Security has impacted the lives of millions of average Americans, their families and the communities they call home. Then introduce Social Security's role in a comprehensive, community based solution going forward.

Each article will have an embedded video link/s expanding upon the article. Also, I will host a free conference call every Thursday evening at 8 p.m. when you are invited to offer your comments, and/or ideas regarding Social Security. The call-in number is 605-475-4875; the access code is: 423001#. Please be respectful, and this is NON political.

Remember, together we possess the resources to bring any problem to its knees and defend against any attempt to bring us to our knees.