To the Editor,

This letter is in response to an article in The Fayetteville Observer on Oct. 17 titled “2013 Social Security benefits to go up.” The article stated that benefits would go up somewhere between $12 $24.

Now I want all you seniors out their to be grateful to our government for all its generosity. According to David Certner, this raise is critical to all us seniors to keep us from falling behind. Just to let you know, David Certner is the AARP’s legislative policy director. The article said income dropped for every household under 65 by 6.6 percent. All households headed by 65 and older rose by 13 percent. Mr. Certner stated that Social Security was keeping seniors above water.

I would like to know what kind of figures and calculators they used to arrive at the conclusions. I know that all Social Security recipients received a 3.6 percent raise this year; if you divide 3.6 percent by three you get 1.2 percent for the last 3 years. That is less than is to be given next year. I started making plans for all the extra money I will start getting in January 2013. I could see two big T-bones on the grill; that’s about what $24 will buy.

The article by Mike McIntyre on Oct. 16 was so right. We don’t need our Social Security privatized. There are too many crooked people to let Social Security go into any and everybody’s hands. Please, don’t take this letter wrong, I am very thankful for Social Security. I am proud to be an American. I love the United States, even though I don’t believe in taking prayer and God out of everything that stands for freedom.

I have known Mike McIntyre, his mother Thelma, his father Doug McIntyre since 1979. I cannot vote for him this year. He was moved out of my district. If you can, please vote for him. Mike is probably one of the most honest and sincere men I have ever known. He will take a stand and speak for everyone in his district.

Pat Taylor

Lumberton