Which way will we go?

I received the below press release the other day, which will likely be helpful to many. As I looked at the short announcement, I couldn’t help but think about the current debt ceiling debate going on in Congress.
As usual, I can see points made by both sides, and I’m eager to see which direction our country takes. Many fiscal conservatives seem to want drastic spending cuts and to keep the debt ceiling as it is. I admire the ambition to get our nation to a point where we are fiscally solvent, however, many in the finance industry are saying that, if the debt ceiling isn’t raised, we’re headed for a second recession.
I can’t really see that we’ve fully recovered from the most recent recession. I see signs, but I also see people keeping purse stings tight. If we head for another, what will happen? Also, if we make drastic cuts, what will go?
The press release at the bottom of this column is a note about hours being cut at Evansville’s Social Security Office. I will note that the thoughts I express here are in no way affiliated with that office.
More every day, I hear talk about social security reform and how people in my generation and younger should be prepared for a revised system, basically, one that doesn’t provide as much. My parents recently began drawing their social security, and my hope is that there is at least enough in the system to take care of their needs. Many on both sides of the political aisle have said they do not want to cut Medicare and Medicaide, which is great, but that coverage is limited and doesn’t pay rent or utilities. I’d like to see us sacrifice on some other programs before social security. So many of our nation’s elderly have nowhere to turn as they approach the end of their lives. Projections are for government help to decrease, and all the while, the cost of health care is increasing. Anyone, financial expert or not, can see that the logical outcome of those trends is for many, many elderly people to be without support during the years in which they need it most. How will they get to the doctor? How will they get help living? How will they eat and pay their heating bills?
If you think about that a little while, a harsh reality sets in. Are we headed in a direction that will neglect our nation’s elderly? It’s a question worth much time an analysis. After all, most of us will be there someday.

Below are a headline and press release from Evansville’s Social Security Office
Evansville Social Security Office to Begin Closing at 3:30pm Daily
Congressional Budget Cuts Force Reduced Public Hours
Effective August 15, 2011, the Evansville Social Security office will be open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – a reduction of 30 minutes each weekday.
While agency employees will continue to work their regular hours, this shorter public window will allow them to complete face-to-face service with the visiting public without incurring the cost of overtime.
Congress provided Social Security with nearly $1 billion less than the President requested for the budget this fiscal year, which makes it impossible for the agency to provide the amount of overtime needed to handle service to the public as we have in the past.   Most Social Security services do not require a visit to an office. For example, anyone wishing to apply for benefits, sign up for direct deposit, replace a Medicare card, obtain a proof of income letter or inform us of a change of address or telephone number may do so at www.socialsecurity.gov or by dialing our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213.  People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.