Republican plan would destroy Ohio's cherished libraries
My family has called on our libraries to learn computer skills, job seeking help, applying to college. I have tutored adult learners at the library, attended lectures and social meetings. Borrowing media of all types continues to be part of my life.
More: Lawmakers propose $45M in cuts to Ohio libraries in state budget plan
Millions of Ohioans share similar experiences. Libraries are the hallmark of democracy, providing services to all without asking the price of admission. Services that today's libraries provide were not even thought of a generation ago.
The Ohio House proposed budget includes cuts to our community libraries. This monumental mistake goes against everything Ohioans value. It may save a few dollars but would impoverish communities and our State. The Ohio General Assembly must not use the budget to destroy our public libraries.
Joy Bishop, Washington Court House
Is corporate greed already infecting our government services? I was on the phone for two hours a few days ago trying to get answers from Social Security. 'Your call is important to us, please be patient.'
Then, it was interrupted by a live person asking: 'Would you like to see if you qualify for a free emergency button to get immediate assistance in case of a fall?'
I don't have a need for one, but I thought it would be good to have one that I could show to other residents of my retirement home. So, I answered 'yes.' What followed was about 20+ minutes of questions from this young lady, (age, health, physical condition, etc.) concluding with the declaration that, 'You are qualified to receive this free life-saving appliance.' This was followed with: 'Your only obligation is to pay the monthly service fee of $49!' I said: 'No, thank you,' and hung up!
I was astonished — this sort of a trick on a government phone call? Is this something new, or have I just escaped this sort of commercial abuse until now?
Michael Greenman, Columbus
Congratulations on making it through another Ohio winter!
As we move into the warmer months, I'm paying extra attention to applying my sunscreen in the morning — and as a pediatrician, I'm also taking the time to remind my patients' families to do the same. Everyone benefits from wearing sunscreen no matter the age or skin tone.
While the incidence of skin cancer is relatively low in the pediatric population, it has been increasing over time. We also know that a significant amount of a person's lifetime sun exposure occurs before the age of 18, making sun protection in childhood extra important.
There are many actions that can decrease this UV exposure and potential negative effects of too much sun. Applying at least 30 SPF sunscreen every day, even on cloudy days, is one of the best. Make it part of the morning routine, find combination moisturizers/sunscreens — anything that can be done to make it a consistent part of life.
You can also consider wearing sun-protective clothing and minimizing the amount of time spent in peak sun exposure.
Maria Jose Guerrero, Columbus
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Cuts to Ohio libraries would go against all we stand for | Letters
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Americans Fear End of Social Security as They Know It
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Seven in 10 Americans worry that Social Security won't be there for them when they retire, according to new survey from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies (TCRS). TCRS is a division of Transamerica Institute (TI), a nonprofit, private operating foundation, and conducts one of the largest and longest-running annual retirement surveys of its kind. For generations, Social Security, which celebrated its 90th anniversary on August 14, has formed the bedrock of retirement income for tens of millions of Americans, and also pays out benefits to disabled people and survivors of deceased workers. However, despite its enduring popularity and importance, it faces a looming insolvency crisis that lawmakers have less than 10 years to solve. The survey from TCRS, which polled 10,009 adults above the age of 18 between September 11 and October 17, 2024, found that among non-retirees, 71 percent agreed with the statement: "I am concerned that when I am ready to retire, Social Security will not be there for me." Almost nine in 10 Americans (87 percent) have one or more greatest retirement fears, ranging from health to financial. The top two greatest fears are declining health that would require long-term care (39 percent) followed by Social Security being reduced or ceasing to exist in the future (37 percent). According to the latest report from the Social Security Trustees, the program's two trust funds—the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) funds—are projected to reach insolvency by 2034. At that point, benefits would be funded solely through incoming payroll taxes, triggering an automatic cut of around 21 percent unless Congress takes action. While several options have been tabled by lawmakers to fix the issue, such as The Fair Share Act and raising the retirement age, no meaningful progress has been made. Doug Carey, founder of WealthTrace and a chartered financial planner, told Newsweek that the main driver of fears around Social Security's longevity is this political inaction. "I believe it's the political climate and the lack of action over many administrations," he said. "Most politicians do not want to touch benefits since they believe it will only hurt their reputation and reelection chances now. That is why this keeps getting pushed into the future until it simply has to be addressed." Stock image/file photo: An elderly woman holding an empty wallet. Stock image/file photo: An elderly woman holding an empty wallet. GETTY The study also revealed Americans are concerned about seeing their personal savings through their post-working years. Sixty-three percent of Americans said they either believe they won't save enough to meet their needs by the time they retire or, if already retired, they failed to save enough—28 percent "strongly agree" and 35 percent "somewhat agree" with that statement. And for nearly a third of Americans—32 percent—Social Security is expected to be their primary source of retirement income. That compares with 29 percent who expect to rely primarily on retirement accounts, 12 percent on other savings and investments, and 11 percent on continued work. Only 9 percent see a company-funded pension as their main income source. The survey also showed that reliance on Social Security is even greater among retired women with six in 10 women retirees (59 percent) indicating it is their primary source of income, compared with 47 percent of men retirees. For those not yet retired, 29 percent of women and 22 percent of men said Social Security was their expected primary source of retirement income. Carey added that many Americans are already adjusting their retirement plans based on the assumption of reduced benefits. "What many people are doing is simply assuming their benefits will be cut by anywhere from 25 percent to 50 percent. They can then plan accordingly by retiring later, saving more, or changing their planned spending in retirement," he said. Some, Carey noted, choose to claim benefits early at age 62 to "lock in" payments, believing they are less likely to be reduced once started. Jackson Ruggiero, co-founder of told Newsweek that the poll's findings are unsurprising. "The program is facing real financial challenges, but just as importantly, people don't trust Congress to fix it in time," he said. "Because of this uncertainty, many people are changing how they plan for retirement. Younger workers especially are focusing more on personal savings through 401(k)s and IRAs, and some are assuming they'll get little or nothing from Social Security. That's understandable, but also a bit extreme." Looking forward, Ruggiero advised a balanced approach for those concerned about their retirement savings and the future of Social Security. "Plan like your benefits might be reduced, not gone. Save what you can now, take advantage of employer retirement plans, and if possible, delay taking Social Security to get a bigger monthly check," he said. Both experts agreed on one point—Congress is moving too slowly to fix the looming insolvency dilemma. "They are doing nothing, and I predict they won't do anything until the year where it's clear Social Security benefits will have to be cut. Currently that is 2033," Carey warned. This is not the first time Social Security has faced a funding cliff. In the early 1980s, the trust funds were similarly close to depletion. Lawmakers responded with reforms that included faster payroll tax increases, a gradual rise in the retirement age, and taxation of some Social Security benefits. "Social Security has served as the cornerstone of retirement income since its establishment nine decades ago. It provides millions of older Americans with guaranteed income, so that they can retire with greater financial security," Catherine Collinson, CEO and president of Transamerica Institute, said. "With the estimated depletion of the Social Security trust funds looming large, now is the time for policymakers to identify reforms that can help ensure the program's sustainability for the next 90 years."
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
President Donald Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill" Will Speed Up the Timeline to Social Security Benefit Cuts, New Analysis Finds
Key Points Social Security's Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) trust fund is an estimated eight years away from exhausting its asset reserves, which would trigger sweeping benefit cuts. A fresh analysis from the Social Security Administration's Office of the Actuary foresees the "big, beautiful bill" modestly exacerbating the program's cash outflow. However, ongoing demographic changes are the root cause of Social Security's financial woes. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › For most aging Americans, Social Security income isn't a luxury -- it's a necessary payout that ensures a stable financial foundation. For 24 years, Gallup has been surveying retirees to gauge their reliance on the income they receive from Social Security. Every year, 80% to 90% of respondents have noted their payout represents a "major" or "minor" income source. In other words, it's a necessity, in some capacity, to cover their expenses. Ideally, elected lawmakers -- which include President Donald Trump -- should be doing everything in their power to ensure the long-term financial stability of Social Security. But based on the latest update from the Social Security Board of Trustees, that's not happening. Worse yet, President Trump's flagship tax and spending law, the "big, beautiful bill," is expected to speed up the timeline to across-the-board Social Security benefit cuts, according to a new analysis. Social Security benefit cuts are an estimated eight years away Before digging into Donald Trump's newly passed law, the groundwork needs to be laid for what challenges await America's leading retirement program. Every year since the first retired-worker benefit was mailed out in 1940, the Social Security Board of Trustees has published a report that intricately details the program's financial health. It allows anyone to see how every dollar of income is collected and to track where those dollars end up. Arguably, the most important aspect of these annual reports is the long-term forecast. The long-term outlook takes into consideration fiscal and monetary policy changes, as well as ongoing demographic shifts, to determine how financially sound Social Security will be in the 75 years following the release of a report. Since 1985, every Social Security Board of Trustees Report has warned of a long-term unfunded obligation. In essence, projected income in the 75 years following the release of a report is believed to be insufficient to cover outlays, which are primarily comprised of benefits but also include the administrative expenses to operate the Social Security program. As of the 2025 report, this unfunded obligation has ballooned to $25.1 trillion. While this is a daunting figure, it's not the most immediate cause for concern. Rather, it's the Trustees' projection that the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) trust fund will exhaust its asset reserves by 2033. The OASI is the fund responsible for making monthly payments to retired workers and survivors of deceased workers. To be clear, the OASI doesn't need a dime in its asset reserves to continue doling out payments to eligible beneficiaries. However, the depletion of its asset reserves would signal that the existing payout schedule, including near-annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), is unsustainable. According to the Trustees Report, sweeping benefit cuts of up to 23% may be necessary in eight years if the OASI's asset reserves run dry. Analysis: Trump's "big, beautiful bill" exacerbates this cash outflow However, this projected timeline for benefit cuts isn't set in stone. In late July, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, sent a request to the Social Security Administration's Office of the Chief Actuary (OACT) to determine what, if any, financial impacts Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" would have on the Social Security trust funds. On Aug. 5, the OACT offered its response and updated projections to Sen. Wyden. The headline takeaway from the OACT's analysis is that Trump's flagship law will speed up the timeline to across-the-board benefit cuts. Specifically, the OACT analysis points to alterations in tax collection that are expected to adversely impact the Social Security program, beginning this year. Some of these changes include: Increasing the standard deduction amount for eligible seniors aged 65 and above from 2025 through 2028. Allowing eligible workers to deduct up to $25,000 in reported tips from their federal taxable income from 2025 through 2028. Allowing eligible workers to deduct a portion of their overtime pay from their federal income tax from 2025 through 2028. These provisions in the "big, beautiful bill" are meaningful because 91% of Social Security's income is collected from the 12.4% payroll tax on earned income (wages and salary, but not investment income), with another 3.9% coming from the taxation of Social Security benefits. These aforementioned tax-reducing initiatives are forecast to increase costs for the OASI and Disability Insurance (DI) trust fund by $168.6 billion, on a combined basis, from 2025 through 2034. This reduction in projected income collection comes at a price. The new asset reserve depletion date for the OASI has moved from the third quarter of 2033 to the fourth quarter of 2032, per the OACT. For the hypothetically combined OASI and DI (OASDI) -- asset reserves from the DI can potentially be leaned on to extend the solvency of the combined OASDI -- Trump's law moves the asset reserve depletion date from the third quarter of 2034 to the first quarter of 2034. Ongoing demographic changes are primarily to blame for Social Security's financial struggles Although the OACT's analysis finds that Trump's "big, beautiful bill" is going to worsen Social Security's financial outlook, it's important to recognize that the president's newly signed law isn't at the heart of the aforementioned $25.1 trillion (and growing) long-term funding shortfall. Social Security's worsening financial outlook primarily rests on an assortment of ongoing demographic shifts. Some of these demographic changes are well-known and have been ongoing for some time. For example, baby boomers retiring from the workforce are weighing down the worker-to-beneficiary ratio. We've also witnessed the average life expectancy notably increase since the first retired-worker benefit check was mailed in January 1940. The Social Security program was never designed to pay retirees for multiple decades. But a number of these major demographic shifts are occurring below the surface: The U.S. fertility rate hit an all-time low in 2024. Fewer births will lead to added pressure on the worker-to-beneficiary ratio in decades to come. Net migration into the U.S. has fallen off considerably since the late 1990s. Legal migrants entering the U.S. are typically younger and spend decades in the labor force contributing to Social Security via the payroll tax. Fewer legal migrants equate to less payroll tax income being collected. Rising income inequality is allowing more earned income to escape the payroll tax. In 2025, all earned income from $0.01 to $176,100 is subject to the payroll tax. For decades, the upper bound of taxable income (the $176,100 figure in 2025) has grown at a slower pace than earned income for high earners, thereby allowing more earnings to escape the payroll tax. While not a demographic shift, elected lawmakers' lack of progress in fixing Social Security is deserving of some blame, as well. Though proposals to strengthen Social Security are aplenty on Capitol Hill, finding some semblance of middle ground between America's two major political parties has proved virtually impossible. Even though Donald Trump's tax and spending law is forecast to make things worse for Social Security over the next decade, it's far from the root issues that need to be addressed to strengthen America's leading retirement program. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. One easy trick could pay you as much as $23,760 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Join Stock Advisor to learn more about these Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. President Donald Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill" Will Speed Up the Timeline to Social Security Benefit Cuts, New Analysis Finds was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
It's Official: Donald Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" Will Deplete Social Security Funds Faster
Key Points Social Security's retirement program trust fund is on track to run out of money in 2033. Trump's One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act will accelerate this timeline. If nothing is done, Social Security benefits could be slashed by 23% when the trust fund is depleted. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › President Donald Trump signed his "One, Big, Beautiful Bill" into law on July 4, 2025. But as 19th century author Margaret Wolfe Hungerford wrote, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Not everyone views the president's new law favorably. Even while the bill was making its way through Congress, opponents said it would cause the Social Security trust funds to run out of money sooner than projected. Their warnings appear to have been correct. It's official: Donald Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" will deplete Social Security's funds faster. Social Security's ticking time bomb To be clear, President Trump isn't single-handedly causing Social Security to become insolvent. That horse had already left the barn. Since 2021, the costs of Social Security's retirement program, which is also known as Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI), have exceeded its income each year. This income comes from FICA taxes that fund both Social Security and Medicare. However, the trend of increased benefits began years earlier. To continue paying benefits, the Social Security retirement program is drawing money from the OASI Trust Fund. As of the end of 2024, this trust fund had roughly $1.22 trillion. That's a lot of money, but the Social Security program's trustees' latest projection is that the fund will run out of money in 2034. Meanwhile, the Social Security disability program isn't in danger of insolvency. It has its own separate trust fund. However, many predict that Congress will raid the trust fund for money to help fund the Social Security retirement program when its trust fund is depleted. This move won't delay the inevitable for long, though. The Social Security trustees' June 2025 report projected that the combined trust funds will be exhausted in 2033. Trump's bill has accelerated the timeline On Aug. 5, 2025, Karen Glenn, Chief Actuary for the Social Security Administration (SSA), responded in a letter to Sen. Ron Wyden's request for an estimate of the financial effects on the Social Security trust funds of President Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill." Her findings confirmed what opponents had predicted: Trump's bill has accelerated the timeline for Social Security's trust funds being depleted. Glenn noted that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will make permanent the lower income tax rates and adjusted tax brackets originally enacted under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed by Trump in his first presidential term. She pointed out that the new law also temporarily increases the standard tax deduction amounts for individuals ages 65 and older and includes a few other changes that should affect Social Security. The problem is that these provisions reduce the revenue flowing into Social Security beginning this year. And that means that more money must be withdrawn from the trust fund to pay retirement benefits. The SSA estimates that Trump's new law will cost the Social Security retirement program $168.6 billion between 2025 and 2034, according to Glenn. Most importantly, she wrote to Wyden that the OASI Trust Fund will run out of money in late 2032 instead of early 2033. Glenn said that the combined Social Security trust funds would be exhausted in the first quarter of 2034 rather than the third quarter of 2034. Should retirees worry? When the Social Security trust funds run out of money, benefits could be slashed by 23%. Should retirees worry about this scenario -- especially now that it could happen sooner than projected? Probably not. Members of Congress know that allowing steep benefit cuts to go into effect would be disastrous politically. Several potential solutions to Social Security's financial challenges have been floated in recent years. There's a good chance that one or more of these proposed changes will be adopted to bolster Social Security before the trust funds are depleted. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. One easy trick could pay you as much as $23,760 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Join Stock Advisor to learn more about these Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. It's Official: Donald Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" Will Deplete Social Security Funds Faster was originally published by The Motley Fool
