By Ray Hanania

They’re talking about how Social Security will run out of money by the year 2033.

Run out of money? Social Security recipients have been putting money into the system every year that they have been working, saving to feed their families and paying their share to cover the costs of our nation.

We all know that very few officials care about senior citizens. They look at us like we’re little more than a temporary nuisance who will be gone sooner than younger voters.

Ray Hanania

Although government claims to care for seniors, we are really an afterthought. The organizations that are supposed to fight for our rights like AARP don’t do a very good job, though the big shots there pay themselves handsomely.

I know retired seniors who worked all their lives who are barely surviving on $1,600 a month.

Who can live on that paltry income after they paid money into the Social Security system for more than 40 years?

Part of the problem is the government has been taking from the Social Security fund when they need money. And they haven’t been putting enough in. Government hasn’t made the concerns of seniors or maintaining the Social Security fund a priority. It should be.

One alternative might be for seniors to sneak out of this country and sneak back in as illegal immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Those people are getting a lot from our government and no one is talking about how much it costs. They certainly don’t talk about seniors as much as they talk about them!

Some asylum seekers are getting as much as $3,300 a month in assistance, plus health insurance and other benefits.

Refugees get a year of cash assistance and support from the Refugees Cash Assistance program. During that period they are given help to find housing, healthcare and employment.

I think that’s great. Maybe we should be creating a senior cash assistance program. But why would this country care for our seniors?

They’ll be gone soon anyway.

People seem more concerned about illegal immigrants and asylum seekers than the people who worked all their lives. Seniors are law-abiding legal citizens who have paid their taxes not only to fund Social Security, but to also pay the salaries of government workers who cut the checks for illegal immigrants and asylum seekers.

I can understand why many illegal immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers want to come here. Their countries are terrible places to live and their governments are brutal and corrupt. They certainly get more from us than from the countries where they were born.

Why doesn’t our government force the countries where these migrants originate to pay us to care for them? Why don’t we make Mexico, Guatemala and the list of the others pay us to care for these needy people?

We give a lot of money to foreign countries and that should stop. We should deduct foreign aid based on how many people from a foreign country come here to get help.

I’m in favor of helping these hapless refugees seeking to escape from their countries and come to ours. But we should impose requirements, like learning our language and learning our history and swearing allegiance to our country.

But I am also demanding that before we start helping others, we should start to help our own, beginning with our seniors first. Our seniors come from many ethnic groups. So this isn’t about racism or dislike for immigrants.

Seniors worked their lives to make this a great country and they paid their taxes helping this country. They deserve to be the priority.

Seniors did their part. If we can find money for refugees, illegal immigrants and asylum seekers, maybe we can find some money to ensure seniors are able to survive and live decent lives. Maybe live lives better than the foreigners trying to come here.

What a novel idea that would be. Carrying for the people who invested their lives and money in this country and that many fought to defend.

The Political Grapevine: State Rep. Cyril Nichols (D-32nd) is fighting to force the state to address the growing problem of water shortages and our aging water pipelines. Why should Chicago be given the authority to control the distribution of water to the suburbs from Lake Michigan? The state should take over water distribution, and they should do a better job of controlling the water companies that charge far too much to supply water. Nichols was in Robbins distributing bottled water last week to needy families there. More people should be helping Nichols ensure every family has access to water.

Check out Ray Hanania’s columns and political podcasts at hanania.com.