It’s time for Congress to act, so Social Security benefits can finally start to keep pace with the cost of living. The average monthly benefit for Social Security retirees in Montezuma County is $1,150.

Nationally, the monthly average benefit is only $1,269, not much more than a worker earning minimum wage. With pensions disappearing and cost of living adjustments not keeping pace with our expenses, now is the time to boost Social Security benefits.

As a volunteer with the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, I believe bills in Congress to phase in a $70 per-month increase will be a big help to senior citizens in Colorado and to our economy as a whole. Eliminating the $117,000 Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax cap on earnings will pay for the increase and will bring us closer to tax fairness at the same time.

As things stand, someone earning $50,000 per year pays more as a percentage of income in taxes than someone earning $200,000. That’s terribly unfair. It’s time to boost Social Security now!

Mary Kay Kisseberth

Denver