This is in response to Judson Duncan’s letter, published Nov. 12.

Republicans love government programs that work; however, we don’t count Social Security and Medicare among them.

Social Security takes 15 percent of what I produce and pays for current retirees, or it’s spent to mask the true amount of spending. It reduces what’s available for us to save for our own retirement. Furthermore, it reduces what employers have to pay their employees or to invest in growing their businesses. There isn’t a single conservative mutual fund that has ever performed as badly as Social Security for rate of return. And when I die, I can leave my private account to my kids, but Social Security keeps what you leave behind.

If Congress thinks Social Security is so great, why are they exempt from it?

Medicare dictates to health care providers what they will pay, and burdens them with excessive paperwork in order to get paid. Health care providers have to run like a business and when they are unduly burdened by this red tape, they have to make up the costs with their other clientele – those of us who pay our own bills make up the difference for what the government refuses to pay. All of this gives the government more power and reduces our freedom. If anyone believes the government handles money better than we do, I invite you to send in your contributions to the IRS. They’ll gladly accept all money you send.

Gerard Gelinas, Lewiston