Open Letter to Neel Kashkari

[JDPriestly]

Mr. Kashkari, I read excerpts from your recent Washington Post op-ed piece in which you lecture seniors on the American way and self-sacrifice.

Sir, I welcome immigrants to my country. But my family has been in the United States for centuries, and I do not appreciate being lectured to by a relative newcomer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neel_Kashkari) about American values.

When I was a child living in small Iowa towns, the local doctor treated everyone, rich or poor, the same. All of the children in our small towns attended a public school. We knew who was rich and who was poor, but we were all treated the same once we entered the schoolroom. The entire community, at least those who could, paid taxes to support the local school.

Public education funded from tax revenue, like many other social welfare programs, is a very old tradition in the United States. In researching some family history recently, I saw deeds for land in Indiana dated 1825-1830. They included deeds to the local school district.

Schools were not the only way that early Americans shared and supported each other economically, socially and spiritually. Benjamin Franklin was the champion of community. He began a library, a volunteer fire department and supported education for African-Americans. These institutions became so central to our culture that we asked our local governments to fund them out of tax revenue.

Sharing and caring for each other is a deep, fundamental value in American life. Barn-raising, harvesting fields -- these were cooperative activities in rural America. Did the fields belong to individual farmers? Yes. But essential aspects of the work was done by the community.

American communities have also always worked together to try to provide for the indigent, for those who cannot help themselves. You see, Mr. Kashkari, our nation was founded by men and women who, whether for religious or philosophical reasons, despised the caste system, the dictatorship of wealth and aristocracy that caused so much suffering in Europe and elsewhere in the world.

If your family came to the United States to leave caste and privilege behind, "Welcome. You are one of us." If you came simply to subjugate or impoverish others, to enjoy the privilege of membership in an upper caste, an economic elite, you are not one of us. You do not belong.

Social Security is a deeply American idea. While we are young and healthy and working, we each give a portion of what we earn to the government. Why the government? Because ours is intended to be a government by the people. When we entrust a portion of our earnings to our government, we are giving to the one institution that answers to us -- to all of us.

What we give to the government for Social Security we intend that to be shared by those who are too old or too disabled to find or do work. Yes, Social Security was made a federal program during FDR's administration. The format and the organization of Social Security were, at that time, new to Americans. But the fundamental premise -- that we all pitch in to help our neighbors, rich and poor, that we are a generous, classless society -- is what defines us as a people.

Mr. Kashkari, the average Social Security payment is around $1200 -- actually less -- per month per person. That is a pittance, a subsistence in most of America. I feel pretty certain in assuming that you have never in your life known what it means to live on less than $1200 per month.

I challenge you, Mr. Kashkari to find out. I challenge you to live on $1200 per month for a year. Pay for all of your housing, clothing, utilities, food, everything out of $1200 per month. I bet you won't make it through the first month. You claim to be qualified to manage other people's money. Let's see how well you can manage $1200 -- no cheating now -- per month.

Mr. Kashkari, when you have finished your year, then I will be interested in what you have to say about Social Security benefits. But until then, keep your opinion to yourself, please.

[Mike 03]

1. Thank you for flagging this

I had formerly respected Mr. Kashkari for his apparent intellect and inventive work under Paulson during the economic crisis, but this Op-Ed raises serious questions.

[Ruby the Liberal]

2. HEARTY k&r for this.

You should send it. Seriously.