America First Republican Club

by Donald Horning

LW contributor

The America First Republican Club meeting on April 16 began with a potluck. The business meeting started with various topics including the two protests at the globe on April 4.

The first protest focused on the GRF Board oversight. Members were encouraged to identify and support those Mutual and GRF Board candidates who align with their own views on governance, including transparency, accountability and assessments.

The second protest was a local response to a national “Hands Off” Social Security that focused on President Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE supposed goals to eliminate benefit programs. It was determined that no congressional bill or initiative had been made to do so.

A discussion of the history of Social Security ensued about the law that passed in 1935. Some facts of note discussed included:

• Social Security is funded by employer payroll taxes and the first monthly payments began in 1940 with a ratio of 42 workers contributing for each individual retiree.

• Until 2010, employers and workers paid more in Social Security taxes than what the federal government paid out. Surplus money was funneled into other programs.

• Today, the ratio of workers to retirees is 3 to 1 and by 2050, the ratio is projected to an unsustainable 2 to 1 ratio.

• As of April 3, the national debt is $36.22 trillion.

• President Trump gave Musk and DOGE the goal of identifying and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse and is doing such with Social Security.

Club member Paul “Pinky” Kartinen discussed his book “Re-Constituting the United States Government” as the club continues its education on of the U.S. Constitution.