Metro Minutes Reader: Social Security and Venezuela
By: Tam, 2005
Reader 1
THE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN FOR
SOCIAL SECURITY CONTINUES TO
TAKE SHAPE AS NEBRASKA
SENATOR CHUCK HAGEL SUGGESTS
A RISE IN THE RETIREMENT AGE TO
68.
SENATOR HAGEL SAYS PEOPLE ARE
LIVING LONGER SO ONE MORE YEAR
SHOULDN’T BE AN ISSUE.
SOCIAL SECURITY HAS BEEN A HOT
BUTTON OVER THE LAST TWO
DECADES BUT NOBODY HAS TAKEN
QUITE AN INTEREST IN IT AS THE
BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAS.
IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BABY
BOOMERS WILL MAKE MORE
WITHDRAWALS OUT OF THE FUND
THAN ANYONE UNDER 50 CAN
DEPOSITE.
THE ADMINISTRATION’S CURRENT
PROPOSAL WOULD PUT AN UNDECIDED
AMOUNT OF TAX PAYER’S RETIREMENT
FUNDS INTO PRIVATE ACCOUNTS FOR
PERSONAL SPENDING.
Reader 2
IT LOOKS LIKE STUDENT’S ACROSS
THE COUNTRY HAVE TO START
BUDGETING FOR STEEPER GAS PRICES
IF THEY WANT TO MAKE IT TO CLASS BY
CAR.
VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO
CHAVEZ HAS TOLD THE WORLD TO
FORGET ABOUT CHEAP OIL.
U.S. RELATIONS ARE STRAINING
WHILE THE VENEZUELAN LEADER AND
IRANIAN PRESIDENT MOHAMMAD
KHATAMI CREATE THE WORLD’S FIRST
SOUTH AMERICAN AND EASTERN
ISLAMIC PARTNERSHIP.
BOTH COUNTRIES HAVE DECIDED
TO RAISE THE PRICE OF OIL TO FIFTY
FIVE DOLLARS PER BARREL
VENEZUELA IS THE FIFTH LARGEST OIL
MANUFACTURER IN THE WORLD.
