Upon coming home from work tonight, I found an interesting little gem in my mailbox. "Your Social Security Statement" from the Social Security Administration. Hmm, I thought... I've never seen one of these before.

It's a four-page document with sections such as "What Social Security Means to You", "Your Estimated Benefits", "Help Us Keep Your Earnings Record Accurate", and "Some Facts About Social Security". It tells me that it was "Prepared especially for [me]" and tells me what my taxed Social Security Earnings were for the past six years, which is as long as I have paid into the system. It also tells me how much I would get if I were to become disabled right now, and how much my spouse or children would get if I died this year (if I had a spouse or children). Apparently I haven't worked long enough to qualify for retirement benefits, so I don't know how much I will get when I retire.

So what I want to know is this - did everyone get one of these? Do these get sent out every year? I have never gotten one before, as far as I can remember, and as I mentioned above I have paid into social security since 1999. I want to know: have any of you received one of these documents?

I have this suspicion that this is related to the President's efforts to privatize Social Security. Especially because of the part about how the Social Security Trust Fund will be exhausted by 2042 if we don't do something about it. In the front-page section on "What Social Security Means to You", it says:

Social Security is a compact between generations. For more than 60 years, America has kept the promise of security for its workers and their families. But now, the Social Security system is facing serious future financial problems, and action is needed soon to make sure that the system is sounds when today's younger workers are ready for retirement.

Today there are almost 36 million Americans age 65 or older. Their Social Security retirement benefits are funded by today's workers and their employers who jointly pay Social Security taxes... Unless action is taken soon to strengthen Social Security, in just 14 yeras we will begin paying more in benefits than we collect in taxes. Without changes, by 2042 the Social Security Trust FUnd will be exhausted. By then, the number of Americans 65 or older is expected to have doubled. THere won't be enough younger people working to pay all of the benefits owed to those who are retiring. At that point, there will be enough money to pay only about 73 cents for each dollar of scheduled benefits. We will need to resolve these issues soon to make sure Social Security continues to provide a foundation of protection for future generations as it has done in the past.

So my question is this: is this a routine benefits statement? Or is it propaganda disguised as a routine benefits statement? I realize that that selection I reproduced here is fact, based on estimates completed by the Social Security administration - but propaganda doesn't have to be lies, it can just be selective facts. Is this supposed to put me in the mindset of being more receptive to Bush's suggestions of how to "fix" this system?

I can't imagine that they sent these to every person in the country who pays into social security. Am I targeted because I'm young? Or for some other reason? Or am I wrong, did everyone get one of these? Do we get these every year and I just forgot?

I'd love to know if any of you got one of these in the mail.