Well, you're right about that. I work 80 hours a week and mainly do what I'm told to achieve even though I have very broad authority to achieve it how I wish. If I weren't willing to do that, I would be gone, and they would hire someone who would.

I'm on vacation.

If someone rises up and takes it, more power to them.

Can't say for sure about X-potfarmer, but I'm still pretty much unreconstructed. I'm participating in a medical study on the long term effects of marijuana, and they asked me how many times I had smoked pot. Now, that was cruel. It was a little scary to think about that way. My answer was 10,000+. Sad, I guess, but true.

I am just one boomer so there is no way to extrapolate any of this response to all boomers.

1- Upperclass/noveau riche is an oxymoron. One is either upper class or one is nouveau riche. The upper class tends to hide in enclaves while the nouveau riche do everything possible to display their affluence.

2- Since I moved into senior management about 5 years ago, my technical skills have waned somewhat, but I'm still quite expert in SQL, C#, Java, PHP, PERL and other stuff. The thing is that I now get paid to be a world class manager not a techie. You would be hard pressed to match my skill set or do my job.

3- I live in a 1471 sq ft 1908 bungalow on a 50x100 lot in the city of Portland, OR. Yes, it is true that my wife and I could afford our house on one month's income, but no McMansion is the point.

4- I have 36 Gen Xers working for me (plus one other boomer and one woman in her early 20s), and they are excellent, hard working and enjoyable employees. Not a one of them wants my job - too many hours, too much politics, too many painful decisions (layoffs, offshoring, etc.) and way too much responsibility.

5- I have no intention of retiring until 65. I like to work, I like my job, I like the people that I work with, and, yes, I enjoy the income. Why do you think that I should give up my career just to make your life a little better?

Sounds more like jealousy or envy or something, Patrick, not some rational response to the way the world is. There are 60 million boomers whether or not you like that. I would be glad to meet you halfway, if that were possible, but your idea that boomers should basically die and go away so your life would be easier is just self-centered, self important crap.

You're correct. Thanks. I stand corrected.

Have a ball, Dick.

Just to set the record straight, I am on vacation, my wife is in California seeing her son and my dogs are sleeping.

I didn't write the letter or support its statements. No apology from me.

PS - You may call me Mr. Zink

Left up to me, we wouldn't leave you hanging. It isn't even that hard to fix SS, at least financially, but there appears to be no political will to do that. There are 60 million boomers - I am but one.

As you wish

Anonymous - Your post was a tad obscure for my aging brain. Are you saying the boomers shouldn't enjoy themselves? That's how I took it, but I could be wrong. Frankly, it sucks to have glaucoma. If I live long enough, it means I will probably end up blind - plenty of punishment for whatever transgressions you believe that I have committed. It also sucks that my wife has Stage 4 ovarian cancer with a 2-3 year prognosis. This is my wife of 35 years, the love of my life. She also smokes some pot to relive the nausea from chemotherapy. Do you begrudge her that? Being older does not mean shriveling up and dropping out. We try to live each day that we have to the max. A good thing, IMHO.

See Vetoregon's post. Res ipsa loquitur.

OK. That's a good point, but that's not what these letters say. What they say is 'boomers suck'. The very thing for which you criticize the LW. If Xers are to be treated and viewed as individuals, and I agree that that would be the good and righteous thing, then boomers also deserve something more nuanced than 'boomers suck'.

Amen, brother.

Of course it was sarcastic, and I am exasperated. Boomers have not received on thin dime from Soc Sec yet. All we've done is pay for it. Our parents are the ones who increased benefits beyond what was put in so they wouldn't have to care for their parents. We didn't have 401Ks until the mid 80s, our defined benefit pensions have been gutted, and, being 60, I don't have time to make up for what you would steal from me. Personally, I would be OK, but millions would not. If you want to have a rational discussion about Soc Sec, great, but 'screw the boomers' is not something most of us would support.